Punishment of boasting
Thawāb al-Aʿmāl wa ʿiqāb al-Aʿmāl|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 84
أَبِی ره قَالَ حَدَّثَنِی سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِی الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِی خَالِدٍ الصَّیْقَلِ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَوَّضَ الْأَمْرَ إِلَی مَلَکٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِکَهِ فَخَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَ سَبْعَ أَرَضِینَ وَ أَشْیَاءَ فَلَمَّا رَأَی الْأَشْیَاءَ قَدِ انْقَادَتْ لَهُ قَالَ مَنْ مِثْلِی فأرسله [فَأَرْسَلَ] اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ نُوَیْرَهً مِنْ نَارٍ قُلْتُ وَ مَا نُوَیْرَهٌ مِنْ نَارٍ قَالَ نَارٌ [بِمِثْلِ] أَنْمُلَهٍ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهَا بِجَمِیعِ مَا خَلَقَ حَتَّی وَصَلَتْ إِلَیْهِ لِمَا دَخَلَهُ الْعُجْبُ.
1. My father رحمه الله said: it was narrated to me by Sa’d b. Abdillah from Ahmad b. Abdillah from Muhammad b. Sinan from Abi al-’Ala from Abi Khalid al-Sayqal from Abi Ja’far عليه السلام who said: “The Almighty Allah delegated the power to an angel of His to build all of the seven earths and heavens. When he created them and found that everyone has started obeying him, he called out: Is there anyone like me? The Almighty Allah sent a little fire in order to burn down everything so that he gets to know the consequence of boasting.” The narrator asked about the amount of fire sent. Imam عليه السلام replied, “It was just a handful.”