To Whom is God’s
Mercy Denied

The greatest obstacle to finding the truth is arrogance; the greatest thing in favour of finding the truth is modesty.

Chapter 45 of the Quran states: “Those who believed and did good deeds will be admitted by their Lord into His mercy – that shall be the manifest triumph. But those who rejected the truth [will be asked], ‘When My revelations were recited to you, were you not arrogant and did you not persist in wicked deeds?’” (45:30-31)

The greatest obstacle to finding the truth is arrogance: the greatest thing in favour of finding the truth is modesty. One who is arrogant comes to regard himself to be so superior that he feels he is greater than the truth. When the message of truth is conveyed to him, this mindset causes him to feel that it would be belittling for him to accept it. This thinking becomes an obstacle to his accepting the truth.

On the contrary, one who is modest and humble will see himself as what he is in actuality. Such a person is ready, as it were, to accept the truth in advance. When the truth is conveyed to him, he finds no obstacle in recognizing it. He immediately accepts it and bows to it.

When it comes to accepting guidance, arrogance is the greatest stumbling block. Indeed, arrogance is a crime in the eyes of God. This comes within the jurisdiction of God: all greatness belongs to God alone. A person’s position as compared to God is but that of a humble servant. To one who accepts his actual position, God turns and grants him His blessings, whereas one who does not accept his real position can never be held deserving of God’s mercy.

The successful person is one who is free from arrogance. Conversely, one who is blemished by arrogance will be a failure and then nothing can save him from the wrath of God.