Tafsir of Surah Al-Isra - Verse 37

Condemnation of strutting

Allah forbids His servants to strut and walk in a boastful manner:

وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَرَحًا

(And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance.) meaning, walking in boastful manner and acting proud, like those who are arrogant oppressors.

إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الاٌّرْضَ

(Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth) means, you cannot penetrate the earth with your walking. This was the opinion of Ibn Jarir.

The thirteenth injunction appearing in the second of the two cited verses (37) is: وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ مَرَ‌حًا (And do not walk on the earth haughtily). It means that one should not walk in a way that shows arrogance, pride and exultation, for this is an idiotic act. It is as if one would like to tear the earth apart just by walking on it - something not in his power to accomplish. Or, as if by walking with a challenging gait, he would like to rise much higher - but the mountains of Allah rise far higher than he could ever beat anatomically. In reality, arrogance as such is a major sin that can afflict human heart mortally. Therefore, one must guard against even signs of arrogance exhibited through the way one goes about in life, for they too are impermissible, after all. Walking haughtily, even though one may not be walking by exerting force on the earth, and assuming airs and posing high are impermissible under all conditions. Arrogance is to take yourself superior to others and rate others to be inferior to you. Severe warnings against it appear in Hadith.

Imam Muslim (رح) has reported on the authority of Sayyidna ` Iyad ibn ` Ammar ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah Ta` ala has sent this command to me through revelation: Take to humility. Let no man pride on another man, nor adopt an attitude of self-eminence and let no one be unjust to anyone." (Mazhari)

And Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, Not to enter Paradise is he who has arrogance in his heart even to the measure of a particle" (Mazhari with reference to the Sahih of Muslim).

And it has been reported in Hadith Qudsi on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah Ta’ ala says that grandeur is My mantle and greatness is My breech. Whoever tries to snatch these from Me, him I shall put in Jahannam (The words rida' and izar signify dress and Allah Ta` ala has no mass or body that would need a dress. Therefore, at this place, it means the attribute of divine glory. So, whoever betrays the wish to become associated with Allah Ta’ ala in this attribute belongs to Hell).

And in another Hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said, "On the day of Qiyamah, arrogant people will be raised as humans scaled down to the size of tiny ants under the shadow of disgrace descending from all sides. They will be driven to a prison of Hell called Bulas. It will be surrounded with blazing fire, the highest around, and they will be drinking pus and blood excreted by the inmates of Hell to quench their thirst." (Tirmidhi on the authority of ` Amr ibn Shu'aib, he from his father, he from his grandfather - Mazhari)

And speaking from the pulpit, Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ said, "I have heard from the Holy Prophet ﷺ that a person who takes to humility, Allah Ta’ ala elevates him to higher ranks following which he is, though, insignificant in his own sight, but he is great in the sight of everybody else. And whoever waxes proud, him Allah Ta’ ala puts to disgrace following which he is, though, great in his own sight but he is, in the sight of people, worse than a dog and pig." (Mazhari)

Qatada, one of the early commentators of the Quran, said, ‘Don’t say, “I have seen” when you have not seen, don’t say, “I have heard” when you have not heard, and don’t say “I know” when you do not know.’ One who fears to be called to account before God, will never say anything without first verifying it. Man should use his eyes, ears and brain for the purpose they were designed and should talk of and act only upon such matters for which there is adequate evidence to warrant this. He should eschew all that is baseless, for example, bearing false witness, making false allegations, condemning someone on the basis of hearsay, justifying falsehoods merely on account of envy, placing credence on things that man does not know for sure because of his limitations. The ears, eyes and mind are apparently under man’s control. But these are, as it were, entrusted to him by God, and so it is a must for a man to utilize them according to God’s will, otherwise he will be taken strictly to task for their misuse. Man, even with all the power given to him, cannot tear apart the ground on which he lives, while the sheer height of the mountains negates his every claim to greatness. This is a practical comparison illustrating the real status of man as opposed to the greatness of God. It emphasizes the fact that man should not be filled with pride in this world. He should tread the path of humility and submissiveness and not that of pride and rebellion.