And the Muslim should be aware of misusing "I", "mine" and "I possess", because Iblees, Fir'aun and Qaaroon were indeed tried with these three expressions...
{I am better than him} [Surah Saad 38:76] is the statement of Iblees,
{mine is the dominion of Egypt} [Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:51] is the statement of Fir'aun, and
{This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.} [Surah Al-Qasas 28:78] is the statement of Qaaroon.
The best place to put "I" is when the worshipper (of Allah) says: I am the sinful, mistaken, forgiveness seeking, confessing worshipper (of Allah). And "mine" when he says: the sin is mine, the fault is mine, the indigence is mine, the poverty is mine and the lowness is mine. And "I possess" when he says: (Oh Allah) forgive me what I have committed (from sins) intentionally, jokingly, mistakenly, purposely, and I possess (within me is) all of that. [This du'a is part of a whole du'a reported in Sahih Muslim 2138]
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: Zaad-ul-Ma'aad 2/434.
قال ابن القيم رحمه الله : وليحذر المسلم من طغيان " أنا "، " ولي "، " وعندي "، فإن هذه الألفاظ الثلاثة ابتلي بها إبليس ، وفرعون ، وقارون، ف {أنا خير منه} لإبليس، و {لي ملك مصر} لفرعون، و {إنما أوتيته على علم عندي} لقارون. وأحسن ما وضعت " أنا " في قول العبد : أنا العبد المذنب، المخطئ، المستغفر، المعترف. " ولي "، في قوله: لي الذنب، ولي الجرم، ولي المسكنة، ولي الفقر والذل ، " وعندي " في قوله: اغفر لي جدي، وهزلي، وخطئي، وعمدي، وكل ذلك عندي
زاد المعاد /2/ 434
