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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Taqwa (Piety) Advice of Self-Conceit ================ One of the factors, which must be avoided, is self-conceit. It dismembers the society and leads to the effacement of religious acts. Self-conceit means that one is pleased with himself and considers himself superior to others whether he has an accomplishment or not. In other words, he is proud of himself. Some people have said that self-conceit means to magnify a feature while forgetting its source.

Sheikh Baha’iy has been reported as saying: “Beyond doubt when a someone does a praiseworthy act, like keeping vigil, it is a source of delight to him. If he considers it as a blessing from God and he fears God at the same time, such condition is not self-conceit. But if he considers it as from him himself and from God and sees it as great, it is as if he lays God under an obligation for having performed prayer or having fasted, and in this case, it is considered as self-conceit.

It is a feature blamed by the Holy Quran and traditions. God says: “…therefore, do not attribute purity to your yourselves; He knows him best who guards (against evil).” [^1] Elsewhere He says: “What! Is he whose evil deed is made fair to him that he considers it good?” [^2] On the same topics, God says: “Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds?

(These are) they whose labor is lost in this world’s life and they think that they do good work.” [^3] Allamah Majlisi says that most ignorant people have this feature, for they do what is, due to reason and religion, forbidden, but they consider them as good features and take pride in them. About this feature, God says: “They make it a favor unto you that they have become Muslims.

Say: Deem not your becoming Muslims a favor unto me; but Allah does confer a favor on you, inasmuch as He has led you to the Faith, if ye are truthful.” [^4] Ali ibn Sowayd narrated: “I asked Imam Ali (AS) about self-conceit that omits the good deeds, and the Imam (AS) said: ‘Self –conceit has certain stages. One stage is that when one does something wrong, but it seems fair to him and he has the impression that he has done a good deed.

The next stage is that when one believes in God, but makes favor unto God whereas it is God Who makes favor unto him.”[^5] Abdurrahman ibn al-Hajjaj narrated: “I said to Imam Sadiq (AS): ‘A man may do something and he is fearful and worried.