L'ostentation, l'hypocrisie, l'auto-admiration et la vanité

2.ʿUthmān ibn ʿĪsā narrated from ʿAlī ibn Sālim who said, “I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, ‘I am the most needless of all who are needless of a partner, so whoever ascribes to Me another as a partner in any action he undertakes, I will not accept it from him. And I do not accept anything but that which was done only for Me exclusively.’”

Allah, exalté soit-Il, a dit : "Je suis le plus riche des riches, Je n'ai besoin d'aucun associé. Celui qui M'associe à quelqu'un d'autre dans une œuvre, Je ne l'accepte pas. Je n'accepte que ce qui est fait exclusivement pour Moi."

3.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from Muḥammad ibn Sinān, from Isḥāq ibn ʿAmmār, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “A scholar once came to a worshipper and said to him, ‘How is your prayer?’ He replied, ‘You are asking me about my prayer while I have been worshipping Allah since such-and-such a time?’ So he asked him, ‘How are you weeping?’ He replied, ‘Verily I weep until my tears flow [down my face].’ So the scholar said to him, ‘Indeed your laughter while you fear Allah is better than your weeping while you are self-conceited before Allah! Verily the one who is self-conceited due to his actions has none of his deeds ascend [to Allah].’”

"Un savant vint voir un adorateur et lui demanda : 'Comment est ta prière ?' L'adorateur répondit : 'Tu me demandes comment est ma prière alors que j'adore Allah depuis telle et telle année.' Le savant lui demanda ensuite : 'Comment sont tes pleurs ?' L'adorateur dit : 'Je ne pleure pas jusqu'à ce que mes larmes coulent.' Le savant lui dit alors : 'Ton rire tout en craignant Allah est meilleur que tes pleurs alors que tu te glorifies toi-même devant Allah, car celui qui se glorifie par ses actions ne s'élève pas dans son œuvre.'"

4.Al-Naḍr narrated from Muḥammad ibn Sinān, from Mūsā ibn Bakr, from Zurārah, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Prophet Dāwūd (a) said, ‘I will surely worship Allah today with such a worship, and will recite such a lovely recital, the likes of which I have never done before.’ So he entered his prayer niche and did so. When he had completed his prayer, he [suddenly] saw a frog in the prayer niche. It said to him, ‘O Dāwūd, are you pleased with yourself today due to your worship and recitation?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied. It said, ‘Do not be pleased [or impressed] by it, for verily I glorify Allah every night one thousand times, and with each glorification of mine three thousand praises branch out. And [at times] when I am in the depths of the water and a bird makes a sound in the air, I assume that it might be hungry so I come up to the surface of the water in order for it to eat me, while having committed no sin [to deserve that].’”

David le Prophète (sur lui la paix) a dit : "Je vais adorer Dieu aujourd'hui d'une adoration et réciter une récitation que j'aime plus que toute autre que je n'ai jamais faite auparavant." Il entra dans son lieu de prière et agit ainsi. Quand il eut fini sa prière, il vit une grenouille dans son lieu de prière. Il lui dit : "Ô David, t'a-t-il plu aujourd'hui ce que tu as fait en termes d'adoration et de récitation ?" Il répondit : "Oui." Alors l'entité lui dit : "Que cela ne te plaise pas, car je glorifie Dieu chaque nuit mille glorifications, avec chaque glorification trois mille louanges, et je me trouve au fond de l'eau, le chant des oiseaux dans l'air me parvient, je les crois affamés, alors je remonte à la surface pour qu'ils me mangent, et je n'ai aucun péché."

5.Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad narrated from Abū Ḥamzah, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) whom he heard saying, “Prophet Dāwūd (a) was once in his prayer niche when a small red worm crept by until it came to the place of his prostration. Dāwūd looked at it and said to himself, ‘Why was this worm created?’ So Allah inspired it ‘Speak!’ So it said, ‘O Dāwūd, have you heard my sound as I move, or have you noticed my tracks on the smooth earth?’ Dāwūd replied, ‘No.’ So it said, ‘Verily Allah hears my crawl, my breathing, and my sound, and He sees the tracks of my movement [on the earth], so lower your voice [in humility].’”

qu'il a dit : "J'ai entendu le Prophète Dawud (que la paix soit sur lui) un jour dans son lieu de prière, lorsqu'un petit ver rouge passa devant lui et rampa jusqu'à l'endroit de sa prosternation. Dawud le regarda et se demanda : 'Pourquoi cette créature a-t-elle été créée?' Alors Allah lui inspira de parler à cette créature, et elle lui dit : 'Ô Dawud, as-tu entendu ma voix ou as-tu vu ma trace sur une pierre précieuse?' Dawud répondit : 'Non.' Elle dit alors : 'Certes, Allah entend le bruissement de mes pas, mon souffle et ma voix, et voit la trace de mes déplacements, alors baisse ta voix.'"

6.Al-Naḍr narrated from Durust, from one of our companions, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Verily Allah sent two angels to the people of a city in order to overturn it upon its inhabitants. When they arrived at the city, they found a man supplicating to Allah and beseeching Him. So one of them told the other, ‘Do you not see this supplicant?’ He replied, ‘I see him, but I will proceed to do as my Lord has commanded me.’ ‘I, on the other hand, will not do anything before returning to my Lord [and asking about the man],’ said the first angel. So he returned to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, and said, ‘My Lord, I went to the city and found Your servant so-and-so supplicating to You and beseeching You.’ He said, ‘Do as I have commanded you, for indeed that man’s face has never changed out of anger for My sake, ever.’”

"Certes, Allah a envoyé deux anges vers les habitants d'une ville pour la renverser sur ses habitants. Lorsqu'ils arrivèrent à la ville, ils trouvèrent un homme invoquant Allah et implorant Sa miséricorde. L'un des deux anges dit à l'autre : 'As-tu vu cet homme qui implore ?' L'autre répondit : 'Oui, je l'ai vu, mais j'ai un ordre de mon Seigneur à exécuter.' Il dit alors : 'Cependant, je ne changerai rien avant de retourner vers mon Seigneur.' Il revint alors vers Allah عز وجل et dit : 'Ô Seigneur, je suis arrivé à la ville et j'ai trouvé Ton serviteur untel t'invoquant et implorant Ta miséricorde.' Allah dit : 'Va exécuter ce que Je t'ai ordonné, car cet homme n'a jamais changé l'expression de son visage par colère envers Moi.'"

7.Al-Naḍr narrated from Muḥammad ibn Hāshim, from a man [who reported it] from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Verily a group of people who believed in Mūsā (a) said, ‘If we were to go to the army of Firʿawn and join it, we would acquire some of his worldly wealth, and then when what we hope for from the arrival of Mūsā transpires, we will go to him [and join him].’ So that is what they did. When Mūsā and those in his company turned to flee [from Firʿawn], they mounted their horses and speedily rode towards Mūsā, hoping to catch up with him and his companions in order to join them. But Allah sent angels who struck the faces of their mounts thereby causing them to return towards the army of Firʿawn. Hence, they were among those who drowned with Firʿawn.”

Certains parmi ceux qui avaient cru en Moïse - paix soit sur lui - dirent : "Si nous atteignons l'armée de Pharaon et que nous soyons parmi eux et que nous profitions de sa richesse, alors lorsque ce que nous espérons de la victoire de Moïse se réalisera, nous nous tournerons vers lui." Ils agirent ainsi. Mais lorsque Moïse et ceux avec lui se dirigèrent en fuyant, ils montèrent leurs montures et se hâtèrent pour rejoindre Moïse et ceux avec lui afin d'être avec eux. Alors Dieu envoya des anges qui frappèrent les visages de leurs montures et les ramenèrent vers l'armée de Pharaon. Ainsi, ils furent parmi ceux qui se noyèrent avec Pharaon.

8.Muḥammad ibn Sinān narrated from Yazīd ibn Khalīfah who said, “I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘Whoever does a deed for [the sake of] Allah, his reward is upon Allah, and whoever does a deed for [praise from] the people, his reward is upon the people. Verily every act done to show off is [a form of] polytheism.’”

Celui qui agit pour Allah, sa récompense revient à Allah, et celui qui agit pour les gens, sa récompense revient aux gens. En vérité, tout acte d'ostentation est de l'associationnisme.

9.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Faḍālah ibn Jamīl who said, “I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the verse wherein Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: Do not assert your own virtue. He knows best who is truly virtuous (Q53:32). So he said, ‘It is when a person says: I prayed last night, and I fasted yesterday, and other statements such as these.’ Then he (a) said, ‘There were some people who would say in the mornings, “We prayed last night and we fasted yesterday,” so ʿAlī (a) said, “But as for me, I sleep at night and in the day, and were I to find between them any other time, I would have slept in it as well.”’” [1]

C'est la parole de l'homme qui dit: "J'ai prié hier soir et jeûné hier et ainsi de suite." Puis il (sur lui la paix) a dit: Certains se lèvent le matin en disant: "Nous avons prié hier soir et jeûné hier." Alors 'Ali (sur lui la paix) a dit: "Quant à moi, je veille la nuit et le jour, et si je trouvais quelque chose entre les deux, je le dormirais."

10.Ibn Abī al-Bilād narrated from Saʿd al-Iskāf, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said, “There was a worshipper among the Banī Isrāʾīl with whom [Prophet] Dāwūd (a) was impressed, so Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed to him, ‘Do not be impressed by anything [you see] from him, for verily he is a hypocrite [who is only showing off].’ Then the man died, so they came to Dāwūd and said, ‘The man has died.’ He said to them, ‘Bury your companion.’ This caused some discontentment among the Banī Isrāʾīl and they said, ‘How could he not attend [this pious man’s funeral]?’ After the man had been washed, fifty men stood and bore witness, [swearing] by Allah, that they knew nothing but good [about him]. After they had prayed over him, another fifty men came forward and bore witness, [swearing] by Allah, that they knew of nothing but good [about him]. So Allah, the Almighty, revealed to Dāwūd (a), ‘What prevented you from testifying for so-and-so?’ He said, ‘[I was prevented by] what you had informed me of his affair.’ He said, ‘Though he was truly such, since a group of rabbis and monks have testified, swearing by Me, that they did not know anything but good [about him], I have accepted their testimony regarding him and forgiven him despite what I know about him.’”

Il y avait parmi les Enfants d'Israël un adorateur qui impressionna David (paix soit sur lui). Alors Allah, le Très-Haut, lui révéla : "Ne sois pas impressionné par quelque chose de son affaire, car il est un hypocrite." L'homme mourut, et David fut informé de sa mort. On lui dit : "L'homme est mort." Il répondit : "Enterrez votre compagnon." Les Enfants d'Israël contestèrent cela en disant : "Comment n'a-t-il pas été présenté?" David dit : "Lorsqu'il fut lavé, cinquante hommes se levèrent et témoignèrent par Allah, ne sachant de lui que le bien. Après avoir prié pour lui, cinquante autres hommes se levèrent et témoignèrent par Allah, ne sachant de lui que le bien." Alors Allah, le Tout-Puissant, révéla à David : "Qu'est-ce qui t'a empêché de témoigner pour untel?" David répondit : "Celui qui m'a informé de son affaire m'a dit cela." Allah dit : "S'il en est ainsi, mais des gens parmi les prêtres et les moines ont témoigné de lui, et ils ont témoigné de moi, ne sachant de lui que le bien. J'ai donc accepté leur témoignage en sa faveur et je lui ai pardonné en ayant connaissance de lui."

11.Muḥammad ibn al-Fuḍayl narrated from Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā (a) saying, “I had written to him asking him about a [religious] question, so he wrote back to me saying, ‘Verily Allah says: Indeed the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah but it is He who causes them to be deceived. When they stand up for prayer, they do so sluggish, to be seen by the people, and remember Allah only a little, wavering all the time between this and that, belonging neither to one side nor the other. And whoever Allah leaves to stray, you will never find for him a way (Q4:142-3). These [people] are not from the progeny of the Messenger of Allah, and they are not from the faithful believers, and they are not [even] from the Muslims. Rather, they manifest belief [outwardly] but hide disbelief and rejection [of faith in their hearts] – may Allah curse them.’”

Il a dit : J'ai écrit une question à lui, et il m'a répondu : Certes, Allah dit : "Les hypocrites cherchent à tromper Allah, mais c'est Lui qui les trompe. Et quand ils se lèvent pour la Salat, ils se lèvent avec paresse, faisant ostentation devant les gens et ne mentionnant Allah qu'un peu." Qu'ils soient maudits par Allah.

12.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from al-Qāsim ibn Sulaymān, from Jarrāḥ al-Madāʾinī, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said regarding the verse wherein Allah, the Exalted, says: …and does not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord (Q18:110), “It is [a warning to] the servant who performs an act of worship without seeking the pleasure of Allah; rather, he only seeks the commendation of people [for his piety] through which he desires renown. That is the one who associates others in the worship of his Lord.” Then he added, “There is no servant who hides a good [deed] and days go by, but that Allah manifests good for him and there is no servant who hides an evil [deed] and days pass, but that Allah will manifest evil for him.”

Dans le verset "Et il ne fait associé à Son Seigneur personne", il a dit : C'est l'esclave qui accomplit une action d'obéissance sans chercher la Face de Dieu, mais cherchant à être loué par les gens, désirant qu'on en parle. Celui-ci est celui qui associe quelqu'un à l'adoration de son Seigneur. Il a dit : Aucun esclave ne dissimule un bienfait sans que les jours ne passent jusqu'à ce que Dieu lui fasse apparaître un bienfait, et aucun esclave ne dissimule un mal sans que les jours ne passent jusqu'à ce que Dieu lui fasse apparaître un mal.

13.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al- Ḥajjāj, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Verily the servant may commit a sin and then feel remorse for it, and later [he may] perform a deed by which he is pleased such that he becomes remiss and turns away from his previous state [of remorse and humility]. Indeed, it would have been better for him to remain in that previous state of his, rather than what he later entered into.”

"Certes, un serviteur commet un péché, puis il en éprouve du regret. Ensuite, il accomplit une bonne action qui lui apporte de la joie, ce qui le fait oublier son état antérieur. Ne pas être dans cet état initial est meilleur pour lui que ce dans quoi il est entré."

14.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Manṣūr ibn Yūnus, from al-Thumālī, from one of the two [Imams] (a) who said, “Verily Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, ‘Indeed among My servants is one who asks Me for [the ability to perform] certain acts of worship so that I may love him, but I turn that away from him so that he would not be pleased with [himself and] his deed.’”

Certes, Allah, exalté soit-Il, dit : "Certains de Mes serviteurs M'interrogent sur une chose de Mon obéissance, Je l'aime donc Je la détourne de lui afin que son acte ne lui plaise pas."

15.Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmayr narrated from Manṣūr ibn Yūnus, from al-Thumālī, from ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘Three things deliver [one to safety] and three things destroy.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are the things that save [a person]?’ He said, ‘Fearing Allah in secret as though you see Him, for if you cannot see Him, surely He can see you; exercising justice in happiness and anger; and [thirdly,] moderation in [times of] abundance and poverty.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, and what are the destroyers?’ He (ṣ) said, ‘Vain desire that is followed, the adoption of stinginess, and for a person to be pleased with himself.’”

16.Al-Naḍr ibn Suwayd narrated from al-Ḥalabī, from Abū Saʿīd al-Mukārī, from Abū Baṣīr, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) who said regarding the verse wherein Allah, the Exalted, says: Then they will all be hurled headlong into Hell, along with the deviant ones. (Q26:94), “[O Abā Baṣīr], they are a group who describe justice with their tongues then contravene it with something else [in action].”

Il a dit : "Ô Abā Baṣīr, ce sont des gens qui ont décrit la justice avec leurs langues, puis ils ont agi différemment."

17.One of our companions narrated from Ḥanān ibn Sadīr, from Muḥammad ibn Ṭalḥah, from Zurārah, from Abū Jaʿfar (a) whom he heard saying, “Whichever servant has a handsome appearance along with an untainted position, then he humbles himself before Allah, he will be among the special [chosen] ones of Allah.” He (the narrator) said, “I asked, ‘What is [the meaning of] an untainted position?’ He replied, ‘He should not have been sullied by debauchery.’”

"J'ai entendu l'Imam dire : 'Quiconque possède une belle apparence avec un endroit qui ne le déshonore pas, puis s'humilie devant Allah, fait partie des serviteurs sincères envers Allah.' J'ai demandé : 'Qu'est-ce qu'un endroit qui ne le déshonore pas?' Il a répondu : 'Un endroit où le meurtrier n'a pas frappé.'"

18.Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Khazzāz [al-Washshāʾ] narrated from Abū al- Ḥasan (a) whom he heard saying, “Verily Prophet Ayyūb (a) said, ‘O Lord, I have never asked You for anything of this world, ever.’ And an inkling of self-admiration entered his heart. Then a cloud approached him and called out to him, ‘O Ayyūb, who enabled you to do this?’ [Thus he realised the mistake, and turning to his Lord] he said, ‘You, O Lord!’”

J'ai entendu dire que le Prophète Ayyūb (sur lui la paix) a dit : "Ô Seigneur, je ne t'ai jamais demandé quelque chose de ce monde sans que Tu me l'aies accordé, et cela m'a conduit à l'oubli. Alors une nuée s'approcha de lui et l'appela : 'Ô Ayyūb, qui t'a permis cela ?' Il répondit : 'C'est Toi, ô Seigneur'."

19.Muḥammad ibn Khālid narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mughīrah,from Abū Khālid, from Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) who said, “Whoever manifests for the people what Allah loves and fights against Allah by [doing] what He dislikes,[1] he will meet Allah while He loathes him.”

a dit : "Celui qui montre aux gens ce qu'Allah aime et expose ce qu'Il déteste, aura certes rencontré Allah alors qu'Il est satisfait de lui."