He was thrown out of paradise and subjected to an everlasting curse...

He was thrown out of paradise and subjected to an everlasting curse, when he refused to obey the command of Almighty Allah to prostrate before Adam (a.s.) Imam Ali (a.s.) explains that after years of worship, if an angel could be thrown out of paradise due to arrogance and pride, how can Almighty Allah allow someone else who possess the same attributes to enter Heaven?

3.Incident of Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) It has been reported that when Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) became the king of Egypt, his father, Prophet Ya'qoob (a.s.) decided to meet him. When he was still on his way to Egypt, Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) was informed about his father's journey. He therefore mounted his horse and immediately left to receive him. However, when he reached the place where his father was, Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) did not dismount out of respect for his father but remained seated on his horse.

This act although unintentional and of an infallible Prophet, was frowned upon by Allah. Angel Jibra'el was sent to inform Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) about Allah's displeasure and that as a result of such a mistake, Allah (s.w.t.) would discontinue Prophethood in the offsprings of Prophet Yusuf (a.s.). Here, it is interesting to note that Almighty Allah does not only abhor pride in men, but also dislikes actions which resemble it.

To Him whether the action is committed by an infallible Prophet or an ordinary man, it is not tolerable for surely Pride belongs to Him alone. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) has said : "Pride is the veil of Allah, and the proud quarrels with Allah for His veil" In other words, pride is a quality of Almighty Allah alone.

Whoever is proud other than Him does not deserve and is therefore at war with Allah (s.w.t.) 4) Reason for Kibr in Man There are many reasons for pride in man, but as a whole, the root cause of it is the feeling of self-humiliation and an inferiority complex in man. Therefore, one can count pride as a reaction, a cover up for a sense of insecurity and inferiority. The argument which Iblees brought up when command to prostrate before Adam (a.s.) was based on this insecurity.

"How could one, who was created from fire, prostrate before someone created from clay ?", asked Iblees. Iblees, who thought himself a superior creation than Adam, refused to recognize the command of his Creator. His response arose as a reaction to his loss of self-esteem.

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