The Reality of Showing Off and How to Guard Against It
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Finally, from the questions of this questioner, she says: How does showing off exist within a person? And how does a person avoid that feeling? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Showing off is when one prays so that people praise him, or recites so that people praise him, or gives charity so that people praise him for his generosity. This is showing off, meaning: he performs the righteous deed so that people commend him. He shows off to them, not for the sake of Allah. Rather, he gives charity so that it is said that he is generous. He prays so that it is said that he prays. He recites likewise, his intention being that people commend and praise him. This is showing off, and it is shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 16:48.
It is obligatory to be cautious, and that acts of worship be for Allah alone, whether prayer, recitation, charity, glorification, or the declaration of His oneness, or anything else. It must be for Allah alone, without showing off or seeking fame.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh!
Finally, from the questions of this questioner, she says: How does showing off exist within a person? And how does a person avoid that feeling? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Showing off is when one prays so that people praise him, or recites so that people praise him, or gives charity so that people praise him for his generosity. This is showing off, meaning: he performs the righteous deed so that people commend him. He shows off to them, not for the sake of Allah. Rather, he gives charity so that it is said that he is generous. He prays so that it is said that he prays. He recites likewise, his intention being that people commend and praise him. This is showing off, and it is shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The thing I fear most for you is the lesser shirk (polytheism), showing-off (of good deeds).
أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغر، فسئل عنه، فقال: الرياءIt is obligatory to be cautious, and that acts of worship be for Allah alone, whether prayer, recitation, charity, glorification, or the declaration of His oneness, or anything else. It must be for Allah alone, without showing off or seeking fame.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh!
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.