False ego and pride are an inflated sense of self-importance that makes a person imagine that wealth, education, status, intelligence, lineage, appearance, power, or even religious knowledge makes him inherently superior to others. In Islamic terms, this is close to kibr (arrogance): the Prophet ﷺ defined it as rejecting truth and looking down upon people. Such pride is false because every ability and possession is ultimately a gift from Allah, and human beings share the same fragile origin and final return. The cure is humility: recognize blessings without worshipping the self, accept correction, treat people with dignity regardless of status, and remember that true worth before Allah is measured by taqwā and character—not by how important we appear to ourselves or others.
Surah Al-Isrāʾ 17:37 is a direct warning against arrogance, egoism and looking down upon others in deceit and contempt:
وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الْأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولًا
“Do not strut about in the land for you can neither cleave the earth nor attain the height of the mountains.”
The verse appears near the end of the great moral passage 17:23–39. After commanding kindness to parents, responsible spending, protection of life, chastity, honesty in contracts and intellectual responsibility, the Qur’an turns inward to the ego. The message is that even if a person performs many outwardly correct acts, pride can still corrupt the whole character.
Scholarly Explanation
1. Ibn Kathīr explains the verse as a prohibition against walking with conceit, swagger and self-importance. The comparison with the earth and mountains is meant to humble the human being: no matter how wealthy, powerful or famous someone becomes, he remains physically small within Allah’s creation.
2. Al-Ṭabarī similarly interprets maraḥan as excessive pride and boastful behaviour.
3. Maududi emphasizes that arrogance is not merely an unpleasant manner; it reflects a false understanding of one’s place in creation. Human beings are dependent creatures, not self-sufficient masters. This instruction warns against the ways of tyrants and vain people and is not merely meant for the individual but also for the collective conduct of the Muslim Community. It was because of this guidance that the rulers, governors and commanders of the Islamic State which was established on the basis of this Manifesto, were free from every tinge of tyranny, arrogance, haughtiness, pride and vanity, so much so that even in the battlefield they never uttered a word which had the slightest indication of any of these vain things. Their gait, dress, dwelling and conveyance showed humility. In short, their ways of conduct were not those of "big ones" but those of humble persons. That is why they never tried to overawe the people of a conquered city by show of pomp and pride.
4. Ghamdi explains:
This is the tenth directive. Quoting Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī he writes:
… The implication is that the God whose glory and grandeur one witnesses in the vast expanse of the earth that He has spread out on which one’s status is not even that of an ant or an insect and the God who has created these towering mountains before which one’s status is not even that of a squirrel. One should try to recognize one’s status and always surrender oneself to the majesty and splendour of God. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 4, 502)
The manner in which a person walks is specially mentioned here. The reason is that the gait obviously reflects one’s inner-self. Wealth, authority, beauty, knowledge, power and other similar things produce pride and vanity in a person. Each of these produces a specific type of pride in one’s gait showing that his heart is devoid of the perception of serving God and there is no concept in it of God’s glory and greatness. The heart which has the perception of serving God and of His greatness only beats in the chests of people who have humility. Instead of walking arrogantly, they walk with their heads bent. Thus walking with pride and vanity is a very bad trait and its punishment is very grave too.
Relevance Today The verse is highly relevant today because modern culture often rewards self-display, status, luxury, titles, followers and public recognition. Social media can intensify the temptation to project superiority, while wealth and professional rank can make people look down upon workers, the poor or those with less education. 17:37 tells us that success should produce gratitude, not superiority.
To live by this verse, we should speak respectfully to people regardless of their status, avoid flaunting wealth or achievements, accept correction without feeling humiliated, and remember that every ability we possess is ultimately a gift from Allah. Humility does not mean weakness or lack of confidence; it means knowing one’s worth without imagining oneself above others.
The imagery of the verse is especially powerful: however proudly a person stamps upon the ground, he cannot split the earth; however highly he thinks of himself, he cannot become taller than the mountains. The lesson is simple: greatness before people is temporary, but humility before Allah gives true dignity.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 17. Al-Isra'ʾ (The Night Journey) already published from Sürah 17. Al-Isra'ʾ.
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An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
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