Forty authentic hadiths on the virtue of sincerity and the condemnation of ostentation

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه من يهده الله فلا مضل له : ومن يضلل فلا هادي له وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله . أما بعد

● CHAPTER ON THE VIRTUE OF SINCERITY AND REFORMING THE INTENTION

◈ Explanation of the virtue of sincerity and reforming the intention

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:﴿وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ﴾

❀ Allah Almighty has said:

“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion.”

وَقَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلْ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ یُوْحٰۤى اِلَیَّ اَنَّمَاۤ اِلٰهُكُمْ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ-فَمَنْ كَانَ یَرْجُوْا لِقَآءَ رَبِّهٖ فَلْیَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَّ لَا یُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهٖۤ اَحَدًا﴾

❀ Allah Almighty has said:

“Say, ‘I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.'”

◈ Hadith 1:

﴿عن عمر بن الخطاب، قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: إنما الأعمال بالنية ، وإنما لامريء ما نوى، فمن كانت هجرته إلى الله ورسوله، فهجرته إلى الله ورسوله ، ومن كانت هجرته لدنيا يصيبها ، أو امرأة يتزوجها ، فهجرته إلى ما هاجر اليه﴾

It is narrated from Hazrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended. Whoever migrates for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, then his migration is for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration is for that for which he migrated.

◈ Hadith 2:

﴿وعن نافع بن جبير بن مطعم قال: حدثتني عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله ﷺ: يغرو جيش الكعبة فإذا كانوا ببيداء من الأرض يخسف بأولهم وآخرهم ، قالت: قلت: يا رسول الله كيف يخسف بأولهم وآخرهم ، وفيهم أسواقهم ومن ليس منهم؟ قال: يخسف بأولهم وآخرهم ثم يبعثون على نياتهم.﴾

And Nafi’ bin Jubair bin Mut’im narrated that Sayyida Aisha (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Near the Day of Judgment, an army will attack the Kaaba. When they reach the place called Bada, all of them from beginning to end will be swallowed by the earth. Hazrat Aisha (RA) narrated that I said, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! How will they be swallowed from beginning to end while their markets will be there and there will be people who are not part of those soldiers? You said that yes! All of them will be swallowed from beginning to end, then they will be raised according to their intentions.

◈ Hadith 3:

﴿وعن عبيد الله ابن القبطية قال: دخل الحارث بن أبى ربيعةوعبد الله بن صفوان وأنا معهما على أم سلمة أم المؤمنين فسألاها عن الجيش الذى يخسف به ، وكان ذلك فى أيام ابن الزبير، فقالت: قال رسول الله ﷺ: يعوذ عائد بالبيت فيبعث إليه بعث ، فإذا كانوا ببيداء من الأرض خسف بهم. فقلت يا رسول الله فكيف بمن كان كارها؟ قال: يخسف معهم ولكنه يبعث يوم القيامة على نيته .﴾

And Ubaidullah bin Qabtiyah narrates that Harith bin Abi Rabi’ah, Abdullah bin Safwan, and I came to Umm al-Mu’minin Umm Salamah (RA). Both of them asked Umm al-Mu’minin about the army that will be swallowed, and this was during the caliphate of Abdullah bin Zubair (RA). She narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

A refugee will take refuge in the Sacred House of Allah. So an army will be sent to fight him, and suddenly he will be overwhelmed near a place called Bidaa near Madinah Munawwarah. I asked, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, what will happen to the one who is forcibly included in the army? The Prophet ﷺ said:

He will also be overwhelmed with them, but on the Day of Judgment, he will be raised according to his intention.

◈ Hadith 4:

﴿وعن أبى هريرةؓ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: إن الله لا ينظر إلى صوركم ، واموالكم ، ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم وأعمالكم .﴾

And Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Allah does not look at your appearances or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.

◈ Hadith 5:

﴿وعن أبى أمامة الباهلي قال: جاء رجل إلى النبى ﷺ فقال: أرأيت رجلا غزا يلتمس الأجر والذكر ماله؟ فقال رسول الله ﷺ شيء له ، فأعادها ثلاث مرات ، يقول له رسول الله ﷺ: لا شيء له ثم قال: إن الله لا يقبل من العمل إلا ما كان له خالصا وابتغي به وجهه﴾

And Hazrat Abu Umamah Bahili (RA) narrates that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, “Tell us about the one who fights for reward and fame, what will he get?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

He will get nothing. The man repeated this question three times, and each time the Prophet ﷺ replied that he will get nothing. Then he said:

Allah only accepts that deed which is sincere and done solely for His pleasure.

◈ Hadith 6:

﴿وعن ابن عمر رضى الله عنهما أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: بينما ثلاثة نفر ممن كان قبلكم يمشون إذ أصابهم مطر ، فأووا إلى غار فانطبق عليهم ، فقال بعضهم لبعض إنه والله يا هؤلاء لا ينجيكم إلا الصدق ، فليدع كل رجل منكم بما يعلم أنه قد صدق فيه . فقال واحد منهم اللهم إن كنت تعلم أنه كان لي أجير عمل لى على فرق من أرة ، فذهب وتركه وأنى عمدت إلى ذلك الفرق فزرعته، فصار من أمره أني اشتريت منه بقرا ، وأنه أتاني يطلب أجره، فقلت له: اعمد إلى تلك البقر فسقها ، فقال لي: إنما لي عندك فرق من أرة فقلت له: اعمد إلى تلك البقر ، فإنها من ذلك الفرق . فساقها فإن كنت تعلم أني فعلت ذلك من خشيتك ففرج عنا فانساحت عنهم الصخرة. فقال الآخر: اللهم إن كنت تعلم أنه كان لي أبوان شيخان كبيران ، فكنت آتيهما كل ليلة بلبن غنم لي ، فأبطأت عليهما ليلة، فجئت وقد رقدا وأهلي وعيالى يتضاغون من الجوع، فكنت لا أسقيهم حتى يشرب أبواى، فكرهت أن أوقظهما ، وكرهت أن أدعهما فيستكنا لشربتهما ، فلم أزل أنتظر حتى طلع الفجر . فإن كنت تعلم أني فعلت ذلك من خشيتك ففرج عنا . فانساحت عنهم الصخرة حتى نظروا إلى السماء فقال الآخر: اللهم إن كنت تعلم أنه كان لي ابنة عم من أحب الناس ، إلى وأنى راودتها عن نفسها فأبت إلا أن آتيها بمائة دينار ، فطلبتها حتى قدرت ، فأتيتها بها فدفعتها إليها فأمكنتني من نفسها ، فلما فعدت بين رجليها فقالت اتق الله ولا تفض الخاتم إلا بحقه، فقمت وتركت المائة الدينار . فإن كنت تعلم أني فعلت ذلك من خشيتك ففرج عنا ، ففرج الله عنهم فخرجوا .﴾

And Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

In the past, three men from the Children of Israel were traveling on a road when suddenly it started raining. The three of them entered a cave in a mountain. When they went inside, the mouth of the cave closed. Then the three of them said to each other, “By Allah, now only truthfulness can save us from this calamity.” It is better that each person now describes some deed which he is certain was done purely for the pleasure of Allah and prays accordingly. So one of them prayed like this: O Allah! You know well that I had hired a laborer who worked for me for a wage of one qirath (three sa’) of rice, but that person (in anger) left and abandoned his rice. Then I took that one qirath of rice and cultivated it. So much came from it that I bought cows and oxen from the produce. After a long time, that same person came to me asking for his wage. I said, “These cows and oxen are here, take them.” He said, “I was only supposed to have one qirath of rice from you.” I said to him, “Take all these cows and oxen because they are the income from that one qirath.” Finally, he took the cows and oxen and left. So O Allah! If You know that I did this honesty only out of fear of You, then open the mouth of the cave. At that moment, the stone moved a little. Then the second person prayed like this: O Allah! You know well that when my parents became old, I used to serve them by bringing and feeding them the milk of my goats every night. One day, by chance, I came late and they had already fallen asleep. Meanwhile, my wife and children were crying from hunger, but it was my habit that until I fed my parents the milk, I would not give it to my wife and children. I neither liked to wake them nor to leave it (because this was their evening meal and not drinking it made them weak). So I waited there until morning came. So if in Your knowledge I did this deed out of fear of You, then relieve our difficulty. At that moment, the stone moved a little more and now the sky became visible. Then the third person prayed like this: O Allah! I had a cousin sister who was most beloved to me. Once I wanted to be with her, she refused but agreed on the condition that I give her a silver coin (sawa sharfi). I tried to get this amount. Finally, I got it and came to her and handed over the amount. She gave me control over herself. When I sat between her two feet, she said, “Fear Allah and do not break the dowry without right.” I (upon hearing this) stood up and did not take back the silver coin. So if in Your knowledge I did this deed out of fear of You, then ease our difficulty. Allah Almighty relieved their difficulty and the three came out.

◈ Hadith 7:

﴿وعن أبى بن كعب قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: بشر هذه الأمة بالسناء والرفعة والدين والنصر والتمكين فى الأرض. وهو يشك فى السادسة. قال فمن عمل منهم عمل الآخرة للدنيا لم يكن له فى الآخرة من نصيب .﴾

Sheikh Hamza Zain called it “Sahih al-Isnad.”

And Hazrat Abi bin Ka’b (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

Give glad tidings to this Ummah of brightness (elevation), exaltation, religion, victory, and authority on earth, and they have doubts about the sixth. He said whoever performs the deeds of the Hereafter for the world among these will receive reward in the Hereafter.

◈ Hadith 8:

﴿وعن أبى هريرة أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: يقول الله: إذا أراد عبدى أن يعمل سيئة فلا تكتبوها عليه حتى يعملها، فإن عملها فاكتبوها بمثلها ، وإن تركها من أجلى فاكتبوها له حسنة ، وإذا أراد أن يعمل حسنة فلم يعملها فاكتبوها له حسنة ، فإن عملها فاكتبوها له بعشر أمثالها إلى سبع مائة ضعف.﴾

And Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Noble Messenger (PBUH) said:

Allah Almighty says that when My servant intends to do an evil deed, do not record it against him until he actually does it. When he does it, then record it as one evil deed. But if he refrains from it out of fear of Me, then record for him one good deed. And if a servant intends to do a good deed, then record for him one good deed for the intention alone. And if he actually performs that good deed, then record ten such good deeds for him.

◈ Hadith 9:

﴿وحدثنا أبو هريرة عن محمد رسول الله ﷺ فذكر أحاديث منها قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: قال الله عز وجل: إذا تحدث : عبدى بأن يعمل حسنة فأنا أكتبها له حسنة ما لم يعمل . فإذا عملها فأنا أكتبها بعشر أمثالها . وإذا تحدث بأن يعمل سيئة فأنا أغفرها له ما لم يعملها فإذا عملها فأنا أكتبها له بمثلها . وقال رسول الله ﷺ: قالت الملائكة: رب ذاك عبدك يريد أن يعمل سيئة وهو أبصر به فقال: ارقبوه فإن عملها فاكتبوها له بمثلها ، وإن تركها فاكتبوها له حسنة ، إنما تركها من جرائي﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Allah Almighty says that when My servant intends and has the intention to do a good deed, I write down one good deed for him even before he performs the action. If he performs it, I write ten times its reward. And when he intends to do an evil deed, as long as he does not commit that evil, I forgive him. If he commits the evil deed, I write only one sin for it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

The angels say, “O Lord! This servant intends to do evil,” (while Allah knows better about his matter). Allah Almighty says:

“Wait for him and give him respite. If he commits the evil, write one sin for it. And if he abandons that evil and turns away from it, write one good deed for him because he abandoned this sin for My sake.”

◈ Hadith 10:

﴿وعن زيد بن ثابت قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: نضر الله امرأ سمع منا حديثا فحفظه حتى يبلغه غيره، فإنه رب حامل فقه ليس بفقيه ، ورب حامل فقه إلى من هو أفقه منه ثلاث خصال لا يغل عليهن قلب مسلم أبدا ، إخلاص العمل لله، ومناصحة ولاة الأمر ، ولزوم الجماعة فإن دعوتهم تحيط من ورائهم . وقال: من كان همه الآخرة جمع الله شمله .﴾

Sheikh Hamza Zain has called it “Sahih al-Isnad.”

And Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (RA) narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

May Allah keep fresh the face of the servant who listens to our Hadith, memorizes it well, and then conveys it to others. Because some people who carry the matters of religion may not fully understand them, and among those who understand, there are others who are more knowledgeable. There are three qualities such that no Muslim’s heart is stingy towards them, meaning he performs them with happiness and satisfaction.

1. Sincerity in actions for the sake of Allah Almighty.

2. Well-wishing for the rulers and authorities.

3. Adherence to the Muslim community. (Thus, one will be deserving of their prayers) because their prayers include all members of the community. And you ﷺ said:

Whoever’s intention and purpose is only the Hereafter, Allah will remove all his worries and difficulties and make his circumstances good and favorable.

◈ Hadith 11:

﴿وعن زيد بن ثابت قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: نضر الله امرأ سمع منا حديثا فحفظه حتى يبلغه غيره، فإنه رب حامل فقه ليس بفقيه ، ورب حامل فقه إلى من هو أفقه منه ثلاث خصال لا يغل عليهن قلب مسلم أبدا ، إخلاص العمل لله، ومناصحة ولاة الأمر ، ولزوم الجماعة فإن دعوتهم تحيط من ورائهم . وقال: من كان همه الآخرة جمع الله شمله .﴾

And Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Indeed, Allah likes three things for you and dislikes three things. He likes for you to worship Him and not associate anyone with Him, and for all of you to hold firmly to the rope of Allah together and not be divided into sects. He dislikes for you excessive arguing (vain talk), excessive questioning, and wasting wealth.

● Chapter: Sincerity Prevents Entry into the Fire

◈ Statement that sincerity protects from the fire of Hell

◈ Hadith 12:

﴿وعن عمرو يعني ابن دينار قال: سمعت جابر بن عبد الله يقول: أنا من شهد معاذا حين حضرته الوفاة يقول: اكشفوا عنى سجف القبة أحدثكم حديثا سمعته من رسول الله ﷺ، وقال مرة: أخبركم بشيء سمعته من رسول الله ﷺ لم يمنعني أن أحدثكم إلا أن تتكلوا سمعته يقول: من شهد لا إله إلا الله مخلصا من قلبه أو يقينا من قلبه لم يدخل النار ، أو دخل الجنة ، وقال مرة: دخل الجنة ولم تمسسه النار .﴾

Sheikh Hamza Zain has called it “authentic chain of narration.”

And it is narrated from Hazrat Amr bin Dinar that I heard Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه say that I was among those who were present at the time of Mu’adh رضي الله عنه‘s death. He said, “Remove the curtain of the tent from me because I will tell you a hadith that I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Only this prevented me from telling you earlier, lest you rely upon it.” I heard him ﷺ say: Whoever testifies with a sincere heart and firm belief that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that He alone deserves all forms of worship, will enter Paradise, and the fire of Hell will not touch him.

● Degrees of Showing Off (Riya)

◈ Showing Off for Anyone Other Than Allah

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿اِنَّ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ یُخٰدِعُوْنَ اللّٰهَ وَ هُوَ خَادِعُهُمْۚ-وَ اِذَا قَامُوْۤا اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ قَامُوْا كُسَالٰىۙ-یُرَآءُوْنَ النَّاسَ وَ لَا یَذْكُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ اِلَّا قَلِیْلًا﴾

❀ Allah Almighty has said:

“Indeed, these hypocrites deceive Allah, but Allah will deceive them in return. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing off to people and remembering Allah only a little.”

◈ Hadith 13:

﴿وعن أنس بن مالك ، قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول : تلك صلوة المنافق ، يجلس يرقب الشمس ، حتى إذا كانت بين قرنى الشيطان قام فنقرها أربعا ، لا يذكر الله فيها إلا قليلا .﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Anas bin Malik (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

This is the prayer of a hypocrite who waits for the sun to set, until when the sun is between the two horns of Satan, he stands up and prays on all fours, mentioning Allah very little in it.

Pretentiousness and Showing Off in Worship

◈ Hadith 14:

﴿وعن محمود ابن لبيد، قال: خرج النبى ﷺ فقال: يأيها الناس إياكم وشرك السرائر . قالوا: يا رسول الله وما شرك السرائر؟ قال: يقوم الرجل فيصلي ، فيزين صلاته جاهدا لما يرىٰ من نظر الناس إليه فذلك شرك السرائر .﴾

And Sayyiduna Mahmood bin Lubeed (RA) says that one day the Prophet (ﷺ) came and said:

O people! Beware of hidden shirk (polytheism). The Companions (RA) said:

O Messenger of Allah! What is hidden shirk? You ﷺ said: If a person stands to pray and begins his prayer, and then, feeling that people are looking at him, he starts to perform his prayer in a better way, then this is hidden shirk.

● Causes of Showing Off

◈ Greed for Status and Glory

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْاٰخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِیْنَ لَا یُرِیْدُوْنَ عُلُوًّا فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ لَا فَسَادًاؕ-وَ الْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِیْنَ﴾

❀ Allah Almighty has said:

“We appoint the abode of the Hereafter for those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.”

◈ Hadith 15:

﴿وعن أبى موسى قال: جاء رجل إلى النبى ﷺ فقال: الرجل يقاتل حمية ، ويقاتل شجاعة ، ويقاتل رياء ، ف أى ذالك فى سبيل الله؟ قال: من قاتل لتكون كلمة الله هي العليا فهو فى سبيل الله .﴾

And Hazrat Abu Musa Ash’ari (RA) narrates that a person came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:

Some people fight out of zeal and honor, some fight out of bravery, and some fight to show off, so which of these is in the way of Allah? The Prophet ﷺ said:

Whoever fights to raise the word of Allah, then he is indeed in the way of Allah.

◈ Hadith 16:

﴿وعن عبد الرحمن بن سمرة قال قال النبى : يا عبد الرحمن لا تسأل الإمارة ، فإنك إن أوتيتها عن مستلة وكلت إليها ، وإن أوتيتها عن غير مستلة أعنت عليها .﴾

And Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Samrah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

O Abdur Rahman! Never ask for leadership (a position), because if it is given to you upon request, then you will be entrusted with it, and if it is given to you without asking, then Allah will help you in it.

◈ Hadith 17:

﴿وعن أبى هريرةؓ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: يقول الله سبحانه: الكبرياء ردائي، والعظمة إزاري ، فمن نازعني واحدا منهما ألقيته فى جهنم﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Allah Almighty says that Majesty is My cloak, and Greatness is My waistband, so whoever wants to associate with Me in either of these two attributes, I will throw him into Hell.

◈ Hadith 18:

﴿وعن أبى هريرةؓ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: أخنى الأسماء يوم القيامة عند الله رجل تسمى: بملك الأملاك ولا مالك إلا الله .﴾

(The words in parentheses لَا مَالِكَ إِلَّا الله are from Sahih Muslim.)

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

On the Day of Resurrection, the most disliked and worst name in the sight of Allah Almighty will be the one who calls himself “مَلِكُ الاملاك” (Emperor), because لا مَالِكَ إِلَّا الله there is no owner except Allah Almighty.

◈ Showing off in knowledge

◈ Hadith 19:

﴿وعن أبى هريرةؓ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: من تعلم علما مما يبتغى به وجه الله ، لا يتعلمه إلا ليصيب به عرضا فى الدنيا، لم يجد عرف الجنة يوم القيامة .﴾

Muhaddith Albani has graded it as “Sahih”.

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Whoever acquires the knowledge through which the pleasure of Allah Almighty is attained, solely for the purpose of gaining worldly wealth and possessions, such a person will not even get the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Judgment.

◈ Hadith 20:

﴿وعن جابر بن عبد اللهؓ أن النبى ﷺ قال : لا تعلموا العلم لتباهوا به العلماء ، ولا لتماروا به السفهاء ، ولا لتخيروا به المجالس ، فمن فعل ذلك فالنار النار .﴾

Ibn Hibban and Hakim have declared it “Sahih” (authentic).

And it is narrated from Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

Do not learn knowledge to boast over the scholars, nor learn it to argue with the foolish and ignorant, nor seek gatherings of honor through this knowledge, because whoever does so, for him is nothing but fire.

◈ Hadith 21:

﴿وعن أبى هريرةؓ فقال له ناتل أهل الشام: أيها الشيخ حدتنا حديثا سمعته من رسول الله ﷺ، قال: نعم سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: إن اول الناس يقضى يوم القيامة عليه رجل استشهد ، فأتي به فعرفه نعمه ، فعرفها قال فما عملت فيها؟ قال: قاتلت فيك حتى استشهدت . قال : كذبت ، ولكنك قاتلت لان يقال: جريء ، فقد قيل . ثم أمر به ، فسحب على وجهه ، حتى ألقي فى النار، ورجل تعلم العلم ، وعلمه ، وقرا القرآن، فأتي به ، فعرفه نعمه ، فعرفها، قال: فما عملت فيها؟ قال: تعلمت العلم، وعلمته ، وقرأت فيك القرآن قال: كذبت ، ولكثك تعلمت العلم ليقال: عالم، وقرأت القرآن ليقال: هو قاري، فقد قيل . ثم أمر به ، فسحب على وجهه ، حتى ألقي فى النار ، ورجل وسع الله عليه، واعطاه من أصناف المال كله ، فأتي به ، فعرفه نعمه ، فعرفها ، قال فما عملت فيها؟ قال: ما تركت من سبيل تحب أن ينفق فيها إلا أنفقت فيها لك قال: كذبت ، ولكثك فعلت ليقال: هو جواد ، فقد قيل . ثم أمر به ، فسحب على وجهه ، ثم ألقي فى النار .﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) that Naatil (bin Qais Jazami, chief of the people of Sham) said to him:

Sheikh! Tell me a hadith that you heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

On the Day of Resurrection, the very first person against whom judgment will be passed is the one who was martyred. He will be presented. Allah Almighty will make him recognize His (bestowed) blessings, and he will recognize them. He will be asked, “What did you do with these blessings?” He will say:

I fought in Your path until I was martyred. Allah Almighty will say, “You lied. You fought so that it would be said:

This person is brave.” And that was said. Then a decree will be passed, and this man will be dragged on his face until he is thrown into the fire. And the man who learned knowledge, taught it, and recited the Qur’an will be presented. Allah Almighty will make him recognize the blessings of water, and he will recognize them. He will be asked:

What did you do with these blessings? He will say:

I studied knowledge and taught it, and recited the Quran for Your sake, (Allah) will say:

You lied, you studied knowledge so that it would be said (he) is a scholar, and you recited the Quran so that it would be said:

He is a reciter. It will be said, then a judgment will be passed on him, he will be dragged on his face until he is thrown into the fire. And the man upon whom Allah has bestowed abundance and every kind of wealth will be brought. Allah Almighty will make him recognize His blessings, he will recognize them. Allah will say:

What did you do with them? He will say:

I did not leave any path in which You like wealth to be spent but I spent in every such path. Allah will say:

You lied, you did all this so that it would be said:

He is generous, so it was said, then a judgment will be passed on him. He will be dragged on his face, then thrown into the fire.

Hadith 22:

﴿وعن ابن عباس عن النبى ﷺ قال : من أتى السلطان افتتن﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abbas (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

Whoever visits the king will be tested.

Signs of Showing Off

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَوَیْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّیْنَ(4)الَّذِیْنَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُوْنَ(5)الَّذِیْنَ هُمْ یُرَآءُوْنَ﴾

❀ Allah Almighty has said:

“So woe to those who pray, [But] who are heedless of their prayer – Those who make show [of their deeds] And withhold [simple] assistance.”

وَقَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿اِنَّ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ یُخٰدِعُوْنَ اللّٰهَ وَ هُوَ خَادِعُهُمْۚ-وَ اِذَا قَامُوْۤا اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ قَامُوْا كُسَالٰىۙ-یُرَآءُوْنَ النَّاسَ وَ لَا یَذْكُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ اِلَّا قَلِیْلًا﴾

﴿النساء : 142﴾

❀ And Allah Almighty has said:

“Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves] to the people and not remembering Allah except a little.”

◈ Hadith 23:

﴿عن أبى هريرة قال قال النبى ﷺ : ليس صلاة اثقل على المنافقين من صلاة الفجر والعشاء، ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوا.﴾

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said:

No prayer is heavier on the hypocrites than the Fajr and Isha prayers, and if they knew how great their reward was, they would come crawling on their knees if they could not walk.

● The Dangers of Showing Off (Riya)

The Risks of Showing Off

Hadith 24:

﴿وعن أبى سعيد قال: خرج عليه رسول الله ﷺ ونحن نتذاكر المسيح الدجال فقال: ألا أخبركم بما هو اخوف عليكم عندي من المسيح الدجال؟ قال: قلنا: بلى ، فقال: الشرك الخفي ، أن يقوم الرجل يصلي فيزين صلاتة، لما يرى من نظر رجل .﴾

Imam Abu Busayri and Allama Albani رضي الله عنه have graded it as “Hasan.”

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us while we were discussing the Dajjal (Antichrist), and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Shall I not tell you of something that I fear for you more than the fitnah of the Dajjal? We said:

Yes, please tell us. So he said:

It is hidden shirk (polytheism), that is, when a person praying sees someone looking at him, he beautifies his prayer and prays it well.

◈ Hadith 25:

﴿وعن ابن كعب بن مالك الأنصاري عن أبيه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ : ما ذنبان جائعان أرسلا فى غنم بأفسد لها من حرص المرء على المال والشرف لدينه .﴾

Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah be pleased with him) has declared this hadith “Sahih” (authentic).

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

If two hungry wolves are set loose among sheep, they do not cause as much destruction and corruption as the greed for wealth and status does to a person’s religion.

◈ The Effects of Showing Off on a Person’s Deeds

قَالَ الله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا ‎﴿٨﴾‏ إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا ‎﴿٩﴾﴾

❀ Allah Almighty has said:

“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the poor, the orphan, and the captive, (saying), ‘We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks.'”

وَقَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَىٰ كَالَّذِي يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾

❀ And Allah Almighty has said:

“O you who have believed! Do not destroy your charities by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like the one who spends his wealth to be seen by people and does not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day. His example is like that of a smooth stone upon which is dust, then a heavy rain falls upon it and leaves it bare. Those hypocrites will not get anything of what they earned, and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.”

◈ Hadith 26:

﴿وعن محمود بن لبيد ، أن رسول الله قال: إن أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الاصغر . قالوا: وما الشرك الاصغر يارسول الله ؟ قال الرياء ، يقول الله عز وجل لهم يوم القيامة إذا جزي الناس بأعمالهم ، إذهبوا إلى الذين كنتم تراؤون فى الدنيا، فانظروا هل تجدون عندهم جزاء .﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Mahmood bin Labeed (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

The most fearful thing I fear for you is minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). The noble companions (RA) said:

O Messenger of Allah! What is minor shirk? He said, showing off (riya) is minor shirk. When on the Day of Resurrection people will be given the reward of their deeds, Allah Almighty will say to the show-offs: Go to those people whom you used to show off to in the world. And see what reward you get from them. (That is, those for whom you performed deeds to show off, today go to them. Do they give you any reward?)

Individual and collective dangers of showing off

◈ Hadith 27:

﴿وعن عبد الله بن عمرو قال: قال عبد الله بن عمرو: يا رسول الله أخبرنى عن الجهاد والغزو، فقال: يا عبد الله بن عمرو! إن قاتلت صابرا محتسبا بعثك الله صابرا محتسبا ،وإن قاتلت مرائيا مكاثرا بعثك الله مرائيا مكاثرا .﴾

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As (RA) that a person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about jihad, and he (ﷺ) said:

If you fight with patience and with the intention of seeking only the reward from Allah Almighty and attain martyrdom, then Allah will raise you in the same manner (i.e., patient and seeking reward). But if you fight seeking wealth and showing off, then Allah will raise you on the Day of Resurrection as a greedy person for wealth and a show-off.

◈ Hadith 28:

﴿وعن عبد الله ابن عمرو قال سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: من سمع الناس بعمله ، سمع الله به مسامع خلقه، وصغره وحقره .﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (RA) that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

Whoever performs his deeds to be seen by people, then Allah Almighty will also inform the creation that this person is a hypocrite, and He will disgrace, humiliate, and belittle him.

◈ Hadith 29:

﴿وعن أبى ابن كعب ، قال: قال: رسول الله : بشر هذه الأمة بالسناء، والدين ، والرفعة، والتمكين فى الأرض، فمن عمل منهم بعمل الآخرة للدنيا، لم يكن له فى الآخرة نصيب .﴾

Hakim has declared it “Sahih”.

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abi bin Ka’b (RA) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

(O Prophet ﷺ) Give glad tidings to this Ummah of high status and dominance on earth, and Allah’s help, and the good news of religion and elevation, and whoever among them performs deeds for the Hereafter for the sake of this world, then he will have no share in the Hereafter.

◈ Hadith 30:

﴿وعن مصعب ابن سعد عن أبيهؓ ، أنه ظن أن له فضلا على من دونه من أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ فقال النبى : إنما ينصر الله هذه الأمة بضعيفها، بدعوتهم ، وصلاتهم ، وإخلاصهم﴾

And Hazrat Mus’ab bin Sa’d narrates from his father Sa’d (RA) that he thought perhaps he was superior to other companions of the Messenger ﷺ, then the Prophet ﷺ said:

Allah helps this Ummah through the prayers, supplications, and sincerity of its weak people.

● Those matters which are not counted as showing off

◈ Praising someone unintentionally among each other

◈ Hadith 31:

﴿وعن أبى ذرؓ قال: قيل لرسول الله : أرأيت الرجل يعمل العمل من الخير ويحمده الناس عليه؟ قال: تلك عاجل بشرى المؤمن﴾

And Hazrat Abu Dharr (RA) narrates that it was asked from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about a person who does good deeds and people praise him.

❀ He ﷺ said:

This is an early glad tidings for the believer.

◈ Concealing sins

◈ Hadith 32:

﴿وعن أبى هريرة قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: كل أمتي معافى إلا المجاهرين ، وإن من المجاهرة أن يعمل الرجل بالليل عملا ، ثم يصبح وقد ستره الله، فيقول يا فلان عملت البارحة كذا وكذا ، وقد بات يستره ربه ، ويصبح يكشف ستر الله عنه .﴾

And Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates, I have heard that you ﷺ said:

My entire Ummah will be forgiven, except those who openly and publicly commit sins will not be forgiven. It is shameless for a person to commit a sinful act at night, and despite Allah having concealed his sin, he goes around in the morning telling everyone that he committed such and such a bad deed last night. Although Allah concealed his sin throughout the night, when morning comes, he himself begins to unveil Allah’s concealment.

◈ Keeping clothes and shoes beautiful

◈ Hadith 33:

﴿وعن عبد الله بن مسعود عن النبى ﷺ قال: لا يدخل الجنة من كان فى قلبه مثقال ذرة من كبر ، قال رجل: إن الرجل يحب أن يكون ثوبه حسنا ، ونعله حسنة، قال: إن الله جميل يحب الجمال . الكبر بطر الحق وغمط الناس .﴾

And Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (RA) narrates that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said:

Whoever has even the slightest arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise. A person asked, O Messenger of Allah! Every person wants his clothes to be good, and his shoes to be fine. The Prophet ﷺ said:

Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance is to reject the truth due to one’s ego and to consider people insignificant.

● Some other Hadiths condemning hypocrisy

◈ Hadith 34:

﴿وعن يعلى بن شداد بن أوس عن أبيه الله قال: كنا نعد على عهد رسول الله ﷺ أن الرياء الشرك الأصغر .﴾

Imam Hakim declared it authentic in chain, and Imam Dhahabi praised its authenticity.

“And Hazrat Shaddad bin Aws (RA) says that during the blessed time of the Prophet ﷺ, we used to consider hypocrisy as minor shirk (polytheism).”

◈ Hadith 35:

﴿وعن جندب يقول ، قال النبى ﷺ: من سمع سمع الله به، ومن يرائي يرائي الله به .﴾

And Hazrat Jundub bin Abdullah (RA) says that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said:

Whoever acts to show off to people, Allah Almighty will expose his ill intentions to everyone (on the Day of Judgment). And whoever acts for ostentation, Allah Almighty will reveal his ostentation (on the Day of Judgment).

◈ Hadith 36:

﴿وعن أبى هريرة قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: قال الله تبارك وتعالى: أنا أغنى الشركاء عن الشرك، من أشرك فيه معي غيري تركته وشركه .﴾

And Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that Allah Almighty said (this is a Hadith Qudsi):

I am the most indifferent to shirk (associating partners with Me) among all partners. Whoever does any deed in which he associates others with Me, I will leave him and his partners.”

◈ Hadith 37:

﴿وعن ابن عباسؓ قال: من رأى بشيء فى الدنيا من عمله وكله الله إليه يوم القيامة وقال: أنظر هل يغني عنك شيئا؟﴾

And Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (RA) says:

Whoever shows off in his deeds, Allah Almighty will hand him over to that on the Day of Judgment and will say to him:

See! Can this benefit you in any way?

◈ Hadith 38:

﴿وعن أبى سعيد الخدريؓ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ (في حديث طويل) فيسجد له كل مؤمن ، ويبقى من كان يسجد لله رياء وسمعة، فيذهب كيما يسجد فيعود ظهره طبقا واحدا .﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will lift the veil from His shin:

Every believer will prostrate to Him, and only those people will remain who used to prostrate to Him for fame and show-off. They will also want to prostrate, but their backs will become like a board. That is, they will not be able to prostrate.

◈ Hadith 39:

﴿وعن عبد الله بن مسعودؓ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: إن أكثر شهداء أمتي أصحاب الفرش ، ورب قتيل بين صفين الله أعلم بنيته﴾

Ahmad Shakir has declared it “Sahih”.

And it is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Most of the martyrs of my Ummah are those who died on their beds, while the majority of those killed in the battlefield, Allah knows their intention well.

◈ Hadith 40:

﴿وعن أم معبد ، قالت: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: اللهم طهر قلبي من النفاق، وعملي من الرياء، ولساني من الكذب ، وعيني من الخيانة ، فإنك تعلم خائنة الأعين و ما تخفي الصدور .﴾

And it is narrated from Hazrat Umm Ma’bad (RA), she says that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:

O Allah! Purify my heart from hypocrisy, my deeds from showing off, my tongue from lying, and my eyes from treachery. Indeed, You know the treachery of the eyes and the secrets of the hearts.

وصلى الله تعالىٰ على خير خلقه محمد وآله وصحبه أجمعين