Seeking the Face of Allah, Mighty and Majestic: Does it not occur when a person performs righteous deeds and acts of obedience in secret?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. I say that seeking the Face of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not occur when a person performs righteous deeds and acts of obedience in secret, as if it is... something that never happens. Rather, he waits for his seclusion from people, so he is alone and prays, gives charity, and fasts. I say this is how seeking the Face of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is achieved. May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : It happens.
The questioner : Meaning, there is no hardship in it.
The Shaykh : No, no, there is this: the action of the body is easy, that you hide. It is an action of the body, but perhaps Satan enters from another direction.
The questioner : It does not apply.
The Shaykh : Rather, he enters upon you and says, "You have hidden from people for the sake of showing off (riya'), meaning so that it is said: 'What Allah willed, this man acts in secret and conceals his worship.' So Satan enters upon the children of Adam, or do you want, as the brother Sami mentioned,
The questioner : No, meaning, he does not let them feel that he has hidden.
The Shaykh : In any case, this is difficult; it is difficult. And if Allah makes it easy, it is good. If Allah makes it easy for a person, that is good.
The questioner : But it is better that he hides suddenly like this.
The Shaykh : No, the better thing is that he does good, whether in secret or openly, because Allah has praised those who spend in secret and openly. A person may have the most complete sincerity while doing something openly. He does it for the sake of people so that they follow his example and benefit from it. He may be a leader of the nation, meaning an imam, and people follow his actions and his words. He loves to do the deed in front of people for the sake of being followed. He does the deed in front of his colleagues so that they follow his example. Meaning, concealment is not a condition of sincerity. It is true that concealment is closer to sincerity, due to His saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 1423, but sincerity may be with openness. I do not want to draw near to people by obeying Allah, but I want people to benefit from my work, so I obtain good.
The Shaykh : It happens.
The questioner : Meaning, there is no hardship in it.
The Shaykh : No, no, there is this: the action of the body is easy, that you hide. It is an action of the body, but perhaps Satan enters from another direction.
The questioner : It does not apply.
The Shaykh : Rather, he enters upon you and says, "You have hidden from people for the sake of showing off (riya'), meaning so that it is said: 'What Allah willed, this man acts in secret and conceals his worship.' So Satan enters upon the children of Adam, or do you want, as the brother Sami mentioned,
The questioner : No, meaning, he does not let them feel that he has hidden.
The Shaykh : In any case, this is difficult; it is difficult. And if Allah makes it easy, it is good. If Allah makes it easy for a person, that is good.
The questioner : But it is better that he hides suddenly like this.
The Shaykh : No, the better thing is that he does good, whether in secret or openly, because Allah has praised those who spend in secret and openly. A person may have the most complete sincerity while doing something openly. He does it for the sake of people so that they follow his example and benefit from it. He may be a leader of the nation, meaning an imam, and people follow his actions and his words. He loves to do the deed in front of people for the sake of being followed. He does the deed in front of his colleagues so that they follow his example. Meaning, concealment is not a condition of sincerity. It is true that concealment is closer to sincerity, due to His saying: