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ʾilāhukum ʾilāhun wāḥidun fa-lladhīna lā yuʾminūna bi-l-ʾākhirati qulūbuhum munkiratun wa-hum mustakbirūna
Your God is the One God. Those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are in denial [of the truth], and they are arrogant.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nahl – Verse 22
22. “Your God is One God. Hence, those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are repulsive, and they are arrogant.”
Your Lord is One God, unique and no one else is able to be the creator of the blessings. Therefore, stick to the rules of His worship. The verse says:
“Your God is One God…”
Those who disbelieve in the Hereafter, their hearts deny the truth and they refrain from accepting admonitions and advices. Such ones are those who are arrogant and refrain from submission to the truth. They go on disobeying it without having any grounds for what they do. The holy verse continues saying:
“…Hence, those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are repulsive, and they are arrogant.”
Explanations
The previous verses dealt with the ability of Allah and the inability of all others relating to the act of creation and lack of their awareness about the future. This verse stresses the fact that your real Lord is Allah, One God. The Arabic term /kibr/ signifies ‘megalomania’ or regarding of one’s own self as greater than what one is. The word /takabbur/ means putting into practice or implementation of the attributes of being megalomaniac. The Arabic word /’istikb ar/ also denotes that one is not great in itself but wants to create and prove his grandeur and splendor by whatever means which are usually at his disposal.
Some Islamic quotations indicate that Imam Husayn (as) once was passing by a group of impoverished needy people who were having their meals. They invited him to join them. The Imam (as) accepted their invitation and sat down next to them, engaging in eating, then he said:
“Allah does not love the arrogant.” 1
Footnotes