S-2.2: Those Who Neglect Their Inward Faults
Others master religious learning and its outward performance, but do not examine their hearts to eliminate the blameworthy traits therein such as pride, envy, ostentation, and seeking exaltation or fame. These have made their exterior seemly while neglecting their interior, forgetting the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace),
``Allah does not look at your appearance or property, but only at your hearts and works.''
Such people apply themselves to works but do not apply themselves to hearts, though the heart is the real foundation, since no one is saved
``except he who comes to Allah with a pure heart'' (Koran 26:89).
They resemble someone who sows grain that comes up with weeds choking it out, but when ordered to weed it, merely trims away the weeds' twigs and stems, neglecting the roots, which take stronger hold.
Another segment of scholars know that these inner qualities are condemnable, but out of self satisfaction feel they are above them, and the they are too good as far as Allah is concerned for Him to afflict them with such traits, that only common people have them and not people at their own level of learning. When symptoms of arrogance or avidness for leadership appear is such people, one of them may say, ``This is not arrogance, but only seeking to exalt Islam, display the nobility of religious learning, and to spite those given to reprehensible innovations, Were I to wear clothes less fine or sit with a lower class of people, the enemies of religion would smirk, and gloat at my humiliation, which amounts to humiliating Islam.'' And he forgets about delusion, and that it is Satan Who has seduced him with this, which is plain from the fact that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and his Companions were humble in manner and preferred the way of poverty and lowliness.
Still other scholars have acquired religious knowledge, purified their exterior actions, making them seemly with obedience, and examined their hearts, purifying them of ostentation, envy, pride, and the like, and yet there remain snares of the Devil and tricks of the ego hidden in the recesses of their hearts which they have failed to notice and this neglected. You might see one of them spending the night and day in learning various religious sciences, organizing them and polishing up their terminology, such a person thinking his motive is the desire to manifest the religion of Allah Most High, while the real motive might be to make a name for himself and enhance his prestige. Perhaps too his published work is not entirely free of self-praise, whether overtly, by wide, sweeping claims, or covertly, by attacks on others, to show by attacking them that he is better than they are and more knowledgeable. Such kinds of behavior and similar ones are hidden faults which few discern but the wisest and strongest. Those as weak as we are have little hope of doing so, but at least a person should be aware of his own defects and wish they were corrected. There is hope for someone whose good acts make him happy and wicked ones make him sad, unlike someone who applauds himself and thinks himself the best of men.