The student of knowledge constantly monitors his intention in all his actions

With regards to the student of knowledge never ceasing to watch carefully over his niyyah when doing good deeds, the Sheikh Saalih al Fawzaan  حفظه الله mentions after quoting the hadeeth of the first people to be judged on the Day of Resurrection and that they will be cast into the Hell-Fire due to the corrupt intention behind their good deeds^{: 1}

So this (hadeeth) is from that which emphasizes to the Muslim that he must make his intention purely and sincerely for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, whenever he establishes any act from the good deeds, such as prayer and fasting and the Hajj and ‘Umrah, and giving charity, and the seeking of knowledge and teaching it, and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and calling to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic – and other than that.

Therefore, it is befitting that he constantly watch over his intention and that he try to remember his intention in every action he does, in that he makes it purely and sincerely for Allaah and that he drives away ar Riyaa - (doing good deeds for show) from himself. (This is) because the person is a human being, and there occurs to him (the temptations of) showing off and love of being acclaimed and love of being praised.

The Destructive Nature of Showing Off

Showing-off is considered to be from the “concealed shirk”; since the scholars of this nation have explained the two-fold nature of shirk as being “apparent shirk” (such as in open and apparent actions of worshipping idols, tombs, shrines, trees, stones with regards to slaughtering for them or seeking aid or directing supplication to them and other than that), and “concealed shirk” (shirk within the intention of a person, that which resides in his heart and it is concealed from the people and known to Allaah alone).

The word “riyaa” (showing-off) in Arabic is derived from the root word indicating vision or sight, and that is due to the one engaging in it intends that the people see him performing his action, or hear of his actions, in order to obtain their praise or other than that.