Priding over others is Abhorred even if its regarding a ‘Naymah’ (a Blessing or Kindness) of Allah-azwj or an act of kindness of Ahl Al-Bayt-asws towards a believer. Two Ahadith are cited below:
عيون أخبار الرضا عليه السلام ابْنُ الْوَلِيدِ عَنِ الصَّفَّارِ عَنْ أَبِي عِيسَى عَنِ الْبَزَنْطِيِّ قَالَ: بَعَثَ الرِّضَا ع إِلَيَّ بِحِمَارٍ فَرَكِبْتُهُ وَ أَتَيْتُهُ وَ أَقَمْتُ عِنْدَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ إِلَى أَنْ مَضَى مِنْهُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَنْهَضَ قَالَ لَا أَرَاكَ أَنْ تَقْدِرَ عَلَى الرُّجُوعِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ قُلْتُ أَجَلْ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ
(The book) ‘Uyoon Akhbar Al-Reza-asws’ – Ibn Al-Waleed, from Al-Saffar, from Abu Isa, from Al Bazanty who said,
‘Al-Reza-asws sent a donkey to me, so I rode it and went to (see) him-asws, and I stayed with him-asws at night there passed from it what Allah-azwj so Desired. When I wanted to get up, he-asws said: ‘I do not see you being able upon returning to Al-Medina’. I said, ‘Yes, may I be sacrificed for you-asws!’
قَالَ فَبِتْ عِنْدَنَا اللَّيْلَةَ وَ اغْدُ عَلَى بَرَكَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قُلْتُ أَفْعَلُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ يَا جَارِيَةُ افْرُشِي لَهُ فِرَاشِي وَ اطْرَحِي عَلَيْهِ مِلْحَفَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنَامُ فِيهَا وَ ضَعِي تَحْتَ رَأْسِهِ مَخَادِّي
He-asws said: ‘Spent the night with us and go tomorrow morning upon the Blessings of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic’. I said, ‘I shall do so, may I be sacrificed for you-asws!’ He-asws said: ‘O maid! Furnish my-asws bed for him-asws and drop my-asws quilt upon it which I-asws tend to sleep in it and place my-asws pillow under his head!’
قَالَ قُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي مَنْ أَصَابَ مَا أَصَبْتُ فِي لَيْلَتِي هَذِهِ لَقَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِي مِنَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ عِنْدَهُ وَ أَعْطَانِي مِنَ الْفَخْرِ مَا لَمْ يُعْطِهِ أَحَداً مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ بِحِمَارِهِ فَرَكِبْتُهُ وَ فَرَشَ لِي فِرَاشَهُ وَ بِتُّ فِي مِلْحَفَتِهِ وَ وُضِعَتْ لِي مَخَادُّهُ مَا أَصَابَ مِثْلَ هَذَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا
He (the narrator) said, ‘I said within myself, ‘Who can achieve what I have achieved during this night of mine? Allah-azwj has Made a status to be for me in his-asws presence and Given me from the pride what He-azwj has not Given anyone from our companions. He-asws sent his-asws donkey to me, so I rode it, and he-asws furnished his-asws bed, and I am spending the night in his-asws quilt, and he-asws has placed his-asws pillow for me. No one from our companions has achieved the likes of this!’
قَالَ وَ هُوَ قَاعِدٌ مَعِي وَ أَنَا أُحَدِّثُ فِي نَفْسِي فَقَالَ ع يَا أَحْمَدُ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتَى زَيْدَ بْنَ صُوحَانَ فِي مَرَضِهِ يَعُودُهُ فَافْتَخَرَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِذَلِكَ فَلَا تَذْهَبَنَّ نَفْسُكَ إِلَى الْفَخْرِ وَ تَذَلَّلْ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ اعْتَمَدَ عَلَى يَدِهِ فَقَامَ ع.
He (the narrator) said, ‘And he-asws was seated with me, and I was discussing within myself. He-asws said: ‘O Ahmad! Amir Al-Momineen-asws came to Zayd Bin Sowhan during his illness to console him, and he prided upon the people with that. So do not take yourself to the pride, and humble to Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic and rely upon His-azwj Hand’. He-asws stood up’’.[1]
يج، الخرائج و الجرائح رُوِيَ عَنِ الْبَزَنْطِيِّ قَالَ: إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الْوَاقِفَةِ عَلَى مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَشُكُّ فِي الرِّضَا ع فَكَتَبْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ مَسَائِلَ وَ نَسِيتُ مَا كَانَ أَهَمَّ الْمَسَائِلِ إِلَيَّ فَجَاءَ الْجَوَابُ مِنْ جَمِيعِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ قَدْ نَسِيتَ مَا كَانَ أَهَمَّ الْمَسَائِلِ عِنْدَكَ فَاسْتَبْصَرْتُ
(The book) ‘Al Kharaij Wa Al Jaraih’ – It is reported from Al Bazanty who said,
‘I was from the Waqifites, stopping upon Musa-asws Bin Ja’far-asws, and I doubted regarding Al-Reza-asws. I wrote asking him-asws about issues, and I forgot what questions had been important to me. The answer came regarding its entirety. Then he-asws said: ‘And you had forgotten what questions were important in your view, so I-asws have explained’.
ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهُ أَشْتَهِي أَنْ تَدْعُوَنِي إِلَى دَارِكَ فِي أَوْقَاتٍ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا مَفْسَدَةَ لَنَا مِنَ الدُّخُولِ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ أَيْدِي الْأَعْدَاءِ
Then I said to him-asws, ‘O son-asws of Rasool-Allah-saww! I am desirous if you-asws could invite me to your-asws house during timings which you-asws know an enemy from the enemies would not spoil for us from entering to see you-asws’.
قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ مَرْكُوباً فِي آخِرِ يَوْمٍ فَخَرَجْتُ وَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ الْعِشَاءَيْنِ وَ قَعَدَ يُمْلِي عَلَيَّ الْعُلُومَ ابْتِدَاءً وَ أَسْأَلُهُ فَيُجِيبُنِي إِلَى أَنْ مَضَى كَثِيرٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ
He (the narrator) said, ‘Then he-asws sent a transport animal to me during the last day. I went out and prayed the two evening Salats with him-asws and he-asws sat dictating to me the knowledge, initiating from him-asws, and I was asking him-asws and he-asws kept answering me until most of the night had passed by.
ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْغُلَامِ هَاتِ الثِّيَابَ الَّتِي أَنَامُ فِيهَا لِيَنَامَ أَحْمَدُ الْبَزَنْطِيُّ فِيهَا
Then he-asws said to the slave: ‘Give the clothes which I-asws tend to sleep in, for Ahmad Al-Bazanty to sleep in’.
قَالَ فَخَطَر بِبَالِي لَيْسَ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَنْ هُوَ أَحْسَنُ حَالًا مِنِّي بَعَثَ الْإِمَامُ مَرْكُوبَهُ إِلَيَّ وَ جَاءَ وَ قَعَدَ إِلَيَّ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ لِي بِهَذَا الْإِكْرَامِ
He (the narrator) said, ‘It occurred in my mind that there isn’t anyone in the world who is of better state than me. The Imam-asws has sent his-asws riding animal to me-asws, and he-asws came and sat to me, then he-asws ordered with these honours for me’.
وَ كَانَ قَدِ اتَّكَأَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ لِيَنْهَضَ فَجَلَسَ وَ قَالَ يَا أَحْمَدُ لَا تَفْخَرْ عَلَى أَصْحَابِكَ بِذَلِكَ فَإِنَّ صَعْصَعَةَ بْنَ صُوحَانَ مَرِضَ فَعَادَهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَ أَكْرَمَهُ وَ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ وَ جَعَلَ يُلَاطِفُهُ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ النُّهُوضَ قَالَ يَا صَعْصَعَةُ لَا تَفْخَرْ عَلَى إِخْوَانِكَ بِمَا فَعَلْتُ فَإِنِّي إِنَّمَا فَعَلْتُ جَمِيعَ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ تَكْلِيفاً لِي.
And he-asws leant upon his-asws hand to get up. He-asws sat up and said: ‘O Ahmad! Do not pride over your companions with that, for Sa’sa Bin Sowhan (a devotee of Amir Al-Momineen-asws) was sick, and Amir Al-Momineen-asws had consoled him and honoured him, and placed his-asws hand upon his forehead, and went on to care for him. When he-asws wanted to get up, he-asws said: ‘O Sa’sa! Do not pride over your brother with what I-asws have done, for rather I-asws have done entirety of that because it was a moral obligation for me-asws’’.[2]
علل الشرائع ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ دِينَارٍ يَرْفَعُهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: افْتَخَرَ رَجُلَانِ عِنْدَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فَقَالَ أَ تَفْتَخِرَانِ بِأَجْسَادٍ بَالِيَةٍ وَ أَرْوَاحٍ فِي النَّارِ إِنْ يَكُنْ لَكَ عَقْلٌ فَإِنَّ لَكَ خُلُقاً وَ إِنْ يَكُنْ لَكَ تَقْوَى فَإِنَّ لَكَ كَرَماً وَ إِلَّا فَالْحِمَارُ خَيْرٌ مِنْكَ وَ لَسْتَ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ أَحَدٍ.
(The book) ‘Ilal Al Sharaie’ – Ibn Idrees, from his father, from Al Ashari, from Ibrahim Bin Hashim, from Ja’far Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al Hamdany, from Al Abbas Bin Aamir, from Ismail Bin Dinar, raising it to,
‘Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘Two men prided (with their ancestors) in the presence of Amir Al-Momineen-asws. He-asws said: ‘Are you priding with the decayed bodies and the souls in the Fire? If there happens to be intellect for you then there will be morals for you, and if there happens to be piety for you, then there will be benevolence for you, or else the donkey is better than you are, and you are no better than anyone (else)!’’[3]
[1] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 49, The book of History – Ali Al Reza-asws, Ch 3 H 18
[2] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 49, The book of History – Ali Al Reza-asws, Ch 3 H 48
[3] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 67 – The book of Eman and Kufr – Ch 56 H 29