Ramadan Parenting Challenge Day 18: Avoid Pride & Arrogance

Ramadan Parenting Challenge 2014

Pride and arrogance are often used interchangeably. They are the high opinion and display of one’s self-importance and superiority.

Iblis was expelled from Paradise because of this arrogance. He thought he was better than Prophet Adam and refused to accept that Adam was superior in knowledge than him. So Allah said: “(O Iblis) get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced.”  (7:13)

What are some examples of pride and arrogance? It is:

1.      To reject the truth and look down on others:

Abdullah ibn Masud reported that the Prophet said, “A person who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.” A person asked, “But one does like to wear good clothes and shoes!” The Prophet replied, “Indeed Allah is beautiful and loves beauty! Pride means to reject the truth and to look down on others!” (Muslim)

            2.      To walk with pride:

Then he walked in conceit (full of pride) to his family admiring himself!  (Qur’an 75:33)

And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like the mountains in height.  (Qur’an 17:37)

3.      To boast:

Luqman advised his son: "And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster.  (Qur’an, 31:18))

In order that you may not grieve at the things that you fail to get, nor rejoice over that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not prideful boasters.  (Qur’an 57:23)

To avoid having pride and arrogance you need to avoid doing the above. As a parent, you would need to model humility and teach that whatever ability or possession your children has was given by Allah and He could take it away as well. If someone praises them then say “Alhamdulillah” and “MashaAllah”.

Challenge for today is to:

1. Don’t look down on others
2. Don’t boast
3. Be humble
4. Teach your children to attribute their ability and successes to Allah and say “Alhamdulillah” and “Masha Allah”.

Do these and continue to do them throughout Ramadan.