as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ﴾[1]; “This is how Allah seals every arrogant, tyrannical heart,” and: ﴿سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ﴾[2]; “I will turn away from My signs those who act arrogantly on the Earth without right, so that when they see a sign, they do not believe in it; and when they see the path of guidance, they do not take it as their path; and when they see the path of misery, they take it as their path! This is because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them,” and: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۙ إِنْ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَا هُمْ بِبَالِغِيهِ ۚ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾[3]; “Indeed, those who dispute concerning the signs of Allah without any proof that has come to them—there is nothing in their hearts but arrogance, which they will never attain! So seek refuge in Allah, for He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

[The Origin of Arrogance]

What causes this state to arise in the human being is a real or illusory virtue within him that he is conceited about. Similarly, some are conceited about their origin, such as Iblis, the first to be arrogant, about whom Allah Almighty has said: ﴿قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ ۖ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ نَارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ﴾[4]; “He said: ‘I am better than him; for You created me from fire and created him from clay.’” Some are conceited about their rule, such as Pharaoh, about whom Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَنَادَى فِرْعَوْنُ فِي قَوْمِهِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِي مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَذِهِ الْأَنْهَارُ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِي ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ﴾[5]; “And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said: ‘O my people! Is the kingship of Egypt not mine, and do these rivers not flow beneath me?! Do you not see?!’” Some others are conceited about their wealth, such as Qarun, about whom Allah Almighty has said: