Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

it was said in yur previous email that pride and arrogance is HATED by allah....can u define for me what do u mean by saying pride and arrogance.....

Am i allowed to be proud of myself if i think i look handsome?

or am i allowed to be proud of myself if i know that i`m one of the smartest students in my school?

Am i allowed to imagine myself as better looking than other people? or no?

another question:

Are males allowed to wear eye contact lenses that change the color of their original eyes?(please provide a hadith or quran quotation on this question) please enlighten me...and describe in detail what u mean by "being proud or arrogant"

thank you...

may allah reward you for your hard work....

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What exactly does pride and arrogance mean?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: it was said in yur previous email that pride and arrogance is HATED by allah

We only repeated what Allah Subhanah Declared in the Glorious Quran!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 36 (part): Allah loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah Luqman verse 18: And swell not thy cheek (in pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster.

Q-2: can u define for me what do u mean by saying pride and arrogance.....

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6219 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith; his blood, his wealth and his honour.”

Pride and arrogance is when one who has been blessed by Allah Subhanah with something of His Grace and Bounty, looks down upon others in pride and arrogance, and thinks he is superior to them, or they are inferior to him!

Q-3: Am i allowed to be proud of myself if i think i look handsome?

If one is blessed with good looks from Allah Subhanah, there is no harm if he thinks he is handsome and is grateful to Allah Subhanah for His Favor upon him.

But if one thinks he looks handsome, and the others are ugly; and considers himself superior to others because of his looks; then he will be considered amongst the arrogant and proud in the sight of Allah Subhanah.

Q-4: or am i allowed to be proud of myself if i know that i`m one of the smartest students in my school?

If one is blessed with wisdom and knowledge from Allah Subhanah; there is no harm if one thinks he is intelligent and is grateful to Allah Subhanah for His Favor upon him.

But if one thinks he is the most smartest and intelligent person in the school; and considers and treats the others in the school as stupid and ignorant; then he will indeed be amongst the arrogant in the sight of Allah Subhanah.

Q-5: Are males allowed to wear eye contact lenses that change the color of their original eyes?(please provide a hadith or quran quotation on this question)
There is no harm if the believing males or females wear contact lenses; but to wear contact lenses that change the color of one’s eyes would be considered changing or defacing the fair nature created by Allah Subhanah, and thus forbidden in light of the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 118-119:

118 Allah did curse him (Shaitaan) but he said: "I (Shaitaan) will take of Thy servants a portion marked off.

119 I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires! I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever forsaking Allah takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety, suffered a loss that is manifest.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan