the prophet (saas) stated that pride and arrogance were examples of poor morality, and that arrogant people would be repaid in hell. he warned them against that danger. with his humility, modesty, affection and caring disposition in all situations, the prophet (saas) was the best possible role-model. these are some of the prophet (saas)'s warnings with regards to arrogance:

"verily, allah is graceful and he loves grace. pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people."54

"arrogance means ridiculing and rejecting the truth and despising people."55

the prophet (saas) warned those who boasted of their families and ancestry, thus becoming arrogant, saying:

"allah, most high, has removed from you the pride of the pre-islamic period and its boasting in ancestors. one is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. you are sons of adam, and adam came from dust. let the people cease to boast about their ancestors. they are merely fuel in hell; or they will certainly be of less account with allah than the beetle which rolls dung with its nose."56

the prophet (saas) recommended to his followers to always dress well and to be pleasant in appearance and to look well cared for. at the same time, however, he also reminded them that those who grew proud because of the clothes they wore or the way they looked would be humiliated in this world and in the next. he told them to always be humble. here is what he said on the subject:

"while a man was walking, clad in a two-piece garment and proud of himself with his hair well-combed, suddenly allah made him sink into the earth and he will go on sinking into it till the day of resurrection."57