Fear of Showing Off (Riyā') and the Deception of Shayṭān
Sheikh Fatḥ Al-Qadasi ḥafidhahullāh says:
Fear of riyā' is one of the gateways through which Shayṭān leads people away from righteousness. He instills in you the fear of riyā' to prevent you from performing good deeds, ultimately depriving you of many acts of worship.
If you are encouraged to give charity, you might refuse, saying, "I fear riyā'." If you are asked to join the congregation and stand in the first row, you might decline, saying, "I fear riyā'." If you are urged to fast, you may hesitate, fearing that people will say, "He is fasting to be seen as pious." If you are called to lead others in prayer, you may refuse, saying, "I fear riyā'."
Such avoidance of acts of worship, one after another, can eventually weaken one's Deen. It makes a person vulnerable to Shayṭan’s influence. Shayṭān likes this type; those who are distanced from goodness and virtue.
What Is the Solution?
The solution is to persist in performing good deeds and to strive against your own inner fears (gains riyā').
Ibn Abī Mulaykah said:
"I met thirty of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and all of them feared hypocrisy for themselves."
Hypocrisy is, in essence, a form of riyā'.
Even ’Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh be pleased with him) once asked Ḥudhayfah:
"I ask you by Allāh, did the Prophet ﷺ count me among the hypocrites?" Ḥudhayfah replied, "No, and I will not commend anyone after you."
This shows that those whom Ibn Abī Mulaykah encountered—despite their fear of riyā' and hypocrisy—were at the forefront of every act of righteousness. They were the leaders, the preachers, the governors, and those through whom Allāh benefitted the people. They were the generous, the worshippers, the ascetics, the righteous, the scholars, and the jurists.
This is the correct understanding: to follow the path of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as Allāh says (interpreted meaning):
"If they believe as you believe, then they have been rightly guided." [Qur’an 2:137]
Do not let Shayṭān deceive you into abandoning goodness, leading others in prayer, or any righteous act out of fear of riyā'.
Instead, continue performing good deeds and strive against your soul.
#Tarbiyah@masjidsahabah
#فوائد_تربوية
Sheikh Fatḥ Al-Qadasi ḥafidhahullāh says:
Fear of riyā' is one of the gateways through which Shayṭān leads people away from righteousness. He instills in you the fear of riyā' to prevent you from performing good deeds, ultimately depriving you of many acts of worship.
If you are encouraged to give charity, you might refuse, saying, "I fear riyā'." If you are asked to join the congregation and stand in the first row, you might decline, saying, "I fear riyā'." If you are urged to fast, you may hesitate, fearing that people will say, "He is fasting to be seen as pious." If you are called to lead others in prayer, you may refuse, saying, "I fear riyā'."
Such avoidance of acts of worship, one after another, can eventually weaken one's Deen. It makes a person vulnerable to Shayṭan’s influence. Shayṭān likes this type; those who are distanced from goodness and virtue.
What Is the Solution?
The solution is to persist in performing good deeds and to strive against your own inner fears (gains riyā').
Ibn Abī Mulaykah said:
"I met thirty of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and all of them feared hypocrisy for themselves."
Hypocrisy is, in essence, a form of riyā'.
Even ’Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh be pleased with him) once asked Ḥudhayfah:
"I ask you by Allāh, did the Prophet ﷺ count me among the hypocrites?" Ḥudhayfah replied, "No, and I will not commend anyone after you."
This shows that those whom Ibn Abī Mulaykah encountered—despite their fear of riyā' and hypocrisy—were at the forefront of every act of righteousness. They were the leaders, the preachers, the governors, and those through whom Allāh benefitted the people. They were the generous, the worshippers, the ascetics, the righteous, the scholars, and the jurists.
This is the correct understanding: to follow the path of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as Allāh says (interpreted meaning):
"If they believe as you believe, then they have been rightly guided." [Qur’an 2:137]
Do not let Shayṭān deceive you into abandoning goodness, leading others in prayer, or any righteous act out of fear of riyā'.
Instead, continue performing good deeds and strive against your soul.
#Tarbiyah@masjidsahabah
#فوائد_تربوية
