Pretension is a human weakness and at times
is in such a subtle garb that one gets afflicted with it
without realizing it. However, even its blatant forms seldom
stop people from indulging in it.
More often than not our conversation and
mannerisms reflect pomposity. Our gait and appearance too
depict this trait. Affluence, fame, high status and physical
attributes often lead us to bragging and boasting. We like to
mention our contacts with rich and influential people; we like
to boast about the posh locality we may be living in; we like
to brag about our foreign tours and children studying abroad;
at times, every room of our house will display our photographs
with dignitaries and high-ups; we often publicly mention our
staggering asset and property list; using expensive brands to
show off has become quite normal; manipulating a conversation
between friends so that an opportune moment is provided to
boast what we have is a graver form of this human weakness;
false modesty too is no less a compounded form of it; putting
up a show of religiosity may strike us as unusual but it does
not take much effort to see how this abounds in our societies.
Amounts spent in charity, ‘umrahs done, nafals offered, tasbih
beads read become a shameful source of showing off.
What must then be done to check this
tendency and proclivity human nature is so prone to? A number
of things come to mind but perhaps none more effective than
the following two:
1. A primary motive to show-off is to
impress others and get noticed. This is also a human instinct.
The best way to curb it is to modify its direction. Instead of
impressing others and trying to catch their attention, we
should make an effort to impress God and to catch His
attention by trying to do deeds that please Him. And the more
these deeds are brought to His notice alone the better the
objective achieved.
2. Talents, abilities and blessings – some
of the things which induce us to show off – should be regarded
as a bestowal from God. Without His will and intention we
could never have gained them. We are thus the custodians of
these blessings and we should think that we have been blessed
with them to share them with others and not to brag about
them. Sharing them with others in fact is the proper way to
express gratitude to God on His graciousness.
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