THE PEAK OF ARROGANCE

 FAJR REMINDER: THE PEAK OF ARROGANCE

By: Umm Affān

Muḥarram 28, 1448 (13-July-2026)

Atheism is not the only path by which a person denies the Existence of Allāh. Among the most outrageous acts that nullify one's Islām and Eemān is for a human being to claim the right of divinity, declaring himself to be God (Allāh) or worthy of worship which belongs to Allāh alone. Such a claim is the peak of arrogance, for it is a direct assault upon the exclusive Right of the Creator.

This was the crime of Fir‘aun, although he was never a believer. Blinded by power, intoxicated by authority, and deceived by his own pride, he dared to utter the words that no created being has any right to say. Allāh (ﷻ) informs us that he declared: “I am your lord, most high.” [Sūrah An-Nāzi‘āt (79): 24]

That statement did not come suddenly. It was the result of a heart that had long rejected the Truth and a soul consumed by arrogance. Before making that blasphemous claim, Fir‘aun had already attempted to erase the belief in the True Lord from the hearts of his people. As Allāh (ﷻ) informs us, he proclaimed: “O chiefs! I know not that you have an ‘ilāh (a god) other than me, so kindle for me (a fire), O Hāmān, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Ṣarḥan (a lofty tower, or palace, etc.) so that I may look at (or look for) the ‘Ilāh (God) of Mūsā; and verily, I think that he (Mūsā) is one of the liars.” [Sūrah Al-Qasas (28): 38]

Reflect upon the depth of this arrogance. Fir‘aun did not merely reject the message brought by Mūsā (ʿAlayhis Salām); he denied the very Existence of the Lord Who created him, sustained him, and granted him every blessing he enjoyed. Worse still, he demanded that people look to him as their lord.

His arrogance even surpassed that of Shayṭān in this regard. Shayṭān rebelled against the Command of Allāh out of pride, yet he never claimed to be Allāh. Fir‘aun, however, went further by denying Allāh's Existence and arrogating to himself a position that belongs exclusively to the Lord of the worlds. What greater injustice can there be than for a helpless creature, whose life begins with weakness and ends in death, to claim the Majesty of the Ever-Living?

But arrogance can never protect its owner from the punishment of the Almighty. The One Whom Fir‘aun denied demonstrated His absolute Power before the eyes of mankind. In a single moment, the mighty king who believed no one could challenge him became a lifeless body beneath the waves. His armies, his wealth, his palaces, and his authority could not save him from the Decree of Allāh. Allāh (ﷻ) says: “So We seized him and his hosts, and we threw them all unto the sea (and drowned them). So behold (O Muḥammad) what was the end of the Ẓālimūn [wrong-doers, polytheists and those who disbelieved in the Oneness of their Lord (Allāh), or rejected the advice of His Messenger Mūsā).” [Sūrah Al-Qasas (28): 40]

This is a lesson that echoes across every generation. Those who challenge Allāh can never escape Him. Kingdoms may rise, reputations may flourish, and people may applaud the arrogant for a while, but no one can rival the Lord of the heavens and the earth and succeed. Every claim to possess Allāh's Lordship is false, and every attempt to share in His exclusive rights ends in disgrace.

Sadly, such falsehood has not disappeared. Even today, some claim divinity for themselves, while others raise fellow human beings to a level that belongs only to Allāh by assigning to them qualities of Lordship or directing acts of worship towards them. Regardless of the era or the number of followers such people may have, the ruling remains unchanged. This is an act of disbelief that leads only to ruin in this world and the Hereafter.

Dear brethren! Let the story of Fir‘aun remind us that the greatest honour a servant can ever attain is not to be worshipped, but to worship Allāh alone. True greatness lies in humility before the Creator, not in pride before His creation. Every breath we take, every blessing we enjoy, and every moment we live is a testimony that we are servants in need of our Lord.

I beseech Allāh (ﷻ), the Lord of Majesty and Honour, to keep our hearts firm upon Tawḥīd, to protect us from every form of disbelief, arrogance, and misguidance, and to allow us to meet Him as sincere servants who worshipped Him alone. Aameen.