Showing off - the minor shirk

This is the disease of ar-riyaa: to be a show-off. People like me with big mouths who you guys invite to speak everywhere are the ones who have the biggest test of riyaa. It's very difficult.

Nobody can say, "I'm safe from riyaa." The one who says this is showing off. The Prophet Muhammed warned us about riyaa, but what is the meaning of ar-riyaa?

Imam al Ghazali said in his book Al Ihya that ar-riyaa is to seek stations (i.e. being high in people's minds and hearts) with actions so that they see you; to seek the praise of the people. There are some signs of the one who has riyaa that we will talk about , as well as their cures as found in Surat al-Fatiha (Qur'an, 1).

Riyaa is so dangerous that the Prophet gave it a special name. He said, "Indeed the thing I fear for you the most is the minor shirk (associating partners with Allah)." We have minor shirk and major shirk. Major shirk is something like worshipping a statue or another god with Allah (swt) or to take a legislator other than Allah (swt). But the minor shirk is mentioned in this hadith. And the Prophet said that it is the thing he fears for us the most.

 The Companions of the Prophet asked him, "What is minor shirk, ya Rasullah?" He said, "Ar-riyaa. Showing off." In one hadith the Prophet gave the example of someone making the athan (call to prayer) and while making the athan he thinks, "Wow I bet the people think my voice is beautiful." This is ar-riyaa. In another hadith the Prophet said it's so dangerous that it's like the black ant on the black rock in the night with no moon. It can sneak up on you like this.


Indeed riyaa is so difficult and dangerous that it can fall into your good actions. The Prophet Muhammed said, "The one who prays and wants people to see them has committed shirk. The one who fasted and they want the people to know about their fasting has committed shirk. The one who gave sadaqah (charity) and wants people to know about their charity has committed shirk." You know how dangerous shaytan is, especially when it comes to sadaqah?

 For example, maybe Islamic Relief or some charitable organization comes to your campus and they do a fundraiser. You're not even married and you say, "Subhan'Allah I really need this money but the Prophet said wealth does not decrease from giving charity. So I'm going to give and no one will know about it." So you give the money and then later you get married. Then ten years later you're sitting with your spouse at home and you say, "You know what I did ten years ago?" You just lost it. This is Shaytan. Don't think that Shaytan will just mess with you at that moment. We will talk about the attacks of Shaytan later in this series, insha'Allah. One word that Ibn Qayyim used to describe Shaytan is very scary. He said Shaytan is patient. He waits. Then, at a specific moment, he hits you. For ten years you got the hasanat (blessings) of this charity. But what counts is when you die. So after that ten years if you start boasting to someone, then you've lost it. You've got to start over. This attack is even more dangerous because if Shaytan hits you today with riyaa you still have ten years to make up for it. But if he waits ten years and then gets you then you lost ten years. Shaytan is an enemy to us.




Edited by seekshidayath - 04 March 2011 at 7:00am

nice sharing

seekshidayath wrote: " This is ar-riyaa. In another hadith the Prophet said it's so dangerous that it's like the black ant on the black rock in the night with no moon. It can sneak up on you like this.

That is such a eloquent and succinct way to describe riy'aa!!! Seriously, riyaa can creep up so silently.... why did we as human biengs have to be so concerned about our public image .... and hunger for praise

Quite scary... because even if we have a bit of riya, our intention changes and all aur good deeds amount to ZERO. .

The Prophet (saws) also provided protection against the inevitable acts of Shirk by teaching certain specific prayers which may be said anytime. Let's learn this dua and get protected. Also sis {hidden pearl} can look into the source of this hadith

Abu Moosaa said, "One day Allaah's messenger delivered a sermon saying 'O people, fear Shirk for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.' Those whom Allaah wished asked, 'And how do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allaah?'

He replied, 'Say: Allaahumma Innaa na'oodhu bika an nushrika bika shay'an na'lamuh, wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa na'lamuh (O Allaah, we seek refuge in you from knowingly committing shirk with you and we ask your forgiveness for what we do not know about).

Collected by Ahmad and at-Tabaraanee and is reported by Reported by Ibn Abee Haatim

There's an other dua { i learnt it from a book of al-huda} Allahumma tahir qalbi minnan nifaaqi, wa amali minar ri'aaye, walisani minal kazibi, wama tuqfis sudoor. Even in this dua we seek refuge from our deeds to be a show-off