أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Of all the barriers we find in life between ourselves and Allah, perhaps the two worst of them are entitlement and conceit.
A sense of entitlement, the belief that a right is owed, makes it impossible for one to recognize the favors Allah gives. For if a thing is due, then what need is there for gratitude if that was already expected? A person assumes that he/she is due something, whether physical or intangible, and the resulting conditions of the heart and consciousness make shukr irrelevant.
Conceit, an exaggerated self-opinion, is similarly dangerous for it cultivates a sense of being free of need of anyone or anything else, including and especially upon Allah. For if a person's own efforts and intents and results lead to his/her success, then what need is there to consider dependence on others? From this result the tendencies of belittling others and being quick to cite one's own virtues.
Both of these are subsets of pride, the infamous sin of Iblis, who felt he was better than Adam (as) and that he deserved more than the creation Allah would honor above all others.
Pride belongs only to Allah, and it doesn't befit any slave to consider it for himself. Naturally, there is a distinction between manifestations of attributes such as courage or honor and what "pride" is hated by Allah for humankind. As our Messenger (saw) defined it, pride is simply rejecting truth and looking down on people.
The only cure to pride is its polar opposite, humility. This requires realizing that we are entitled to nothing, that everything given is a gift from Allah (even those things that taste bitter at first), and that we can never be free of dependence on Him. A path to balance is absolutely necessary when considering "how much" one depends on Him, and that is also clarified by our Messenger (saw): to put forth one's own efforts as humanly possible, and trust upon Allah for whatever follows. Reliance on Him never entails abandoning one's own responsibilities to family or those connected, nor does it mean to give up seeking sustenance/wealth for one's survival. If this concept is not held in simple equilibrium, then all kinds of mental difficulties can form as people struggle to balance relying on their Creator while still maintaining their own efforts, perhaps leaving the notion altogether.
Besides the obvious and inherent dangers of these qualities, there is another major reason for me to bring these to light: pride has the potential to entirely negate our ability to make dua, because the essence of asking Allah is implicit in the admission that we rely on Him and that it is His favor that we seek. If kibr is present, duas become mere repetition of words, without any force behind seeking Allah's assistance. What use does He have for rote worship without the heart being in it? And if dua is the essence of 'ibadah, then what purpose remains in it for a heart devoid of need for Him?
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