Satans Deception of SelfRighteousness: Mufti Taqi Usmani’s Cure for Spiritual Pride (Malfoozat of Shaykh al-Islam Hazrat Maulana Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
It was advised that when a person has newly become religious, and Allah has recently instilled the passion for faith in their heart, sometimes Satan deceives them by making them think that the rest of the world is inferior, that everyone else is sinful and immoral, while they themselves are pious and righteous, feeling, “I am holy, I have achieved something great.” As a result, Satan instills feelings of self-righteousness, pride, and contempt for others. This is a significant trap of Satan, particularly for those who have recently embraced a religious path.
The cure for this disease and Satan’s deception is the recitation of this supplication:
الحمدللہ الذی عافانی مما ابتلاک بہ وفضلنی علٰی کثیر ممن خلق تفضیلا
Alhamdulillahi allathee ‘aafaanee mimma ibtalaaka bihi wa fadhdhalaanee ‘ala katheerin mimman khalaqa tafdeela
(Praise be to Allah, Who saved me from what He tested you with and preferred me over many of His creations)
If I am safe from this sin or disease, it is only by the grace and favor of Allah Almighty. The praise belongs to Him, and the gratitude is for Him; I have no merit of my own. Allah, in His grace, saved me from this sin, so I thank Him for delivering me.
By expressing gratitude to Allah and acknowledging His favor, the feeling of self-righteousness—that “I am very holy, I am very pious, and everyone else is sinful and immoral and worthy of contempt”—will be cured. When you thank Allah and praise Him, it means: “O Allah! I was not deserving to be saved from this sin, but You, in Your grace, granted me the strength to avoid it, and this poor person is caught in it.”
(Dars-e-Shu’ab Al-Iman, Volume 3, Page 205)
This Malfooz is selected by Dr. Faisal Sahib.