What Does It Mean Allah Does Not Like Arrogant and Boastful?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Question

What is the interpretation of the verse: “Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful.”?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his family, and all his companions.

The statement of Allah (Most High), “Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful.” [Quran, 4:36] is part of a significant verse found in Surat al-Nisa. Its meaning is: Indeed, Allah does not love those who are haughty and arrogant, meaning those who are conceited, self-impressed, and who look down upon people. This is the meaning of His saying: “arrogant.” And Allah knows best.

As for “boastful,” it refers to one who boasts to Allah’s servants about what Allah has bestowed upon them of His blessings and what He has extended to them of His grace without praising Him for His generosity and favor. Such a person sees themselves as better than others; in their own eyes, they are significant, but in the sight of Allah, they are contemptible, and among people, they are detestable. And we seek refuge in Allah.

Lond Answer

This Quranic phrase appears in a verse in Surat al-Nisa, where Allah (Most High) says:

This phrase is also mentioned in another form in Surat Luqman, where Allah (Most High) says:

“And do not turn your nose up to people, nor walk pridefully upon the earth. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful.” [Quran, 31:18]

And in Surat al-Hadid:

“(We let you know this) so that you neither grieve over what you have missed nor boast over what He has granted you. For Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful.” [Quran, 57:23]

All these verses revolve around one meaning: that Allah does not love anyone who is arrogant with the blessings of this world and is proud of them over people.

Detailed Interpretation

For a more detailed interpretation of this Quranic phrase, it is necessary to mention the general context in which it appears. Therefore, we will mention the verses that come before and after it so that the meaning becomes clear, God willing. Allah (Most High) says:

“Worship Allah (alone) and associate none with Him. And be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, near and distant neighbors, close friends, (needy) travelers, and those (bondspeople) in your possession. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful.” [Quran, 4:36]

Then immediately after, Allah (Most High) says:

“(Allah does not like) those who are stingy, promote stinginess among people and withhold Allah’s bounties. We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. [Quran, 4:37]

“Likewise for those who spend their wealth to show off and do not believe in Allah or the Last Day. And whoever takes Satan as an associate—what an evil associate they have!” [Quran, 4:38]

The exegetes, including Tabari and Ibn Kathir, say:

His saying, “Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful.” [Quran, 4:36] means Allah does not love those who are haughty and arrogant, meaning those who are conceited in themselves, self-impressed, and who behave arrogantly towards people. As for “boastful,” it refers to one who boasts to Allah’s servants about what Allah has bestowed upon them of His blessings and what He has extended to them of His grace, without praising Him for His generosity and favor, seeing themselves as better than others. Such a person is great in their own eyes but contemptible in the sight of Allah and detestable among people.

Mujahid said that the phrase “Mukhtala (مُخْتَالاً)” means arrogant. “Fakhura (فَخُورًا)” means counting what they have been given, and they do not thank Allah (Most High). It means they boast to people about what Allah has given them of His blessings, and they are ungrateful to Allah for it.

Yazid bin Abdullah bin al-Shikhkhir said: A report about Abu Dharr reached me, which I eagerly wanted to verify, so I met him and said, “O Abu Dharr, it has reached me that you claim the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) told you: ‘Allah loves three and hates three’?” He said, “Yes, and do not think (or find) that I lie about my friend.” I asked, “Who are the three that Allah hates?” He said: “The arrogant and boastful one. Don’t you find it in your Book of Allah revealed?” Then he recited the verse: “Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful.” [Quran, 4:36] [Ahmad] [Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan ‘an Ta’wil Ay al-Quran; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Worship and Goodness

The reason for mentioning this phrase, after the command to worship Allah alone and to do good to people of all kinds mentioned in the verse, is that this person (the arrogant and boastful) has become arrogant towards his Creator, Who has bestowed blessings upon him; thus, he did not thank Him for His blessings, nor did he fulfill their rights, and he became arrogant towards Allah’s servants; not being kind to them but rather being haughty and exalted over them. Thus, this phrase is an explanation for the preceding command. This is confirmed by the verse that follows it, where Allah (Most High) says: “Those who are stingy, promote stinginess among people, and withhold Allah’s bounties.”

Tabari said: It means Allah does not love the arrogant and boastful, those who are stingy and enjoin stinginess upon people. [Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan ‘an Ta’wil Ay al-Quran]

Stinginess

This person was stingy with what Allah had bestowed upon him of His grace; he did not spend on the categories of people whom Allah (Most High) mentioned in the verse, nor did he do good to them; rather, he encouraged others to be stingy too. And when he did spend, it was only for show and reputation, or he spent in ways that angered Allah (Most High) and pleased Satan. Therefore, Allah (Most High) also said in the following verse:

“Likewise for those who spend their wealth to show off and do not believe in Allah or the Last Day. And whoever takes Satan as an associate—what an evil associate they have!” [Quran, 4:38]
Ibn Kathir says: Allah (Most High) criticizes those who are stingy with their wealth, not spending it in what Allah has commanded – in kindness to parents, doing good to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess of slaves – and they do not fulfill Allah’s right in it, and they also command people to be stingy. [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Ibn Ashur says: “Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant and boastful,” which is a conclusion to the command of doing good to those named, criticizing the prevalent human barriers to doing good to them. That is, arrogance and pride are among the barriers to doing good. Then he said: “Mukhtala (مُخْتَالاً)” is arrogance, … and “Fakhura (فَخُورًا)” is intense pride in what one has done. Both of these qualities lead to harshness and rudeness, so they contradict the commanded kindness because the intended kindness is in dealings and not being haughty over someone who is thought to have a reason preventing them from retaliating. The meaning of denying Allah’s love, the Exalted, is denying His pleasure and drawing close to those who have this description, and this is an indirect reference to the characteristics of the polytheists, known for their harshness and rudeness, so it is in the sense of warning against the remnants of the characteristics they had. [Ibn ‘Ashur, al-Tahrir wal-Tanwir]

Summary

Allah (Most High), in these magnificent verses, directs us to the obligation of adhering to His command: to worship Him alone without any partners, to acknowledge His blessings, to thank Him for them, and to direct and employ them for the purpose they were created for, especially in spending and doing good to the categories He mentioned, and other actions that please Him, glorified and exalted be He.

He also warns us, Glorified be He, against falling into barriers to kindness, such as arrogance, showing off, boasting, and other characteristics that prevent a servant from attaining the love of Allah (Most High) and distance him from His pleasure.

Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti is a Syrian scholar born in Aleppo in 1977. He obtained his degree in Shari‘a from the Shari‘a Faculty of Damascus University, a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the Faculty of Education at Aleppo University, and a Diploma in Shari‘a and a Master’s in Shari‘a from the Faculty of Sharia, and Law at Omdurman University in Sudan. He is currently writing his doctoral thesis.

He studied under esteemed scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Mustafa al-Turkmani, and Shaykh Dr. Nur al-Din Itr, among others. Shaykh al-Yakti has worked in teaching and cultural guidance in orphanages and high schools in Aleppo. He served as an Imam, Khatib, and reciter at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and as a certified trainer for Khatibs in Abu Dhabi’s Khatib Qualification Program.

He is involved in developing and teaching a youth education program at Seekers Arabic for Islamic Sciences.

Among Shaykh al-Yaqti’s significant works are “Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni: Bayna Ilm al-Kalam Wa Usul al-Fiqh” and the program “The Messenger of Allah Among Us (Allah bless him and give him peace).”