What is this thing called "ego" which God advises us to kill? We all have a feeling of what it is, but Western culture has confused the issue for us. The dictionary definition of ego is almost useless, perhaps even harmful:

The thinking, feeling and acting self that is conscious of itself and aware of its distinction from the selves of others and from the objects of its thought and other operations.

That sounds harmless enough, doesn’t it? But is it really? Interestingly, even the dictionary suggests the Quranic truth. The word "distinction" is the key here. The very word implies that some are better than others, and thus should be followed in preference to others. But the messengers are just vehicles for God’s guidance, and it is that guidance we must follow, not the individuals themselves. In the same way, making a distinction between others and ourselves implies that one or the other is inherently better. Yet we know that the only thing which distinguishes the people is righteousness:

And even righteousness comes from God alone:

Our ego directs us to make distinction among our self and others, making us better than them in our own eyes. It is also the piece that makes us feel that we have some power, control or influence over things. It is the piece that gives importance to our personal opinions, to our grudges, to our desires.

The ego is that piece which got us into trouble in the first place when we did not stand up for God’s absolute power during the heavenly feud! It is because of it that we are going through this life—the make-up test.

The Quran gives us examples of the result of following our egos rather than killing them. It teaches us that it was ego that provoked Adam’s son Cain into murdering his brother Abel (5:30). Through the example of the governor’s wife who had tempted Joseph it teaches us that "the self is an advocate of vice" (12:53).

Following our ego puts us in danger of being covered by the following verse:

Following our ego causes us to be arrogant to the extent of rejecting God’s messengers:

Finally, we are given the example of David whose repentance was reinforced with God’s teaching to

Humility is antithesis of ego. Its importance is emphasized throughout the scriptures. (See also 17:37 and 25:63):

Man’s pride causes his humiliation, but he who is humble of spirit obtains honor. (Proverbs 29 verse 23)

God teaches us that the ego can become an idol and the consequences can be detrimental for our salvation. Those who idolize their selves or egos may be sent astray by God, despite the knowledge they acquired:

How do we go about killing our egos? God gives us many means of working at this. For example, advice has been given to us to use criticism from someone else to kill the ego. Even if it was not correct, you have used it constructively. (Easier said than done though!) Every time we make a mistake, then repent and try to make amends, we are killing our ego. Every time we take ourselves to task for not being as eager to work righteousness, for not being straightforward, for backsliding, for falling into gossip or vain talk, we are killing our ego.

Sadly, the ego is like a hearty weed. Just when you think you have it licked, it sprouts right back up again. We must remember that God is the only one who really can do anything—including killing our ego. However, it is us who must make the initial decision to improve ourselves: