The Fate of the Proud in Islam: A Critical Exegesis of Quran 40:60 and Its Theological Implications

Title:

The Fate of the Proud in Islam: A Critical Exegesis of Quran 40:60 and Its Theological Implications

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba | Shimba Theological Institute

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Abstract

This paper critically examines Quran 40:60 in light of its theological implications on the eschatological destiny of individuals exhibiting pride, including professing Muslims. The verse asserts that those who manifest arrogance, even while outwardly engaging in worship, are destined for hell. This paper explores the semantic, theological, and exegetical dimensions of the term "proud" (Arabic: yastakbirūna) within Quranic theology, comparing it to biblical and Judaic views on pride. Furthermore, it challenges common contemporary Islamic narratives that assure salvation for Muslims merely on the basis of religious identity, highlighting Quranic and Hadith-based evidence that ultimate judgment is contingent on inner humility and submission to divine will rather than nominal affiliation. The paper concludes by reflecting on the universal theological principle that pride remains a damning sin across Abrahamic faith traditions.

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1. Introduction

Religious eschatology across Abrahamic traditions consistently condemns pride as a fundamental sin leading to damnation. In Islam, Quran 40:60 offers a particularly severe warning against arrogance, linking it directly with the fate of hellfire, even for those who engage in acts of worship. This text raises significant theological questions regarding the criteria for salvation in Islamic doctrine. Are professing Muslims exempt from condemnation due to their religious identity, or does the presence of pride negate the value of their worship and faith? This paper investigates these issues through an exegetical analysis of Quran 40:60 within its linguistic, contextual, and theological frameworks.

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2. Textual Analysis and Translation

The verse in question, Quran 40:60, is rendered in several English translations as follows:

“And your Lord says: ‘Call upon Me, and I will answer you. Indeed, those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell [rendered] humiliated.’” (Sahih International)

In Arabic:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

Key terms for analysis:

• يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ (yastakbirūna): Those who act arrogantly, proudly, exalting themselves above.

• عِبَادَتِي (‘ibādatī): My worship, service, obedience.

• دَاخِرِينَ (dākhirīn): Abased, humiliated, in disgrace.

The syntax unambiguously links arrogance with refusal or distortion of true worship, regardless of religious label or ritual participation.

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3. Exegetical and Theological Interpretation

Classical exegetes like Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Tabari concur that yastakbirūna ‘an ‘ibādatī refers to those whose arrogance prevents them from sincerely invoking and submitting to Allah. Notably, arrogance (kibr) is considered a severe inner sin, often hidden under external religiosity. Al-Ghazali in Ihya Ulum al-Din classifies arrogance as an internal disease of the heart that invalidates acts of worship before God.

Thus, a Muslim who outwardly prays, fasts, and performs rituals, but inwardly exalts themselves in pride, falls under this condemnation. This challenges popular Islamic soteriological claims that mere identity guarantees divine favor, and aligns with Quranic passages such as 4:123:

“Paradise is not (obtained) by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it.”

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4. Comparative Theological Context

In biblical theology, pride is also consistently condemned. Proverbs 16:18 declares:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Similarly, James 4:6 in the New Testament teaches:

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Judaism’s Talmudic tradition (Avot 4:4) warns:

“Be very, very humble, for the hope of man is the worm.”

Thus, across Abrahamic faiths, pride acts as a moral and spiritual separator between man and God, leading to eschatological ruin.

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5. Implications for Muslims

Quran 40:60 stands as an unequivocal statement that no external religious affiliation immunizes one from hell if inner pride corrupts the heart. The verse demands that Muslims critically self-examine their spiritual posture, prioritizing humility over outward religiosity.

It serves as a polemic against Islamic triumphalism — the presumption that Muslims are categorically destined for paradise. Muhammad himself warned:

“No one who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart will enter Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim 91)

This authentic Hadith corroborates the Quranic position that pride is a salvific disqualifier.

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6. Conclusion

Quran 40:60 profoundly asserts that pride nullifies worship and merits hellfire, regardless of one’s religious identity. This principle resonates with parallel teachings in biblical and Judaic theology, reaffirming the universal danger of arrogance before God. The verse demands a theology of humility, challenging both Muslims and adherents of other faiths to forsake spiritual pride and embrace sincere submission to the Creator. It refutes popularized Islamic exclusivism that assumes salvation based on mere confession without internal transformation.

This analysis demonstrates that — according to the Quran itself — proud Muslims, like any other proud individual, are destined for hell unless redeemed by humility and repentance. It calls for honest interfaith dialogue on the nature of pride, worship, and divine judgment.

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References

• The Quran (40:60; 4:123; 16:23)

• Sahih Muslim, Hadith 91

• Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din

• Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim

• Al-Tabari, Jami’ al-Bayan

• Al-Qurtubi, Tafsir al-Jami' li-Ahkam al-Qur'an

• Proverbs 16:18, Holy Bible

• James 4:6, Holy Bible

• Talmud Bavli, Avot 4:4

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