Basicofislam
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R i y a a - Hidden Shirk
Definition:
Linguistically ‘Riyaa’ comes from the root ‘ra’aa’, which means “to see, to behold, to view.” The derived word ‘riyaa’ means “eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation.” From the Sharee’ah point of view, it means “to perform acts which are pleasing to Allaah with the intention of pleasing other than Allaah.” Thus, righteous deeds done for worldly gain have been transformed into evil deeds unacceptable to Allaah. Riyaa’ is one of the most powerful of such factors and its subtleness, makes it among the most dangerous and difficult to diagnose. Its importance cannot be over-stressed, because the character, which Islam seeks to build, would be incomplete without a clear understanding of this subject. Furthermore, it is extremely important for the God-fearing to know the Factors that contribute Riyaa’ to one’s Islam. Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah have turned to the Qur’aan, the Sunnah, and the statements of our Salaf [1] seeking information on this disease: What is it? What are its Dangers and what is the Cure?
The Intention:
Is essential to explain briefly, the importance of sincerity as the Hadeeth below confirms the necessity of an Intention free from Riyaa’.Umar ibn al-Khattaab narrated the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Actions are by intention, and every person will receive what he intended. So whoever intended to migrate for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), then his migration will be for Allaah and His Messenger. And whoever intended to migrate for the sake of some worldly benefit or in order to marry a woman, then his migration will be for that which he migrated.”
{Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.1, p.47, no.51, Sahih Muslim, vol.3, p.1056, no.4692 and Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, pp.593-4, no.2195}
The Qur’aan also addresses the importance of having correct and sincere intentions.
Allaah says: “And you do not spend (of your wealth) except seeking the pleasure of Allaah”
{Soorah Baqarah (2): 272}
The early generations of Muslims realised the importance of sincere and correct intentions; an example being in a narration of Abdullah ibn Mas’ood “Speech by itself is worthless, unless it is followed by action. Speech and Action by themselves are worthless, unless they have the right intention. And Speech, action and the right intention are worthless unless they agree with the Sunnah.” Therefore, we see that there are a number of prerequisites for any deed to be accepted by Allaah. The first condition is that the deed is done for the sake of Allaah, and only for the sake of Allaah. The second condition is that the deed is encouraged by the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and is not an innovation (bid’ah: invented after the Prophet’s death.)
The Dangers of Riyaa’ are so many in number,we have managed to point out a few:
1) Hidden Shirk:
The Prophet Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) out of his love and concern for the Ummah (nation), feared this calamity more than any other. Aboo Sa’eed reported that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) came to us while we were discussing about Dajjaal and said:
“Should I inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjaal ? It is hidden Shirk: A person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him.”
{Sahih Sunan ibn Maajah, vol.2, p.410, no.3389.}
2) Weakens Eeman and Tawheed
By committing ‘riyaa’, a person destroys the very purpose of his creation, since instead of truly worshipping Allaah, he pretends to worship Allaah while seeking to achieve the pleasure and praise of the creation of Allaah.
“And I created not the Jinn and mankind except they should worship me” [Soorah Az-Zariyat (51): 56]
Allaah describes the true believers as those who perform their acts of worship solely for the sake of Allaah, not desiring reward nor thanks from others for their deeds
“And they (the believers) give food, despite their love for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, (saying), ‘We feed you seeking only the Blessings of Allaah’s, We neither wish for reward, nor thanks from you.” [Soorah Insan (76): 8-9]
In direct contrast to this, Allaah says about the hypocrites:
“So woe unto those who perform their prayers (hypocrites), who delay their prayer from its stated time, those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men), and refuse even the smallest kindness.”
{Soorah Al-Maun: (107): 4-7}
3) Increases Misguidance:
There is no doubt that the person who commits riyaa’ has a disease in his heart, and if this disease is not cured, it will lead to further problems. In this regard, Allaah says,
"They (try to) deceive Allaah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves and do not even realise it! In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy), and Allaah has increased their disease….” {Soorah Baqarah (2): 9-10}
4) Deprives Deeds of Blessings:
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has informed in a number of his statements that Allaah will not accept actions done for the sake of others. Mahmood ibn Labeed related that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said,
“Allaah the Exalted, will say (to those who practised riyaa’) when He is taking account of people’s deeds (on the Day of Judgement). ‘Go to those whom you used to show off your deeds to, and see if you will find any reward with them!’ {Sahih at Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, no.29}
5) Prohibits Entrance to Heaven:
Performing righteous acts for human praise can also lead to being barred from entering paradise. Aboo Hurayrah quoted the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as saying,
"Whoever gains any knowledge that should be learnt for the sake of Allaah, (with) the intention of (benefit in) this world will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Judgement.”
{Sunan Abu-Dawud, vol.3, p.1039, no.3656 and Sunan ibn-Majah, vol.1, p.144, no.252.}
F O O T N O T E S
{1} The As-Salaf us-Saalih ( the righteous predecessors ) are defined as the first three generations of Muslims, and, by the extension, all those who followed in their footsteps.
The Cure – Ways to Avoid Riyaa’
1. Increasing Knowledge: One of the cures for the vast majority of the problems Muslims face, is to increase their Knowledge of the religion. As Allaah says in the Final Revelation:
“Indeed, only those who have knowledge among His slaves truly fear Allaah.” [Sooarh Fatir (35): 28]
We must realize that attaining correct knowledge is the duty of every God-fearing Muslim, and not merely the administrators of the religion (Imams, Moulvis).
2.Invocations (Du’aa): Among the strongest repellents of riyaa’ and one of the easiest, is du’aa, Aboo Baker related that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Shirk amongst you is more hidden than the crawling of an ant, and I shall tell you of something which, if you do it, will remove from you both the minor and the major Shirk.
Say: Allaahumma innee a’oothu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lamu wa astagh-firuka limma laa a’lam
(O Allaah, surely I seek refuge in you from knowingly worshipping others besides you and I seek your forgiveness for what I don’t know).” {Sahih al-Jaami, no. 3731.}
Allaah, the Most High says in regards to the above
“Verily, those who are pious, when an evil thought comes to them from Satan, they remember (Allaah), and they see (aright).” {Soorah Al-A’raf (7): 201}
3. Reflection upon Heaven and Hell: Reflection on the Hereafter helps one develop more fear of Allaah, and increases one’s desire to stay away from sins. If a person realises that his purpose in life is not to gain fame and prestige, nor the acceptance or happiness of others, but rather to save himself from Hell and enter Paradise, he will try his utmost to avoid riyaa’.
Allaah says in the Qur’aan:
“So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [Soorah Al-Kahf (18): 110]
General Causes of Riyaa:
Pride: Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) stated that Allaah said:
“Pride is my Cloak and greatness my Robe, so whoever competes with Me, with respect to either of them, I shall cast him into Hell.” {Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1381, no.6349}
Allaah also warned against falling into this category as:
“Do not assume that those who rejoice in what they have done, think not that they are absolved from punishment, (but rather) for them is a painful torment.” [Soorah Al-Imran(3):188]
Show off: “Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He who deceives them. And when they stand up to pray, they stand up with laxness, only to be seen of men, and they hardly remember Allaah at all.” [Soorah An-Nisa (4): 142]
Pleasing Allaah as well as others: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Allaah - the blessed, the transcendent - said, I am the most Self-Sufficient, without need of any associate. So, he who does an action for someone else’s sake, as well as Mine, I will leave him with whoever he associated with Me (i.e. he will get no blessings for that deed whatsoever).” {Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1538, no.7114.}
Clothing: This is the case of a person who does not care for his appearance, dresses shabbily in order to show that he does care for worldly appearance, rather is concerned for the hereafter, Or he may revert to the exact opposite; that is to dress up like a scholar in order to be said of or considered ‘a scholar’ by people.
Allaah says;
And when you look at them, their appearance pleases you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. They are like blocks of wood propped up. They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allaah curse them! How they deviate from the Right Path!” [Soorah Al-Munafiqun (63): 4]
However, to maintain a good appearance for the sake of looking nice, (as opposed to the sake of attracting attention and praise), does not constitute riyaa’.
Other Related Issues:
Unintended Praise: If the people attend a lecture that greatly benefited them, it is likely they will go to the speaker and praise and thank him. This type of praise will not ruin a person’s actions as long as it did effect or alter his intention. AbooTharr al-Ghifaaree asked the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam):
“O Messenger of Allaah! What do you think of a person who does good deeds, and the people praise him for it?” He responded: “This is part of the indications of the blessings of a believer (in store for him in the Hereafter).” {Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1388, no.6388.}
Discouraged to Praise: It is discouraged to praise a person to his face, as this act very easily leads to self-conceit on the part of the person who was praised. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“When you see those who shower praises (on others), throw dust in their faces!” {Sahih al-Bukhari,vol.3, pp.512-3, no.830 & Sahih Muslim,vol.4, p.1542, no.7143}
Conclusion:
The problem with the disease of riyaa’ is that it is not something that a person can detect in himself with ease, making it all more dangerous for the believers. It is, therefore, imperative that all Muslims ask themselves whenever they do any act of worship, “Why am I doing this? Is really to please Allaah, and Allaah alone? Or do I desire the admiration and praise of people?” In conclusion, the following Hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) summarises the blessing of sincerity. Anas bin Maalik mentioned that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Whoever sets the Hereafter as his goal, Allaah will give him richness of heart, gather his affairs for him (i.e. make things easy for him), and the world will come to him without even his wanting it! And whoever sets this world as his goal, Allaah will make him see his poverty before his very eyes, He will let his affairs become disunited, and nothing will come to him of this world except what Allaah had destined for him.” {Sahih al-Jaami, no.6516 and Sahih Sunan at-Tirmithee, vol. 2, p.300. no.2005}
R i y a a - Hidden Shirk
Definition:
Linguistically ‘Riyaa’ comes from the root ‘ra’aa’, which means “to see, to behold, to view.” The derived word ‘riyaa’ means “eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation.” From the Sharee’ah point of view, it means “to perform acts which are pleasing to Allaah with the intention of pleasing other than Allaah.” Thus, righteous deeds done for worldly gain have been transformed into evil deeds unacceptable to Allaah. Riyaa’ is one of the most powerful of such factors and its subtleness, makes it among the most dangerous and difficult to diagnose. Its importance cannot be over-stressed, because the character, which Islam seeks to build, would be incomplete without a clear understanding of this subject. Furthermore, it is extremely important for the God-fearing to know the Factors that contribute Riyaa’ to one’s Islam. Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah have turned to the Qur’aan, the Sunnah, and the statements of our Salaf [1] seeking information on this disease: What is it? What are its Dangers and what is the Cure?
The Intention:
Is essential to explain briefly, the importance of sincerity as the Hadeeth below confirms the necessity of an Intention free from Riyaa’.Umar ibn al-Khattaab narrated the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Actions are by intention, and every person will receive what he intended. So whoever intended to migrate for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), then his migration will be for Allaah and His Messenger. And whoever intended to migrate for the sake of some worldly benefit or in order to marry a woman, then his migration will be for that which he migrated.”
{Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.1, p.47, no.51, Sahih Muslim, vol.3, p.1056, no.4692 and Sunan Abu Dawud, vol.2, pp.593-4, no.2195}
The Qur’aan also addresses the importance of having correct and sincere intentions.
Allaah says: “And you do not spend (of your wealth) except seeking the pleasure of Allaah”
{Soorah Baqarah (2): 272}
The early generations of Muslims realised the importance of sincere and correct intentions; an example being in a narration of Abdullah ibn Mas’ood “Speech by itself is worthless, unless it is followed by action. Speech and Action by themselves are worthless, unless they have the right intention. And Speech, action and the right intention are worthless unless they agree with the Sunnah.” Therefore, we see that there are a number of prerequisites for any deed to be accepted by Allaah. The first condition is that the deed is done for the sake of Allaah, and only for the sake of Allaah. The second condition is that the deed is encouraged by the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and is not an innovation (bid’ah: invented after the Prophet’s death.)
The Dangers of Riyaa’ are so many in number,we have managed to point out a few:
1) Hidden Shirk:
The Prophet Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) out of his love and concern for the Ummah (nation), feared this calamity more than any other. Aboo Sa’eed reported that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) came to us while we were discussing about Dajjaal and said:
“Should I inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjaal ? It is hidden Shirk: A person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him.”
{Sahih Sunan ibn Maajah, vol.2, p.410, no.3389.}
2) Weakens Eeman and Tawheed
By committing ‘riyaa’, a person destroys the very purpose of his creation, since instead of truly worshipping Allaah, he pretends to worship Allaah while seeking to achieve the pleasure and praise of the creation of Allaah.
“And I created not the Jinn and mankind except they should worship me” [Soorah Az-Zariyat (51): 56]
Allaah describes the true believers as those who perform their acts of worship solely for the sake of Allaah, not desiring reward nor thanks from others for their deeds
“And they (the believers) give food, despite their love for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, (saying), ‘We feed you seeking only the Blessings of Allaah’s, We neither wish for reward, nor thanks from you.” [Soorah Insan (76): 8-9]
In direct contrast to this, Allaah says about the hypocrites:
“So woe unto those who perform their prayers (hypocrites), who delay their prayer from its stated time, those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men), and refuse even the smallest kindness.”
{Soorah Al-Maun: (107): 4-7}
3) Increases Misguidance:
There is no doubt that the person who commits riyaa’ has a disease in his heart, and if this disease is not cured, it will lead to further problems. In this regard, Allaah says,
"They (try to) deceive Allaah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves and do not even realise it! In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy), and Allaah has increased their disease….” {Soorah Baqarah (2): 9-10}
4) Deprives Deeds of Blessings:
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has informed in a number of his statements that Allaah will not accept actions done for the sake of others. Mahmood ibn Labeed related that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said,
“Allaah the Exalted, will say (to those who practised riyaa’) when He is taking account of people’s deeds (on the Day of Judgement). ‘Go to those whom you used to show off your deeds to, and see if you will find any reward with them!’ {Sahih at Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, no.29}
5) Prohibits Entrance to Heaven:
Performing righteous acts for human praise can also lead to being barred from entering paradise. Aboo Hurayrah quoted the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as saying,
"Whoever gains any knowledge that should be learnt for the sake of Allaah, (with) the intention of (benefit in) this world will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Judgement.”
{Sunan Abu-Dawud, vol.3, p.1039, no.3656 and Sunan ibn-Majah, vol.1, p.144, no.252.}
F O O T N O T E S
{1} The As-Salaf us-Saalih ( the righteous predecessors ) are defined as the first three generations of Muslims, and, by the extension, all those who followed in their footsteps.
The Cure – Ways to Avoid Riyaa’
1. Increasing Knowledge: One of the cures for the vast majority of the problems Muslims face, is to increase their Knowledge of the religion. As Allaah says in the Final Revelation:
“Indeed, only those who have knowledge among His slaves truly fear Allaah.” [Sooarh Fatir (35): 28]
We must realize that attaining correct knowledge is the duty of every God-fearing Muslim, and not merely the administrators of the religion (Imams, Moulvis).
2.Invocations (Du’aa): Among the strongest repellents of riyaa’ and one of the easiest, is du’aa, Aboo Baker related that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Shirk amongst you is more hidden than the crawling of an ant, and I shall tell you of something which, if you do it, will remove from you both the minor and the major Shirk.
Say: Allaahumma innee a’oothu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lamu wa astagh-firuka limma laa a’lam
(O Allaah, surely I seek refuge in you from knowingly worshipping others besides you and I seek your forgiveness for what I don’t know).” {Sahih al-Jaami, no. 3731.}
Allaah, the Most High says in regards to the above
“Verily, those who are pious, when an evil thought comes to them from Satan, they remember (Allaah), and they see (aright).” {Soorah Al-A’raf (7): 201}
3. Reflection upon Heaven and Hell: Reflection on the Hereafter helps one develop more fear of Allaah, and increases one’s desire to stay away from sins. If a person realises that his purpose in life is not to gain fame and prestige, nor the acceptance or happiness of others, but rather to save himself from Hell and enter Paradise, he will try his utmost to avoid riyaa’.
Allaah says in the Qur’aan:
“So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [Soorah Al-Kahf (18): 110]
General Causes of Riyaa:
Pride: Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) stated that Allaah said:
“Pride is my Cloak and greatness my Robe, so whoever competes with Me, with respect to either of them, I shall cast him into Hell.” {Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1381, no.6349}
Allaah also warned against falling into this category as:
“Do not assume that those who rejoice in what they have done, think not that they are absolved from punishment, (but rather) for them is a painful torment.” [Soorah Al-Imran(3):188]
Show off: “Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He who deceives them. And when they stand up to pray, they stand up with laxness, only to be seen of men, and they hardly remember Allaah at all.” [Soorah An-Nisa (4): 142]
Pleasing Allaah as well as others: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Allaah - the blessed, the transcendent - said, I am the most Self-Sufficient, without need of any associate. So, he who does an action for someone else’s sake, as well as Mine, I will leave him with whoever he associated with Me (i.e. he will get no blessings for that deed whatsoever).” {Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1538, no.7114.}
Clothing: This is the case of a person who does not care for his appearance, dresses shabbily in order to show that he does care for worldly appearance, rather is concerned for the hereafter, Or he may revert to the exact opposite; that is to dress up like a scholar in order to be said of or considered ‘a scholar’ by people.
Allaah says;
And when you look at them, their appearance pleases you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. They are like blocks of wood propped up. They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allaah curse them! How they deviate from the Right Path!” [Soorah Al-Munafiqun (63): 4]
However, to maintain a good appearance for the sake of looking nice, (as opposed to the sake of attracting attention and praise), does not constitute riyaa’.
Other Related Issues:
Unintended Praise: If the people attend a lecture that greatly benefited them, it is likely they will go to the speaker and praise and thank him. This type of praise will not ruin a person’s actions as long as it did effect or alter his intention. AbooTharr al-Ghifaaree asked the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam):
“O Messenger of Allaah! What do you think of a person who does good deeds, and the people praise him for it?” He responded: “This is part of the indications of the blessings of a believer (in store for him in the Hereafter).” {Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1388, no.6388.}
Discouraged to Praise: It is discouraged to praise a person to his face, as this act very easily leads to self-conceit on the part of the person who was praised. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“When you see those who shower praises (on others), throw dust in their faces!” {Sahih al-Bukhari,vol.3, pp.512-3, no.830 & Sahih Muslim,vol.4, p.1542, no.7143}
Conclusion:
The problem with the disease of riyaa’ is that it is not something that a person can detect in himself with ease, making it all more dangerous for the believers. It is, therefore, imperative that all Muslims ask themselves whenever they do any act of worship, “Why am I doing this? Is really to please Allaah, and Allaah alone? Or do I desire the admiration and praise of people?” In conclusion, the following Hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) summarises the blessing of sincerity. Anas bin Maalik mentioned that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“Whoever sets the Hereafter as his goal, Allaah will give him richness of heart, gather his affairs for him (i.e. make things easy for him), and the world will come to him without even his wanting it! And whoever sets this world as his goal, Allaah will make him see his poverty before his very eyes, He will let his affairs become disunited, and nothing will come to him of this world except what Allaah had destined for him.” {Sahih al-Jaami, no.6516 and Sahih Sunan at-Tirmithee, vol. 2, p.300. no.2005}