I Feel Lower Than You One would realize the scale is...

I Feel Lower Than You One would realize the scale is something other than knowledge if he has become a scholar. For this reason he should think that maybe that person who religiously follows me ( taqlīd ) will go to heaven and maybe I will go to Hell. His humility grows and he sees himself lower than others. The third reason for someone to become arrogant is because of popularity or social status.

Sometimes this even comes from family relations, for example one who is from a certain tribe or a certain country looks down at others and even refrains from marrying people from other segments of society. Sometimes this arrogance comes from being a sayyid . A sayyid is someone who is from the Messenger of Allah's (S) lineage. How did the Messenger of Allah (S) act? He would sit on the floor and always be the first to greet someone, even a child.

But, such and such a sayyid expects others to greet him, only because he is a sayyid . An Undeserving Scholar’s Fanaticism Shaykh wrote a tradition from Imām Hasan al-‛Askarī (a) in Risā'l , in the section of the single transmission. The Imām described the bad scholar whose harm for the Muslim nation is great. He (a) said: “One of the signs of a bad scholar is fanaticism. The more people who follow him the greater he feels, even if they are corrupt.

But, he does not pay attention to someone who does not follow him, even if he is a good person.” Anybody from any social class who obtains a social position is afflicted with this sickness. He must do something to save himself. A rational person would try to escape from having power; he would not accept it unless he is forced to. Wanting To Serve People And Seeking Power Are Two Different Things It should not be misunderstood, a leader is necessary in Islam. We need judges and mayors.

What is meant is that one should not want position, but if it happens he should serve the people. He should not want to be the mayor; he should want to serve the city and the Muslims. The danger is when one wants to be in power. The Cure Of Arrogance The cure of arrogance is being humble. For example, Prophet Dāwūd became a political leader. He was both a Prophet and a political leader.

The following has been taken from the book Man Lā yahdaruhu al-faqīh : a voice came from the sky: “Dāwūd, you are a good servant, but you make a living from the public treasury.” Dāwūd cried to Allah for forty nights until Allah taught him how to make armor. Then, Dāwūd would make and sell armor for a living.