Self-righteousness

[KAding]

From reading the Qu'ran I got the feeling it quite explicitly tells Muslims they are superior, to say, polytheists or non-believers. So I'm not sure how much of this attitude can be blamed on 'personal imperfections'. Surely, if your way of life leads to heaven and that of others to hell, your way of life is better? I don't see how someone could NOT be self-righteous with those beliefs?

Not to say self-righteousness is limited to Islam or anything, of course it isn't. But the principle 'to each his own' is not something that is accepted in Islam, so I don't think Islam can teach that significant different lifestyles can all lead to happiness/salvation? In which case it is only logical to reject these alternative lifestyles, there is only one perfect path.

 

[Abdul Fattah]

From reading the Qu'ran I got the feeling it quite explicitly tells Muslims they are superior, to say, polytheists or non-believers. So I'm not sure how much of this attitude can be blamed on 'personal imperfections'. Surely, if your way of life leads to heaven and that of others to hell, your way of life is better? I don't see how someone could NOT be self-righteous with those beliefs?

Not to say self-righteousness is limited to Islam or anything, of course it isn't. But the principle 'to each his own' is not something that is accepted in Islam, so I don't think Islam can teach that significant different lifestyles can all lead to happiness/salvation? In which case it is only logical to reject these alternative lifestyles, there is only one perfect path.

Well, that depends on context you read it in, if you read it as being a man-made book, yes then it would be self righteous. If you believe it's divine, then there's nothing wrong with Allah subhana wa ta'ala mentioning which group is right and which is wrong, and btw, if you 'd look closely, you see that most of the time when the qur'an speaks about right and wrong it speaks in terms of behavior. (people doing this, people doing that, and not this kind of people and that kind of people).

 

[- Qatada -]

I'm so surprised at how much people speak about Islaam as if they're so knowledgable about it.


Allaah says in the Qur'an (translation of the meaning):

That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise) We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.

[Qur'an 28: 83]



Qur'an 25:63.

And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.



​

And Allaah narrates to us what Luqman said to his son:

O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.
​

"And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not each arrogant boaster.

And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass (donkey)."


[Qur'an 31: 17-19]



​

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "No one who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart will enter the Garden." A man said, "And if the man likes his clothes to be good and his sandals to be good?" He said, "Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means to renounce the truth and abase [look down on] people." [Saheeh Muslim]



Haritha ibn Wahb said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Shall I tell you about the people of the Fire? All those who are coarse, domineering, and arrogant.'" [Agreed upon]



​

Allaah tells us who the greatest among mankind are;

O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious.] Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

[Qur'an 49: 13]



[SIZE=-1]Taqwa: piety, "God-consciousness." Taqwa involves constant awareness and remembrance of Allah, and conscious efforts to adhere to His commandments and abstain from whatever He has forbidden.
www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/humanrelations/womeninislam/idealmuslimah/Glossary.html[/SIZE]​

None of us should boast in pride that "I have the most taqwa" since it is Allaah Alone knows who truelly is good. So we remain modest and continue doing good deeds, hoping to gain Allaah's Mercy for the good we do, so that we may enter His paradise. Yet to be arrogant about the deeds we do is an attribute of satan, and it shows a lack of sincerety.




And Allaah knows best.




Peace.

 

[Grace Seeker]

(I never got the hang of that particular apostrophy rule ... !)

It with an apostrophe is always (one of the few times I can say always in English without fear of the exception) some type of contraction: It is, it has, it ____s. The other form then (without the apostrophe) is always the possessive as the plural of "it" is "those", "these", or "them".

About the topic: Hmm... I suppose one could see it that way, but I see the flaws that religious adherents exhibit as being indicative of their own personal imperfections, rather than being indicative of the religion's perceived imperfections.

Taking the quote's logic further - does that mean people who adhere to the laws of UK would be more likely to find those of, say, Holland, inferior because of the latter's more liberal, permissive slant?

I think Muezzin makes a good point here distinguishing between the individual and the religion in terms of culpablity. But at the same time, the question has to be asked, do we find individuals behaving this way more in certain religions than in others? And if so, do they have anything in common, such as suggested in the opening post by glo?

As to the last question by Muezzin, yes, I think we may in fact see that same type of behavior. And it effects nearly all attitudes toward things that I can distinguish as "mine" versus "others". For instance, I know that softball is an imminiently superior sport to soccer (what many of you call futbol), but though I may couch my reasons in terms that (to me) appear to be superior logic, in reality they are just an emotional expression of that which I prefer for personal reasons.

 

[Grace Seeker]

Well, that depends on context you read it in, if you read it as being a man-made book, yes then it would be self righteous. If you believe it's divine, then there's nothing wrong with Allah subhana wa ta'ala mentioning which group is right and which is wrong, and btw, if you 'd look closely, you see that most of the time when the qur'an speaks about right and wrong it speaks in terms of behavior. (people doing this, people doing that, and not this kind of people and that kind of people).

But it can still lead to people thinking in self-righteous ways. They may indeed be the only right ones, but that does not mean that they have to see themselves as superior does it? Isn't it enough to know that one is blessed, without thinking of one's self as better? That is what I though some of the previous posters were getting at.

 

[Muezzin]

It with an apostrophe is always (one of the few times I can say always in English without fear of the exception) some type of contraction: It is, it has, it ____s. The other form then (without the apostrophe) is always the possessive as the plural of "it" is "those", "these", or "them".

I wish English teachers would inform the youth of today of such grammatical wonders. Alas, the lads and lasses seem more interested in 'txting, lolz'.

I think Muezzin makes a good point here distinguishing between the individual and the religion in terms of culpablity. But at the same time, the question has to be asked, do we find individuals behaving this way more in certain religions than in others?

That's still kind of skewed. To take things into perspective, one needs to somehow measure the self-righteousness of religious people compared to that of non-religious people, to see if there is any empirical support for the claim.

Don't get me wrong - people do abuse religion to further their own haughtiness, but people don't neccessarily need religion to become arrogant. Does religion encourage a self-righteous attitude? Perhaps. But religion also tends to encourage humility. Thus, it becomes a balancing act for the individual following the religion - even though the follower might believe that he or she is the only one on the right path, that does not give him or her the right to act like an arrogant, condescending, word-I-can't-type-on-the-public-forums to other people.

As to the last question by Muezzin, yes, I think we may in fact see that same type of behavior. And it effects nearly all attitudes toward things that I can distinguish as "mine" versus "others". For instance, I know that softball is an imminiently superior sport to soccer (what many of you call futbol), but though I may couch my reasons in terms that (to me) appear to be superior logic, in reality they are just an emotional expression of that which I prefer for personal reasons.

True.

 

[Sarada]

It is an inherent problem with monontheism (including both Islam and Christianity, Judaism too).

As soon as you have people claiming to have the only God and the only acceptable way to live, you're going to have problems, including a superiority complex, division, and intolerance.

I agree with you, Pygocellis. Pride and self-righteousness are easy traps to fall into. The antidote is a little humility and respect for others.

 

[Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн]

That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise) We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.

[Qur'an 28: 83]



Qur'an 25:63.

And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.

^^ One word...HUMILITY! Before anyone actually thinks Islam condones selfish pride...please read again..! If one is truly self righteous, they know to do it only for God because only His reward is everlasting. If one is truly righteous, you wouldn't find the need to show off to the world because what you do should only matter in the sight of God. THAT'S that difference.

 

[^..sTr!vEr..^]

umm...i think it depends on whether your heart is satisfied on what you believe & do...thats the main thing..

 

[Sarada]

^^ One word...HUMILITY! Before anyone actually thinks Islam condones selfish pride...please read again..! If one is truly self righteous, they know to do it only for God because only His reward is everlasting. If one is truly righteous, you wouldn't find the need to show off to the world because what you do should only matter in the sight of God. THAT'S that difference.

I hope you did not think I believe that Islam condones selfish pride or arrogance in any form. However, many people who believe that their group alone has the Truth are tempted to act in a self-righteous manner. This includes Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

 

[Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн]

No I wasn't talking to you. I'm not sure where you got that idea. I was speaking to everyone in general. I never said who does or who doesn't behave according to what manner. I'm stating the difference.

Peace