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Pride Is an Exclusive Attribute of Allah

Question

Is Pride an attributte of Allah please refer your answer from Quran and authentic Sunnah.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that Kibriyaa’ (Pride/Grandeur) is one of the Attributes of Allah, The Exalted, as stated in the Quran and Sunnah, and that Al-Mutakabbir (The Superior and Supreme in pride and grandeur) is one of His Names. Allah Says (what means): {And to Him belongs [all] grandeur within the heavens and the earth, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} [Quran 45:37] Al-Qurtubi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said in his Tafseer book: “{to Him belongs [all] grandeur} means that to Him belongs greatness, majesty, immortality, dominion, power, and perfection.” [End of quote]

In the Sunnah, it was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Allah, The Almighty, Says: “Pride is My Ridaa’ (cloak), and Greatness is My Izaar (lower garment), and whoever claims to share with Me either one of them, I will cast him into Hellfire.” [Ahmad, Abu Daawood and Ibn Maajah]

Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to say in his Rukoo‘: “Subhaana Thil-Jabarooti wal-Malakooti wal-Kibriyaa’i wal-‘Athamah (which means: Glory be to the Lord of Might, Dominion, Grandeur, and Greatness).” [Ahmad, Abu Daawood, and An-Nasaa’i]

One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, as stated in the Quran, where Allah Almighty Says about Himself (what means): {…the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior.} [Quran 59:23] [Al-Mutakabbir in this verse is translated as ‘the Superior’]

Briefly, the reported meaning of the divine name Al-Mutakabbir is as follows: “The One Who is Superior and Exalted above all evil, Who is far Exalted above committing injustice against His slaves. To Him belongs all grandeur, and He is far Exalted above the attributes of His creation, and He shows His Superiority to the insolent created beings who dare to claim to share with Him the attribute of greatness, so He destroys them.”

Al-Munaawi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said in Faydh Al-Qadeer: “Al-Mutakabbir means the One to Whom belongs all Kibriyaa’ (pride/grandeur), The Sovereign, or The Superior Who sees others as inferior to Him. He regards others in the same way a master regards his slaves, and it is inconceivable that this attribute should be ascribed to other than Allah, The Exalted (in this sense). To Him alone belong greatness and grandeur in all respects and from all aspects, and therefore this attribute cannot be used in reference to other than Allah, The Exalted, except in a context of dispraise.” [End of quote]

Allah Knows best.

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