However, many Muslims have become arrogant because of what they have achieved in the life of the world and are vain about their wealth, power, and knowledge more than anything else; because I have seen different classes of them and not found any of them more arrogant than people of wealth, power, and knowledge.

[Arrogance of people of knowledge]

Rather, their scholars are more arrogant than their wealthy people and their powerful people; because Muslims’ respect and flattery toward them are greater, and that is what has covered the reality about them and led them to the illusion that they are superior to others; while the basis of superiority in Islam is not knowledge but piety; as God Almighty has said: ﴿إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ﴾[1]; “Indeed, the most honorable among you with God is the most pious among you,” and it is clear that many scholars are not pious; as some of them envy some others, while God Almighty has said: ﴿أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾[2]; “Or they envy people for what God has given them of His grace,” and some of them seek superiority over some others, while God Almighty has said: ﴿تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا ۚ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾[3]; “We save that abode of the Hereafter for those who seek neither superiority nor corruption on the earth, and the (good) end belongs to the pious,” and some of them conceal the truth and sell it for a small price, while God Almighty has said: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَشْتَرُونَ بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۙ أُولَئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا النَّارَ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾[4]; “Indeed, those who conceal what God has revealed of the Book and sell it for a small price, they eat nothing but fire into their bellies, and God will neither speak to them nor purify them on the Day of Judgment, and there is a painful punishment for them,” and some of them do not prohibit Muslims from wrong beliefs and forbidden deeds, while God Almighty has said: ﴿لَوْلَا يَنْهَاهُمُ الرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِمُ الْإِثْمَ وَأَكْلِهِمُ السُّحْتَ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ﴾[5];