will abide forever in the Fire and will never enter Paradise, for Allah the Exalted says, “That is because they detested what Allah sent down, so He nullified their deeds” (Muhammad: 9). Deeds are nullified only by disbelief, as He also says: “Whoever among you turns back from his religion and dies while he is a disbeliever—their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and they are the companions of the Fire; they will remain therein forever” (al-Baqarah: 217).

If, on the other hand, the arrogance is directed toward people—self-aggrandizement over them—yet the person does not disdain worshipping Allah, then he will not enter Paradise with an unqualified, perfect entry that is free of prior punishment. Rather, he must first be punished for the arrogance and haughtiness he displayed toward people; once purified, he will then be admitted to Paradise.

When the Prophet ﷺ narrated this ḥadīth, a man asked, “Messenger of Allah, someone likes to have a fine garment and good sandals—is that arrogance?” He replied, “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.” Allah is beautiful in His essence, beautiful in His actions, beautiful in His attributes; everything that proceeds from Him is beautiful, never ugly—indeed, it is good, approved by sound intellects and pleasing to wholesome hearts.

His words “loves beauty” mean that He loves adornment: He loves for a person to present himself well in his clothing, his footwear, his body, and all of his affairs, for a neat appearance draws hearts to a person and endears him to others. The opposite is a disheveled appearance in which a person looks unpleasant in his hair, clothes, or dress. Hence he said, “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty,” meaning He loves a person to look well-groomed.

As for natural physical beauty that Allah grants, this rests entirely with Allah; a person has no power over it and no way to earn it. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned it only