Ar-Riya (Showing Off)

Sheikh Salim al-Hilaali حفظه الله

Ar-Riya is censured in the Book and the Sunnah. From them is the Statement of Allaah سبحانه و تعالى:

"So woe to the worshippers, who are neglectful of their prayers. Those who want to be seen (by men)."

[Al-Ma'un 107:4-6]

As for the ahadith, some of them have already been mentioned in the chapter of shirk, since ar-Riya is the minor shirk. Some will be mentioned here, insha'Allaah.

Know O Muslim, O slave of Allaah, that the word riya is taken from the word ruyah (to be seen). So the one to be seen is viewed by the people as one seeking self-esteem amongst them. So at times one would seek self-esteem by one's actions in this world.

Riya is of many types and forms, its nature and tendency is that it invalidates the actions as stated in the Book and the sunnah. Allaah سبحانه و تعالى says:

"Like those who spend from their wealth to be seen by men, and they do not believe in Allaah and the Last Day. Their example is like the example of a hard rock on which is a little soil, then on it falls heavy rain which flows off it and they will not be able to do anything with whatever they have earned and Allaah does not guide the disbelieving people."

[Al-Baqarah 2:264]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said:

"What I fear for you the most is the minor shirk, that is ar-riya. Allaah will say on the Day of Judgement when He is rewarding the people for their actions: Go to those for whom you did riya for in the world then see if you find the reward with them."

[Related by Ahmad (5/428, 429) and al-Baghawi in Sharh as-Sunnah (4135) from the hadith of Mahmud bin Lubayd, رضي الله عنه, with an authentic chain upon the conditions of Muslim]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said:

"Shall I not inform you of what I fear for you more than the Masih ad-Dajjal? It is the hidden shirk. It is when a man stands up for prayer, then beautifies his prayer for another to look at."

Devil entering via a Person Yawning

The son of Abu Said al-Khudri reported on the authority of his father that Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: "When one of you yawns, he should keep his mouth shut with the help of his hand, for it is the devil that enters therein."

📕 Sahih Muslim: Book 42: The Book of Abstinence & Heart-Melting Narrations) – Chapter 09: Sneezing & the Disapproval of Yawning – Hadith 7130

A common complaint.... a one of a kind answer

Imaam Ibnu Taymiyyah رحمه الله تعالى was asked,

"What is the cure for a person who has been gripped with illness? A person who is in the clasp of destruction? What does a person do if he has been overcome by laziness? How can I be a person who is assisted by Allaah? What is the solution for a person who has been defeated by confusion, for whenever he tries turning to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى his desires prevent him and whenever he seeks to be productive, failure haunts him?"

The Imaam رحمه الله تعالى responded,

دواؤه الالتجاء إِلَى الله ودوام التضرع وَالدُّعَاء بِأَن يتَعَلَّم الْأَدْعِيَة المأثورة ويتوخى الدُّعَاء فِي مظان الْإِجَابَة مثل آخر اللَّيْل وأوقات الْأَذَان وَالْإِقَامَة وَفِي سُجُوده وَفِي أدبار الصَّلَوَات

"His cure is to turn to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and continue pleading with Him in Du'aah by learning the Du'aah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and to carefully choose the times when Du'aah is answered, like the last part of the night, and between the call for prayer and Iqaama, and during prostration, and after prayer.."

وَيضم إِلَى ذَلِك الاسْتِغْفَار فَإِنَّهُ من اسْتغْفر الله ثمَّ تَابَ إِلَيْهِ متعه مَتَاعا حسنا إِلَى أجل مُسَمّى

"He should add to this Istighfaar (asking Allaah for forgiveness), for a person who does this and is subsequently forgiven, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى will give him a life of enjoyment until an appointed time."

وليتخذ وردا من الْأَذْكَار طرفِي النَّهَار وَوقت النّوم وليصبر على مَا يعرض لَهُ من الْمَوَانِع والصوارف فَإِنَّهُ لَا يلبث أَن يُؤَيّدهُ الله بِروح مِنْهُ وَيكْتب الْإِيمَان فِي قلبه

"Let him also adopt a portion of remembrances in the morning and evening and before falling asleep, and let him patiently resist the matters that prevent and distract him from doing this, for it will only be a matter of time before Allaah will start sending him assistance from Him and will write 'imaan within his heart."

When your sleep....

Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) narrated that Allaah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said,

"During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, 'The night is, long, so keep on sleeping.' If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allaah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and gay, otherwise he gets up dull and gloomy."

{Bukhari Vol.4 : No.491}

What is 'real success'??

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Sheikh Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn رحمه الله said:

"Success is not attaining something from the dunya, (real) success is to be saved from Hellfire and entering Jannah."

● [شرح صحيح البخاري ٢٨٩/٨]

Treat other kindly

Imaam ibnul Qayyim (رحمه الله تعالى)

"The person who treats others kindly and thinks well of them, will find that his intention will remain true, he will feel at ease, his heart will be sound and Allaah will protect him from evil and calamity."

📘Madarij as-Salikeen 2/511

Rejecting The Truth

قال شيخ الإسلام (رحمه الله) فإن الإنسان قد يعرف أن الحق مع غيره ومع هذا يجحد ذلك لحسده إياه, أو لطلب علوه عليه أو لهوى النفس, ويحمله ذلك الهوى على أن يعتدي عليه ويرد ما يقول بكل طريق وهو في قلبه يعلم أن الحق معه

 

**Sheikh-ul-Islaam (رحمه الله تعالى):

"So indeed a person may know that the truth is with other than him and, in spite of this, he rejects that due to his envy of him or due to seeking to be above him or due to the desire of the soul. And that desire causes him to transgress against him, reject that which he says by any way whilst in his heart, he knows that the truth is with him."
**Source: Majmoo al Fataawa, vol. 7, pg. 191

The virtues of Qur'aan



Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq sent for me when the people of Yamama had been killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet’s Companions who fought against Musailama).

 
(I went to him) and found ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), “Umar has come to me and said: “Casualties were heavy among the Qurra’ of the! Qur'aan (i.e. those who knew the Quran by heart) on the day of the Battle of Yalmama, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur'aan may be lost. Therefore I suggest, you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur'aan be collected.”

I said to ‘Umar, “How can you do something which Allaah’s Apostle did not do?”

‘Umar said, “By Allaah, that is a good project. “Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allaah opened my chest for it and I began to realize the good in the idea which ‘Umar had realized.”

 
Then Abu Bakr said (to me). ‘You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allaah’s Apostle. So you should search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur'aan and collect it in one book).”

 
By Allaah If they had ordered me to shift one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur'aan.

Then I said to Abu Bakr, “How will you do something which Allaah’s Apostle did not do?”

Lessons for the seeker of knowledge

 
✒Some Etiquettes To Adhere To When Jotting Down Points Of Benefits
  *Remember that writing down knowledge is a virtuous act of worship if the person is sincere.

*Write one’s full name and Kunyah along with one’s contact information in case his notebook is lost.

 

Make an index and headlines accordingly and write before a subject the word “Bismillah”.

 
*Summarize lengthy points of benefits along with preserving the full version.

 
*Do not write in pencil unless the benefit will be rewritten in pen and preserved.

 
*Avoid highlighting words by underlining them as has been advised by the scholars.

Trials

 

 Ibn Rajab رحمه الله تعالى said…

"Waiting patiently for the time of ease is Ibaadah…⌛

Verily Trials & Afflictions Don't Last Forever..💧"
مجموع رسائل ابن رجب..155/3