How to Guard Against Showing Off and Self-Admiration
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Umm Shams from Makkah al-Mukarramah, this questioner says—Your Eminence, the Shaykh—: How do I avoid showing off (riya') and arrogance in my deeds, which are only performed among people?
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to fear Allah and to be sincere to Allah in your prayer, your recitation, your fasting, your charity, and all the rest, doing it all for Allah alone. Strive against your soul until the motive for it is drawing near to Allah. This is what is obligatory for you; for Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-Kahf:110] and He says regarding the hypocrites: [Al-Nisa:142] and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bulugh al-Maram 16:48 He was asked about it, and he said: , and in another hadith: .
So it is obligatory to avoid this matter. Both the woman and the man, each one must strive against his or her soul until his or her deeds are for Allah alone. One does not pray to show off to people, one does not give charity to show off to people, one does not recite to show off to people, one does not glorify Allah to show off to people. No, one does this for Allah alone, seeking His reward from Allah, hoping for His favor (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is what is obligatory for everyone. As for if one does it for people, it is shirk (associating partners with Allah). One sins by it and has no reward. One sins by it and has no reward. We ask Allah for safety from it.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
Umm Shams from Makkah al-Mukarramah, this questioner says—Your Eminence, the Shaykh—: How do I avoid showing off (riya') and arrogance in my deeds, which are only performed among people?
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to fear Allah and to be sincere to Allah in your prayer, your recitation, your fasting, your charity, and all the rest, doing it all for Allah alone. Strive against your soul until the motive for it is drawing near to Allah. This is what is obligatory for you; for Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."
فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًاIndeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people
إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَThe thing I fear most for you is the lesser shirk
أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغرRiya' (showing off in worship).
الرياءWhoever prays to show off has committed shirk, and whoever gives charity to show off has committed shirk
من صلى يرائي فقد أشرك، من تصدق يرائي فقد أشركSo it is obligatory to avoid this matter. Both the woman and the man, each one must strive against his or her soul until his or her deeds are for Allah alone. One does not pray to show off to people, one does not give charity to show off to people, one does not recite to show off to people, one does not glorify Allah to show off to people. No, one does this for Allah alone, seeking His reward from Allah, hoping for His favor (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is what is obligatory for everyone. As for if one does it for people, it is shirk (associating partners with Allah). One sins by it and has no reward. One sins by it and has no reward. We ask Allah for safety from it.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.