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Self-Admiration
Adopted from "Uddat a-Da'ee"

Self-admiration will ruin man as the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said:

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604. "Three things ruin human beings: The stinginess which is obeyed, the desire which is followed and man’s self-admiration which will ruin good deeds and incure God’s wrath."
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said:

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605. "Were a believer’s wrongdoing not better than his self-admiration, God would never make him free in committing wrongdoing."
Amiralmomenin (AS) has said:

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606. "An act of disobedience making you worried is better than a good deed which makes you proud."
The Imam (AS) also said:

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607. "Nothing is better than humbleness and no loneliness is more horrible than self-admiration."
Imam Sadeq (AS) has reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

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608. "God sent a revelation to prophet David saying: O Dawood! Give good tidings to wrongdoers and admonish the pious. David said: How shall I give good tidings to the wrongdoers and admonish the pious? God said: Give good tidings to the wrongdoers that I will accept repentance and forgive their sins but admonish the pious lest they will become proud of their deeds for never were a man proud of his good deeds unless he was ruined." In another Hadith, it has been pointed out:

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"Never did a man make an end account of his good deeds unless he was obliterated."
Imam Baqer (AS) has reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

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609. "I know the interests of My servants better than themselves, for sometimes one of My believing servants does his best to perform his prayer, he wakes up from his pleasant sleep over him for a couple of nights. This is due to My favor with him so as to make him steadfast. Hence, he keeps on sleeping and when he wakes up, he will get angry with himself. If I leave him free in performing prayer, he would be overwhelmed by self-admiration which would ruin him, for he would feel superior to servants and had the impression that he had not failed in worshipping Me. To sum it up he would keep aloof from Me whereas in his opinion, he was near to Me."
It has been reported on the authority of Imam Baqer (AS):

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610. "God says: Some of My believing servants invoke the grace of some prayers but I take away the grace of the deed lest they will become proud of it."
Prophet Jesus (AS) has said:

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611. "O assembly of disciples! There are many lamps which are extinguished by winds and many pious me who are obliterated by self-admiration."

What is self-admiration ?

Self-admiration is when man overestimates his good deeds and is happy with them.
Saad Ibne Abi Khalaf has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):

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612. "Do your best all the time and think of your shortcomings, for you can not worship God as He really deserves."
Nevertheless, happiness accompanied by humility for God as well as giving thanks to God for granting such a grace is praiseworthy. In this connection Amiralmomenin (AS) has said:

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613. "One who is made happy by a good deed and sad by a bad deed is a true believer."
The Imam has also said:

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614. "He does not belong to us one who does not call himself to account, that is, if he has done a good deed he should praise God and wish for further good deeds and if he has done something wrong he should ask for forgiveness."
The Imam also said:

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615. "Let it be known to you O servant of God!
That a believer never ends his day but reproaches himself and wishes for further good deeds. Therefore, be as those who lived and passed away before you. As a traveler, pick up the pitch of tent of the world and wrap it up so as to go through other stations.

How to cure self-admiration?

Self-admiration incurs God’s wrath and obliteration of good deeds. One should note that all signs and body members by which we perform prayer belong to God. Are our sustenance and health not His? Is our success in performing prayer not a blessing for which we should be thankful to God? Hence we should fear failing to perform them and being taken to task.
God in a revelation to Prophet David (AS) has said:

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616. "O Dawood! Thank Me. David said: O Lord! How can I thank you while thanks giving itself is one of Your blessings which needs thanks? He said: O Dawood! I am pleased to take this confession of yours as thanksgiving."
It is said that one day an orator came to Haroun Alrashid. He asked the orator to give him a piece of advice. The orator said: O caliph! How much would you give for a drop of water when you are extremely thirsty? Haroun said: Half of my kingdom. The orator said: And if you can not pass off that water, how much would you give to remove the obstacle? Haroun said: The other half of my kingdom. The orator said: Therefore, let not the kingdom which is worth a drop of water deceive you.
All men receive wage or salary for the work they do but if we do a deed for the sake of God, for instance, if we fast one day, God says:

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617. "Fasting is for My sake and I Myself will give its reward."
God has also said:

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"I have prepared for My servants things no eyes have seen, no ears have heard and no mind imagined."
About rising a single night for prayer God says in verse 17 of the Quranic Chapter, the Adoration:

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"So no soul knows what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes; a reward for what they did."
If you go into prostration and sleep overtakes you, God will be proud of you before angels. If you devote a time for God and perform a two Rakat prayer or say: There is no god but Allah in your mind, God will say:

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"And whoever does good, whether male or female and he is a believer, these shall enter the garden in which they shall be given sustenance without measure." (Verse 40 of the Quranic Chapter, Moamin)
It has been reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

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"Whoever says Sobhanallah (glory be to God) God, will plant a tree for him in paradise."
The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said:

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618. "Whoever takes his "self’ as enemy instead of people, God will keep him safe from the fright of the Day of Judgment."
In a Hadith, we read:

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619. "Anyone of you who during the night repents his wrongdoing and blames his "self" is better for him than beginning the day while he is happy with his deed."
Sheikh Abu Jafar Mohammad Ibne Ahmad Ibne Ali Ghomi reports: I said to Ma-aaz: Tell me a Hadith you have heard from the Holy Prophet (SAW) and you have it in your memory. Ma-aaz said: All right and his tears started running. He then said: By my parents! While I was walking with the Holy Prophet (SAW) he raised his eyes towards the sky and said:

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620. "Praise is due to Allah who judges among people on whatever he wishes. Then he said: O Ma-aaz! I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah and Master of the believers."
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:

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"O Ma-aaz! I said: Yes O Messenger of Allah! O leader of the good and prophet of mercy!"

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"I will give you a piece of news no prophet has given to his nation. If you memorize it, it will benefit you in your life and if you hear but do not memorize it, you will not have any excuse before God."

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"Then he said: Before creation of heavens, God created seven angels appointing each of them in a heaven and made that heaven splendid with that glory. Then God appointed an angel as gate keeper to each of the gates of heavens.
The guardian angels record man’s deeds day and night and send them up while it is as bright as the sun. When they reach the sky of the world, they purify the deed and add to it but out of sudden the angel will say: Wait! Throw this deed to the face of its doer. I am the angel recording the act of backbiting. I will not let the deed of a backbiter pass on to a heaven. This is the order of My Lord."

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"He said: Then the next day while carrying good deeds the angels return and pass by the former angel, purify the deed and add to it till they reach the second heaven where the angel of that heaven will say: Stop here. Throw this deed to the face of its doer, for with this deed, he was following mean objectives in world. I am the angel of worldly affairs and will not let the deed of this person pass on to others from here."

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"He said, The next stage angels, take up the deed of God’s servant from whose charity and prayer they are happy. But when they reach the third heaven, the angel will say: Throw this deed to the face of its doer. I am the angel recording arrogance. This person had good deeds but was arrogant to people. My Lord has ordered me to let his deed pass on to others from here."

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"Then he said: The guardian angels took up the deed of God’s servant while it was shining like a star and his voice was up with glorification of God, fast, and Hajj pilgrimage. They were taking it up to the fourth heaven when an angel said: Stop here. Throw it to the face and belly of its doer. I am the angel recording self-admiration. He was self-conceited. He had good deeds but he was complacent. My Lord has ordered to stop his deed to pass on to others from here."

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"Then he said: The next stage, the guardian angels take up man’s deed which like a bride is ready for wedding. When they reach the fifth heaven, the good deed is accompanied by Jihad, prayer and a sad voice like the moaning, of a camel and the light of the sun. But the angel will say: Stop here! I am the angel recording jealousy. Throw it to the face of its doer and put it on his shoulder. He was jealous of seekers of knowledge and the obedient to God. Whenever he saw someone was superior in devotion, he was jealous of him and he started doing it. Here that man’s deed is put on his shoulder while the deed curses him."

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"Then he said: Once again the guardian angels take up man’s deeds such as prayer, alms, and Hajj to the sixth heaven but the angel will say: Stop here, I am the angel recording mercy. Throw this deed to the face of its doer and make him blind, for he had no mercy on any one. If anyone committed a wrongdoing or suffered a loss he would blame him. My Lord ordered to stop his deed from passing on from here."

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He said: The guardian angels take up to heaven man’s deed which is accompanied by understanding, endeavor and piety while it has a sound like that of thunder and lightning. In addition, three thousand angels will accompany it. When they reach the angel in the seventh heaven he will say: Stop here. Throw this deed to the face of its doer. I am the angel in charge of veiling. I will conceal from Him any deed which is not for His sake. This person meant to obtain a high position with the chiefs and have reputation. My Lord has ordered me to stop him from passing on to others as long as his deed has not been refined for God."

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"Then he said: This time, the guardian angels will take up man’s deeds for which man is happy. Deeds like prayer, alms, fast, Hajj, good temper, silence, and remembrance of God which are accompanied by the heavenly angels as well as the seven angels reap all the veils till they stand before God and they testify for him in practice and with Dua. But God will say: You are the guardians of the deeds of My servants but I am the guardian of what passes in his heart. He did not mean Me with his deeds. My curse be upon him."
At this time, Ma-aaz started weeping and said: What shall I do to have devotion in my deed? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:

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"Follow your prophet in being certain about the unity of God."
Ma-aaz says: I said: You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Ma-aaz. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:

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"O Ma-aaz! If you have any shortcoming in your deed, stop talking about your brother in faith and carriers of the Holy Quran. Blame yourself for your wrongdoing not your brethren. Do not ever justify yourself by reproaching your brothers in faith. Do not overestimate yourself at the price of humiliating your brothers. Do not dissimulate. Let not your worldly desires interfere your affairs in the Hereafter. Watch your language when associating with people so as people will not keep aloof from you. Do not whisper in an assembly. Do not magnify yourself, for you will be deprived of the blessings. Do not reproach people, for the dogs of Hell will reproach you. God says: "By Nashetaat!"

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"Do you know who "Nashetaat" are? They are the dogs of Hell who bite flesh and bone."
I said: Who can forbear this description? The Holy Prophet (SAW) said:

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"O Ma-aaz! This will be easy to one for whom God has made it easy."
The reporter says: Ma-aaz did not recite the Holy Quran so much as he related this Hadith.