SECOND ...

SECOND : The mentor, may he be sanctified, specifically discussed conceit about side deeds, with regard to the good deeds, too, saying, "There is no doubt that one who does good deeds feels elated." The case is that conceit is not confined to the good deeds but it may also take place in the bad ones. Quite many unbelievers and hypocrites feel proud of their unbelief and hypocrisy.

Those whose faculties are mean are dragged into feeling proud of their bad characteristics as we, God willing, will mention. We have pointed out to all of this in the tradition cited above, which is the statement of the imam in which he says that a servant's bad deed is decorated for him, so he sees it as being good, and he likes it. Such is the result of Satan, the evil one, confusing him, and such is the bad nafs decorated for man.

THIRD : According to the imam's viewpoint with regard to the statement of the mentor, that is, the feeling of happiness and elation that happens to man upon doing some righteous deed, if it is according to what the mentor says, that is, with regard to such deeds being a boon from Allah ..., etc., such elation is not conceit. This pursuit, with regard to most people, is according to its kind and is not applicable to all persons.

There arc individuals among people who arc among the sincere worshippers of Allah. They have gotten rid of the nafs and of its desires. Their eyes are too blinded to see their nafs in its entirety, so they do not see any deed for themselves except that they feel happy and pleased about it. They see their souls being owned by their real Owner; they have neither power nor might of their own. Their will is fused into the will of Allah.

They are described by this verse: "Allah sets forth the parable (of two men: one) a slave in the service of another; he has no power of any sort, whHe (the other) a man on whom We have bestowed goodly favors from Us, and he spends (freely) of it, privately and publicly: Are the two equal? (By no means:) praise be to Allah. But most of them do not understand" (Qur'an, 16:75).

They are the testimony to this verse of the Almighty: "They are (but) servants [whose status is] raised to honor [and distinction!" (Qur'an, 21:26).