Chapter 36: “That which has been narrated concerning Riyā (showing-off one’s good deeds).” Kitāb at-Tawheed of Imām Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhāb

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

Allah (the Most High) says:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

“Say, ‘I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is One God. So, whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” (Surah al-Kahf 18:110).

It is reported from Abu Hurairah (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) and elevated as the saying of the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) that Allah, the Most High, said:

“I am not in need of partners being associated along with me. Whoever does a deed whilst associating another with Me in worship, then I will abandon him and his shirk.” (Reported by Muslim).

Likewise, it is reported from Abu Saʿeed, that the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) said:

“Shall I not inform you that which I fear for you even more than the False Messiah (the Dajjāl)?” So they said, “Indeed O Messenger of Allah!” So, he said, “It is the hidden shirk (subtle polytheism), such that a man stands and prays, and he beautifies his prayer so as to be seen by another man.” (Reported by Imām Ahmad in his Musnad, Ibn Mājah in his Sunan and Sheikh al-Albāni graded it as hasan in al-Mishkāt al-Masābeeh)

Explanation

The definition of Riyā is that outwardly the people see your action to be an act of worship for Allah whereas in reality it is for the eyes of the people, or for a worldly gain—we seek Allah’s refuge from that.

Riyā (showing off) is divided into two categories:

1. Wherein Riyā is the original motivation behind the action.
2. Wherein Riyā occurs during the course of the action.

As for the first type, where Riyā is the motivation behind the action, then this is the Riyā of the hypocrites (al-munāfiqoon). This is where the one wishing to be seen and desiring notoriety would not do that action were it not for the desire to be seen by the people. So, here, Riyā is the total motivation behind his action. Such a person wishes to be considered as a part of the people—so, if they pray, then he prays, but when he is alone, he does not pray. These are the ones who Allah has described in His saying:

وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلً

“And when they stand up for prayer, they stand with laziness and to be seen of people, and they do not remember Allah but little.” (Surah an-Nisā 4:142).

So, one of them will not do any actions which are pleasing to Allah unless he is amongst the people because he desires their praise—so the motivation behind his deeds is the desire to be seen by people, and therefore his deed is nullified.

As for the second type, where a transition is made during the course of the action–then this is regarded as shirk asghar (lesser polytheism). So, a man may stand for prayer, and his intention is for Allah—however, if he sees someone looking towards him while he is praying, he beautifies his prayer for the purpose of being seen by that person. So, he began the prayer for the sake of Allah, but then riyā entered him and transformed the deed during its performance. If this riyā overcomes a person, it may nullify his actions—however, if he seeks refuge with Allah once he has realized that riyā has come to him, and returns to sincere worship for Allah alone, it is possible that he regains the reward of his prayer.

What is important here, is that the one whose deeds are motivated in their origin by riyā, (the first type) then this riyā is shirk akbar (major polytheism) which takes the person outside the fold of Islām. As for the second type of riyā where the intention changes during the action, then this is shirk asghar (lesser polytheism) which does not take a person outside the fold of Islām.

The Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) taught his ummah that they should supplicate to Allah if they feel something in themselves regarding their intention:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لا أَعْلَمُ

“O Allah! Indeed, I seek refuge with You that I should associate partners with you whilst I know, and I seek your forgiveness for that which I do not know, for indeed You know and I do not know.” (Reported by al-Bukhāri in al-Adab al-Mufrad and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albāni).

Likewise, a person can also supplicate with the following duā:

اللّهُـمَّ عالِـمَ الغَـيْبِ وَالشّـهادَةِ فاطِـرَ السّماواتِ وَالأرْضِ رَبَّ كـلِّ شَـيءٍ وَمَليـكَه أَشْهَـدُ أَنْ لا إِلـهَ إِلاّ أَنْت أَعـوذُ بِكَ مِن شَـرِّ نَفْسـي وَمِن شَـرِّ الشَّيْـطانِ وَشِـرْكِه وَأَنْ أَقْتَـرِفَ عَلـى نَفْسـي سوءاً أَوْ أَجُـرَّهُ إِلـى مُسْـلِم

“O Allah! The Knower of the unseen and the evident, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the Lord of everything and its King. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except You, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of myself and from the evil of Shaytān and his shirk, or that I should commit a sin against myself, or that I should commit a sin upon another Muslim.” (Reported by Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi—authenticated by Shaikh al-Albāni).

Another supplication is as follows:

اللَّهُمَّ أَلْهِمْنِي رُشْدِي وَأَعِذْنِي مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي

“O Allah! Inspire me with guidance and protect me from the evil of my soul.” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi, and Sheikh al-Albāni declared it to be weak in al-Jāmiʿ as-Sagheer)

There is also the Hadeeth Qudsi (the words of Allah) that is in this chapter itself, where Allah (the Most High) said: “I am free of any need for any partners. Whoever does a deed whilst associating another with me in worship, then I will abandon him and his shirk.”

All these ahādeeth call the worshipper to have ikhlās (sincerity) in his deeds for Allah (the Most High). Similarly, we have the saying of Allah (the Most High):

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

“Say, ‘I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is One God (i.e., Allah). So, whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” (Surah al-Kahf 18:110).

Therefore, for an action to be righteous, it must be done sincerely for Allah, and he should not associate in the worship of his Lord anybody else. That which encourages a person to establish tawheed and make is deeds upon ikhlās (sincerity) for Allah alone is that he realizes that the people watching do not have any reward to give him. They cannot give him anything, nothing is in their hands. Likewise, there is nothing in their hands from punishment that they can mete out to a person, rather reward and punishment are both in with Allah.

A servant cannot escape riyā and escape the desire of the praise of the people unless he supplicates to his Lord, therefore we must ask Allah to make our deeds sincerely for His Face. The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Should I not inform you of that which is feared for you more than the False Messiah (Dajjāl)?” So, they said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) said: “It is shirk al-khafi, the hidden polytheism, that a man stands and prays and beautifies his prayer when he sees a person watching him.” (Reported by Muslim).

The souls are weak, so it is necessary for a servant to ask Allah to avert him from the plots of Shaytān, and that He makes his actions sincerely for Allah, the Most High. That which the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) feared for us is a matter to be feared—no doubt. So, it is obligatory upon us to invoke Allah to turn Shaytān away from us—because Shaytān calls us to shirk, innovations and disobedience—and to protect us from those affairs that make us fall into that which nullifies our deeds, and that He aids and supports us from falling into that which will harm us and cause us to fall into sin. Allah (the Most High) legislated for us that we should seek His aid, just as He the Most High said:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.” (Surah al-Fātihah 1:5).

We are not able to avert Shaytān from ourselves except by asking Allah to protect us from his traps—and by seeking His aid. A person may fall into this hidden (or subtle) polytheism (riyā) without even realizing it—it is so hidden that it is like a black ant on a black rock on a moonless night. So, if we invoke Allah, asking Him to turn Shaytān away from us, then He will surely turn him away from us.

وبالله التوفيق

From Al-ʿAllāmah Shaikh Ahmad Ibn Yahyā An-Najmi’s (rahimahullāh) explanation with added notes from Abu Khadeejah.

الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم

End.

This article was transcribed by Umm Maryam (may Allah reward her) from the classes of Abu Khadeejah (SalafiSounds.com). Please share it with others.