How can self-admiration damage a person's worship and repentance?
2026-09-21
T66 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Selected explanation · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected passage distinguishing awareness of Allah’s grace from self-admiration. The sinner described here acknowledges the sin and does not use divine decree as an excuse. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
المقتطف
فَشُهُودُ الْقَدَرِ فِي الطَّاعَاتِ مِنْ أَنْفَعِ الْأُمُورِ لِلْعَبْدِ وَغَيْبَتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَضَرِّ الْأُمُورِ بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يَكُونُ قَدَرِيًّا مُنْكِرًا لِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدَرِيَّ الِاعْتِقَادِ كَانَ قَدَرِيَّ الْحَالِ وَذَلِكَ يُورِثُ الْعَجَبَ وَالْكِبْرَ وَدَعْوَى الْقُوَّةِ وَالْمِنَّةِ بِعَمَلِهِ وَاعْتِقَادِ اسْتِحْقَاقِ الْجَزَاءِ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِهِ فَيَكُونُ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ الْعُبُودِيَّةَ مَعَ الذُّنُوبِ وَالِاعْتِرَافِ بِهَا - لَا مَعَ الِاحْتِجَاجِ بِالْقَدَرِ - عَلَيْهَا خَيْرًا مِنْ هَذَا الَّذِي يَشْهَدُ الطَّاعَةَ مِنْهُ لَا مِنْ إحْسَانِ اللَّهِ إلَيْهِ وَيَكُونُ أُولَئِكَ الْمُذْنِبُونَ بِمَا مَعَهُمْ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ طَاعَةٍ بِدُونِ هَذَا الْإِيمَانِ.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Selected explanation
Being conscious of divine decree in acts of obedience is among the most beneficial things for the servant, and being unaware of it is among the most harmful. He would then be like a Qadarī, denying Allah’s blessing upon him of faith and righteous deeds. Even if he is not a Qadarī in belief, he is one in his state. This produces self-admiration, arrogance, claiming strength for himself and claiming credit for his deeds, and believing that those deeds entitle him to a reward from Allah. A person who recognizes his servitude while having sins and acknowledging them—without using divine decree to justify them—is better than someone who sees his obedience as coming from himself, rather than from Allah’s kindness to him. Those sinners, because of the faith they possess, are better than obedience without this faith.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 8/331
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited volume and printed page. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.