A question about the saying attributed to Imam Ali regarding arrogance.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
We did not find the hadith in that wording, but we found in Nahj al-Balagha that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "To be arrogant towards the arrogant is humility itself." [Wisdom 410].
Arrogance is when a person shows themselves in a manner of pride.
And the term 'the arrogant' is one of the names of Allah, the Most High and the Great.
The attribute of arrogance in humans is condemned in Islamic teachings and is considered a moral vice. However, it is not an absolute vice; the opposite may also be condemned. For instance, if there is a tyrant who humiliates Muslims and mocks their religion, is humility before him a virtue? Or is being arrogant towards him and humiliating him the virtue?
The Quran describes the elite of the believers as: (humble towards the believers, proud against the disbelievers) [Al-Ma'idah: 54]. Pride aligns with arrogance and severity, and the disbelievers are the arrogant ones on earth. A believer should not be humble or submissive to them.
The hadith from Imam Ali does not encourage believers to be arrogant towards other believers; rather, it is directed towards others. The essence of the hadith negates the sin of being arrogant towards the arrogant, as it is indeed humility; it is humility before Allah, where a person does not submit to anyone other than Him. Thus, appearing in this manner in the presence of the arrogant reflects the name of Allah, the Arrogant. If matters lead to fighting against the arrogant, it resolves people's problems, as the arrogant only desire that people be their servants.
When we view the hadith from this perspective, there remains no room to assume that it aims to stir up problems among people or sow enmity and hatred between them. Rather, the believer is in a position of reaction, and they should not humble themselves before the arrogant.
If we assume that some believers have fallen into this vice and have not been deterred by good advice or better conduct, it may be said that being arrogant towards them (not being humble towards them) could serve as a wake-up call for their wrongdoing; their dislike for the arrogance of the arrogant could alert them to their bad behavior. Humbling oneself before them only nourishes that blameworthy trait.
And Allah knows best.