In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Some of The Reasons Behind Ujub: One’s ignorance regarding the reality of his soul, its characteristics, its dangers and defects of its actions. One’s ignorance about his Lord, the rights of his Lord and how to behave in the presence of his Lord, – which would have resulted in attaining the Pleasure of his Lord and obedience to Him and having a good suspicion of his Lord- and thus leads to self-amazement, arrogance and dangerous outcomes that are greater than the apparent major sins such as fornication, alcohol consumption, running away from the battlefield (1) and what is similar. [Madaarij As-Saalikeen 1/192]

Imaam Ibn Hajr [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “Ibn Battaal [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, ‘Whoever exceeds the limits in praising others with what they do not possess, the one praised will not be safe from self-amazement out of thinking that he is of that status, and maybe he fails to perform good deeds and does not increase in good due to relying on the description attributed to him'”. [Fat-hul Baari 10/477]

Imaam al-Aajuree [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: Know that Allaah has mentioned the soul in various parts of His Book [i.e. the Qur’aan] with a notification of many affairs regarding it, and all of it shows that one should be cautious of the soul. Our Generous Protected [.e. Allaah] informed us that the soul tends to incline towards the [evil] it desires, whilst knowing definitely that it is forbidden. Our Generous Protector [i.e. Allaah] made it known and taught us that whoever forbids the soul against the [evil] it desires, then indeed paradise will be his abode. Allaah said:

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلطَّآمَّةُ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ
يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ مَا سَعَىٰ
وَبُرِّزَتِ ٱلۡجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَىٰ
فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَىٰ
وَءَاثَرَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا
فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ
وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ
فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِىَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

But when there comes the greatest catastrophe (i.e. the Day of Recompense, etc.), the Day when man shall remember what he strove for, and Hell-fire shall be made apparent in full view for (every) one who sees, then, for him who Tagha (transgressed all bounds, in disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of disobedience to Allah). And preferred the life of this world (by following his evil desires and lusts), verily, his abode will be Hell-fire; but as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires, and lusts, then verily, Paradise will be his abode. [Surah An-Naazi’aat. Aayaat 34-41]

It is obligated on the one who hears this from Allaah [i.e. the affairs stated about the nafs in the Qur’an and Sunnah] that he is more careful or cautious about his nafs than an enemy that wants to kill him, or take his wealth, or violate his honour. If someone says: “Why do you obligate – on me – this precaution about the Nafs until you place it in a situation that is more severe than an enemy whose enmity is certainly very manifest? It should then be said to him, “The enemy of yours who wants to kill you, or wants to take your wealth or violate your honour, if he overcomes you with what he does to you, then indeed Allaah will expiate some of your sins and raise your status, but this will not be the case with the nafs because if the nafs overcomes you by way of that which you desire – that which you have been forbidden, then this contains destruction for you in this Dunya and the Aakhirah- disgrace and severe punishment in the Dunyah, an evil state in the sight of Allaah and destination in the Aakhirah. Therefore the sensible person – may Allaah have mercy upon him – compels or obligates caution on his Nafs and strives against it in a manner more severe than striving against an enemy who wants to take his wealth and his life. So, he strives against his nafs in times of anger and in times of happiness. This is how our prophet disciplined us in various hadeeth, saying: The Mujaahid is the one who strives against his Nafs in obedience to Allaah – The Mighty and Majestic. [An Excerpt From Adabun Nufoos. Pages 1-4. Slightly paraphrased]

To be continued…InShaaAllaah

[Ref 1: Salafi Shaikh Fawzaan on Jihad in our times and the guidelines of Jihad according to Islam: https://abukhadeejah.com/salafi-shaikh-fawzaan-on-jihaad-in-our-times-and-the-guidelines-of-jihaad-according-to-islam/ ]