Haritha b. Wahb AL-KhuzaIi RA reported Allah's Messenger (May peace be upon him) as saying: May I not inform you about the inmates of Paradise? (And then informing about them) said: Every meek person who is considered to be humble and if they were to adjure in the name of Allah, Allah would certainly fulfill it. May I not inform you about the inmates of Hell-Fire? They are all proud, mean and haughty.

Pride leads to the following evils:
1) The person thinks the world revolves around him.
2) He thinks every one is out to harass him,
3) It leads to selfishness and hardheartedness.
4) Pride becomes like blinkers and he lives in a narrow world.

Abu Huraira RA reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: A man expressed his intention to give charity, so he came out with charity and placed it in the hand of an adulteress. In the morning, the people were talking and saying: charity was given to an adulteress last night. He (the giver of Sadaqa) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise-to an adulteress. He then again expressed his intention to give charity; so he went out with the charity and placed it in the hand of a rich person. In the morning the people were talking and saying: Charity was given to a rich person. He (the giver of charity) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise-to a well-to-do person. He then expressed his intention to give charity, so he went out with charity and placed it in the hand of a thief. In the morning, the people were talking and saying: Charity was given to a thief. So (one of the persons) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise (what a misfortune it is that charity has been given to) the adulteress, to a rich person. to a thief! There came (the angel to him) and he was told: Your charity has been accepted. As for the adulteress (the charity might become the means) whereby she might restrain herself from fornication. The rich man might perhaps learn a lesson and spend from what Allah has given him, and the thief might thereby refrain from committing theft.

When a beggar comes to you, he is giving you the opportunity to give charity whereby you gain great rewards. Thus he is doing you a favour and not you doing him a favour. Allah did not ask you to judge a person when giving charity. You get your reward depending upon your intention and sincerity. Life has a way of teaching you when you have pride and are arrogant and commit other sins which displeases Allah, so beware Allah is watching you.

There is an Urdu saying which says 'there is delay but not darkness with Allah. History is full of stories, when the wheel of fortune turns, beggars become wealthy and the wealthy go begging from those that they turned away.'

You will see it in your life in many ways as I have seen in my life. Try by all means to gain the nearness of Allah. A person with pride the size of a mustard seed will not enter paradise. We dislike a proud person but unfortunately our eyes look ahead. We do not see the effect our pride has on other people. This is the demand of being a decent human being and a good Muslim. Leave alone the nearness of Allah, The nearness of the Aulia is even more stringent. Until you do not sleep on a dung heap like a stray dog you are not fit for the company of the Aulia.

By: Zakariya C. Sema