Bismillah wa salaatu wa salaamu 'ala nabiyyinaa Muhammad, wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, wa ash hadu an laa ilaha illa Allah wa ash hadu ana Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluhu, salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam, wa ba'd:
Brothers/Sisters in Islam:
The intent of this article is to discuss one of the signs of Nifaaq or hypocrisy, that sign being Ar-Riyaa. May Allah open our hearts and cause us to benefit, Ameen.
Allah (SWT) has described the Munaffiqoon in the Qur'an as follows (what means):
"Among men are those who say: 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day', but they do not actually believe. They (think) that they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive their own souls. In their hearts is a disease so Allah has increased them in their disease and for them is a mighty punishment for the lies they used to tell." [Al-Baqarah: 8-10].
Allah (SWT) has also said (what means):
"And be not like those who say, 'We have heard', yet, they hear not!" [Al-Anfaal: 21].
Perhaps one of the most dangerous and tempting signs of Nifaaq is Ar-Riyaa or Showing Off. Indeed, we know that the one who is guilty of this type of Nifaaq is one who remembers his Lord very little. Rather, he remembers mankind much more instead. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an (what means):
"When they stand for the prayer, they stand with laziness, ONLY TO BE SEEN OF MEN, but they do not hold Allah in remembrance except a little." [An-Nisaa: 142].
We can see that the people guilty of Ar-Riyaa are those people who only come to the prayer so that brothers & sisters may say of them: Look at this brother/sister who comes to the prayer, he/she is always here, what a magnificent Muslim. They have no real desire to stand before Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in awe as they have been commanded. Rather, they stand before Allah with laziness, having absolutely no Khushoo' (humility) in their prayer. These are the people who remember Allah (SWT) very little, and it is obvious in their actions.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"He who allows the people to hear of his good deeds intentionally to win their praise, Allah will allow the people to know his real intention (i.e. on the Day of Judgement) and he who does good things in public to show off and win the praise of people, Allah will disclose his real intention and humiliate him (i.e. on the Day of Judgement)." [Al-Bukharee & Muslim].
This Hadeeth is a clear warning to those people who only do good in order to gain the praise of the people. When this type of brother is in the Masjid alone with his wealth, he gives none of it to the house of Allah, yet, when others are present, he gives in abundance so as to be seen of men. When this type of sister is alone, away from the Muslims, she roams the streets mixing with men and abandoning her shield from the wrath of Allah (i.e. her Hijaab), yet, when she gathers with the women of Islam, she comes to them in full Hijaab. These types of people forget that Allah (SWT) said in His Book (what means):
"Indeed, Allah is an All-Watcher over you." (An-Nisaa 4:1)
The illustrious Sahabi, Abu Hurairah (RA), narrated that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"People will come on the Day of Judgement with good deeds like the mountains of Tihaamah and Allah will make their deeds like scattered dust." The Sahabah asked, "Will they not be Muslims?" He (SAW) replied: "Of course! They will have prayed as you pray, they will have fasted as you fast, they will have spent in charity from their excess wealth and will have given their portion to the night (i.e. in Salaatu Tahajjud); however, WHEN THEY WERE ALONE THEY WOULD VIOLATE THE SANCUTARY OF ALLAH (i.e. fall into the Haraam)." [Collected by Ibn Maajah from Thawbaan and authenticated by Shaikh Al-Albaanee in his Saheeh Ibnu Maajah, #3423].
Allah (SWT) has blessed us with many lessons from this Hadeeth. Among them are that the hearts of the Sahabah were pure. We can see that upon hearing that these people, whose deeds have been piled high like that of a mountain, will have their deeds destroyed before Allah (SWT), they automatically inquired about their Deen for they could not imagine that a Muslim would fall into such a category. Yet, the Prophet (SAW) told them that these people will be Muslim for sure, that they will have in fact acted as they acted. This Hadeeth serves as a warning to those who feel that as long as they gather good deeds in front of the people, then Allah (SWT) will accept them even if they trespass into the forbidden when they are alone.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"Allah will say on the Day of Judgement: 'I am free of having any partners and from having anything associated with Me. Whoever associates (partners) with Me in any action, I will abandon him and his association of Me." [Saheeh Muslim].
This is a clear warning against Shirk in all of its types. The following Hadeeth shows us that Ar-Riyaa or showing off is indeed nothing else except Shirk.
Imaam Ahmad (r) reports in his Musnad that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said:
"Ar-Riyaa (showing off) is (a form of) Shirk (associating partners with Allah)."
The Salaf As-Saalih (Righteous Predecessors) used to cry out of their fear from Ar-Riyaa. They would complain to Allah, their Master and Protector, that He should cleanse and free them from Ar-Riyaa.
Now that we have discussed the dangers of Ar-Riyaa, having established that it is a sign of Nifaaq and a form of Shirk, we must discuss some steps which will enable us to gaurd our hearts from Ar-Riyaa.
Step One: To know that none has the power to give benefit and/or inflict harm, except Allah (SWT); that none can cause or prevent illness and bring about healing except Allah (SWT); none who can give a life or cause death except Allah; none who can give provision or withold it except Allah (SWT); none who can give reward for any action or inflict punishment for any action except Allah (SWT)!
Step Two: To know that the creation is limited in its ability and that they cannot do any of the above mentioned actions, except by Allah's (SWT) Permission!
Before discussing step three, I want to add here that steps one and two are obvious for the one who truly knows his Lord's Tawheed. Wa Allahi, if the people had not abandoned the study and implimentation of Tawheed, then they would not have fallen into Ar-Riyaa, wa Allahu 'alam. Were one to have internalized the aspect of Tawheed Ar-Ruboobeeyah (the Tawheed of Allah's Lordship), then that person would have known that it is Allah (SWT) Who is the Lord of the creation and consequently, it is only Allah (SWT) Who can assist him; thus, they would not have shown off in order to gain the praise and assistance of the people. If they had know the aspect of Tawheed Al-'Ebaadah (the Tawheed of Allah's Worship), then they would have understood that directing their deeds to other than Allah (SWT) would be fruitless for it is only Allah (SWT) Who can reward or punish and surely He does not accept that partners be set up with Him. If they would have known the aspect of Tawheed Al-Asmaa Wa Sifaat (the Tawheed of Allah's Names and Attributes), then they would have known that He is Ar-Razzaaq or the One Who Provides and Al-Fattaah or the One Who Opens A Way, and they would not have shown off in front of the people, but rather they would have called upon their Lord by His most glorious Names.
Yet, we find that the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa'ah (i.e. the people who adhere to the Qur'an and authenticated Sunnah in accordance with the understanding of the Salaf As-Saalih) are always being attacked for focusing "too much" upon this Tawheed. How strange! Certainly the Prophet (SAW) spent the first thirteen years of his Prophethood explaining the details of Tawheed and that constituted the majority of his Prophethood. We have seen how the abandonment of the study and digestation of Tawheed leads to Nifaaq and Shirk; thus, how can the people make such an ignorant claim (i.e. that focusing on Tawheed all of the time is counterproductive to the Da'wah)? Rather, focusing on Tawheed is from the authentic Sunnah, and we say as Al-Ameerul Mu'mineen Al-Farooq Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) used to declare:
LET THE SUNNAH GO FORTH AND DON'T STOP IT WITH OPINIONS!
Step Three: To call upon Allah (SWT) with this beautiful Du'a which the Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to say and teach his Sahabah as reported by Imaam Ahmad (r) in his Musnad (what means):
"O Allah! I seek refuge with You from knowingly associating anything with You and I seek forgiveness from You for that which I am unaware of."
May Allah (SWT) protect us from this horrible form of Nifaaq and all others, Ameen.
FURTHER READING: 30 Signs Of The Hypocrites, revised edition, by Aa'id bin 'Abdullah Al-Qarnee. Published by Al-Irshaad, UK.
Information Provided By
Abu 'Abdul-Fattaah Salaah bin Bernard Brooks