I confess that I committed a sin...
I confess that I committed a sin, and now to correct this mistake and remove this sin, I am ready to offer half of my wealth to this Muslim brother of mine." Hearing this, the poor man said: "O Messenger of Allah! I am not ready to accept this offer." The Prophet (S) asked why.
He replied: "I do not want to become proud and selfish, under the influence of wealth, and to behave one day with one of my Muslim brethren as this man has behaved with me."[^1] Plato (Aflatun) says: The best way to gain friendship is through humility and politeness. The great thinkers of Islam further elaborate this point. Arrogance is the enemy of friendship. Anyone having arrogance in mind and vanity in walk casts out his well-wishers and minimizes his friends.
On the contrary, the benevolent and polite person attracts friends. The selfish cannot gain friends, because people do not tolerate arrogance.
Muhaddith-e Qummi says: "Selfishness and egotism of people have some outwardly signs: a proud and self-centred man always thinks that he is great while others are little and despised; he does not like to stand on equal level with others; he wants to walk ahead of others, to sit in a higher and distinguished place; he expects others to salute him; if somebody advises him, he becomes angry; and if he advises others he uses harsh language, and if his advice is not accepted he becomes furious; if he teaches he insults his pupils, and treats them as his servants."[^2] Now see, how can a man having such behavior possibly create friends, or what can people learn from such person.
The Holy Qur'an narrates the useful teachings of Luqman to his son in which, among other things, he says: وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ And swell not thy cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth, for Allah loves not any arrogant boaster. (31:18) The sixth Imam explains that pride is based on an inferiority complex.