Pride in Islam: one of the worst flaws of the heart
In Islam, pride ( kibr ) is considered one of the greatest obstacles between humankind and its Lord. It directly opposes submission, humility, and the recognition of our limitations as created beings.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"He who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise." (Reported by Muslim)
When we talk about pride, we often think of an arrogant, haughty, disdainful person. But in the Islamic tradition, pride takes much more subtle forms.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also defined pride as follows:
"Pride is rejecting the truth and looking down on people." (Muslim)
An invisible disease, disguised as good intentions
What makes pride particularly dangerous is that it can exist even in someone who is calm, gentle, kind… and sincerely committed to their spiritual journey.
It's a heart condition that sometimes hides behind:
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the conviction of being "right"
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the idea that we are "more aware than others"
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the difficulty in accepting criticism or questioning
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or the tendency to believe that one is "immune" to certain flaws
One can very well appear to respect people, yet reject a truth spoken gently simply because it disturbs us. One can think of being humble while unconsciously viewing others as "less advanced" or "less sincere."
A mirror that we sometimes avoid looking at
The problem with pride is that it prevents us from seeing what needs to change within ourselves. It convinces us that "that's not the case for us." And in the meantime, we can do harm, hurt, be stubborn, or lose people—all while thinking we've done the right thing.
It's often much later, in peace and quiet or solitude, that things become clearer. We realize that having good intentions doesn't always mean being right. And that humility isn't just about being gentle, but about accepting that we can be wrong.
Returning to humility is returning to Allah
In the Quran, Allah says:
“And do not turn your face away from people in pride, nor walk upon the earth arrogantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone who is boastful and arrogant.” (Surah Luqman, verse 18)
True humility is recognizing that we always have something to learn. That no one is immune to flaws. And that the criticisms or losses we experience are not necessarily injustices, but sometimes reminders.
Working on one's heart is not about pretending to be pure, it's about accepting that there are always things that need purifying.
A personal note
As a Muslim woman and author of this article, I sincerely ask Allah for forgiveness for all the times I may have carried, even unknowingly, even an atom of pride in my heart.
I hope that we will all be guided — in remembrance, in our personal evolution, in our spirituality.
And above all, that we will learn to forgive ourselves, to correct ourselves, and to accept that these flaws are also part of our humanity.
Currently, I am writing a new version of my book The Secrets of the Heart , an even deeper and more introspective collection on spiritual illnesses and the inner journey.
I recently wrote a poem about pride there.
And I would like to share here, exclusively, a passage:
To believe that one can escape it is already to fall into it a little.
And during that time, I didn't see the dangers around me.
the people I risked losing because I thought I was doing better.
Pride doesn't always have a loud voice.
He doesn't always shout, he doesn't make noise.
With gentleness and sincerity,
Lina An Noura
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