Chapter 45: Riya & Sum’a
Riya[1] refers to performing (good
deeds) for show (i.e. so as to be seen as a virtuous person), and Sum’a[2]
refers to performing good deeds with the intention of inviting praises from
those who hear about it. Both of these are very contemptible, because they
deprive one of the reward for ones good deeds. Rather, these become recognised
as sins, and the person responsible for (these actions) becomes deserving of
hell-fire. The Qur’an says,
(یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ
اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تُبْطِلُوۡا صَدَقٰتِکُمۡ بِالْمَنِّ وَالۡاَذٰی ۙ کَالَّذِیۡ
یُنۡفِقُ مَالَہٗ رِئَآءَ النَّاسِ)
‘O you, who Believe, Do not render your charitable deeds
wasted by being boastful of your favours; thereby causing injury.’ [Surah 2Verse 264]
(فَمَنۡ کَانَ یَرْجُوۡ
لِقَآءَ رَبِّہٖ فَلْیَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَّ لَا یُشْرِکْ بِعِبَادَۃِ
رَبِّہٖۤ اَحَدًا ﴿۱۱۰﴾٪)
‘Therefore, whosoever wishes to meet his Lord, (he)
should perform virtuous deeds, and he should not attribute any partners in
worshipping his Lord.’ [Surah 18
Verse 110]
(فَوَیۡلٌ
لِّلْمُصَلِّیۡنَ ۙ﴿۴﴾الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ عَنۡ صَلَاتِہِمْ سَاہُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۵﴾الَّذِیۡنَ
ہُمْ یُرَآءُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۶﴾وَ یَمْنَعُوۡنَ الْمَاعُوۡنَ ٪﴿۷﴾)
‘So, may affliction befall those worshippers, who are
neglectful of their prayers, those who (perform it) only for ostentation, and
refuse to give (to the needy) what is asked of them.’ [Surah 107 Verses 4-7]
Allah says
(فَاعْبُدِ اللہَ
مُخْلِصًا لَّہُ الدِّیۡنَ ؕ﴿۲﴾اَلَا لِلہِ الدِّیۡنُ الْخَالِصُ ؕ)
‘Hence, worship Allah, being a sincere servant to Him.
Know that sincere obedience is for Allah alone.’ [Surah 39 Verses 2-3]
(وَالَّذِیۡنَ
یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ اَمْوَالَہُمْ رِئَآءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا یُؤْمِنُوۡنَ بِاللہِ وَلَا
بِالْیَوْمِ الۡاٰخِرِ ؕ وَمَنۡ یَّکُنِ الشَّیۡطٰنُ لَہٗ قَرِیۡنًا فَسَآءَ
قَرِیۡنًا ﴿۳۸﴾)
‘And those who spend of their wealth, to show off before
the people, and (who) do not believe in Allah and in the Last Day, and whose
(personal) companion is shaitaan, so what an evil companion he is!’ [Surah 4 Verse 38]
There are numerous Ahadith in disapproval of this. A few of them are
being presented here:
Hadith 1: Ibn Majah
reported from Abu Sa’eed Khudri رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ, whereby he says that we were discussing masih
Daj’jaal[3],
when Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم appeared
and said, ‘Should I not inform you in regards to that, which I fear for you,
more than masih Daj’jaal’. We said ‘Ya Rasool’Allah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم what is
it?’ He صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘It is Shirk-e-Khafi[4],
(whereby) a person stands up to perform his Namaaz and he then increases it,
because he notices that another person is observing him performing Namaaz’.
Hadith 2: Imam Ahmed
reported on the authority of Mahmood bin Labeed رضی
اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘That which I fear most for you is Shirk-e-Asghar[5]
’. The people asked regarding what
shirk-e-asghar was, and Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Riya’. In the Hadith of Baihaqi, the
following is additional to the narration (mentioned above): The day on which
the servants will be recompensed for their deeds, Allah will say to those who showed
Riya, ‘Go to those whose attention you desired when performing your deeds’. Go
there and see if you will attain any reward or benefit (from them).
Hadith 3: Imam
Ahmed, Tirmizi and Ibn Majah reported from Abu Sa’eed bin Abi Fudaala رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘When Almighty Allah gathers all the
first and the last (of the people) on that day regarding which there is no
doubt, then an announcer will announce: One who performed any deed for Allah
and took in it any partner, should seek its reward from the one whom he took as
a partner, for Allah is completely free from shirk (having partners associated
to Him)’.
Hadith 4: It is in
Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘Allah ta’aala said I am free of partnership from all partners. One who has
performed any deed and associated in it a partner to me, and then I shall leave
him with ‘Shirk’.’ In other words, I will not grant him any reward. It has been
mentioned in another narration that: ‘I am absolved of him. He is with him, for
whom he performed the deed’.
Hadith 5: In Sahih
Muslim it is reported from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Allah ta’aala does not look at your appearances
and your financial standing (wealth). He (Allah) looks at your heart and your
deeds’.
Hadith 6: It is in
Bukhari and Muslim from Jundub (in other words) Abu Zirr رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘One who does things so that others
hear about it (i.e. to invite praises from the people). Then Allah will have
him hear, (in other words) Allah will punish him for it and for the one who
commits Riya, Allah will give him the punishment for Riya’.
Hadith 7: Tabrani
and Haakim have reported on the authority of Ibn Umar رضی
اللہ تعالٰی عنہما
that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Even the lowest form of Riya is
regarded as shirk (i.e. a type of associating partners to Allah). The closest
of all servants to Allah, are the ones who are pious (virtuous), and who are
hidden (i.e. out of sight). If they have vanished, none searches for them, and
when they give testimony, then none recognises them. They are the ‘Imams
(Leaders) of Guidance’ and ‘Lamps of knowledge’.
Hadith 8: Ibn Majah
reported that one day when Hazrat Umar-e- Farooq رضی
اللہ تعالٰی عنہ went to the Musjid-un-Nabwi[6],
he found Hazrat Mu’az رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ weeping
close to the Rauda-e-Anwar[7]
of Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم. Hazrat Umar asked, ‘Why are you crying?’
Hazrat Mu’az رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ said, ‘I
heard one thing from Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم and the (thought) of it is causing me to weep.
I heard Huzoor صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم say that, ‘Even a small amount of Riya is shirk,
and whosoever makes enmity with a Wali[8],
he has picked a war with Allah.’ Allah ta’aala keeps the virtuous, the pious
and the hidden ones as His Chosen Friends. They are those, that when they disappear,
none looks for them, and when they are present, then none invites them and none
allows them any closeness (i.e. people keep away from them). Their hearts are
‘Lamps of Guidance’ (and) they emerge from dust filled darkness (in other
words, they are detached from all difficulties and misfortunes)’.’
Hadith 9: Imam
Bukhari reported from Abu Tameema that he says that he was in the company of
Safwan and his friends (and) Jundub were giving them some advice. They said,
‘enlighten us if you have heard anything from Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم’, Jundub رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ said, ‘I
heard Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم saying,
‘One who does any deed so that others hear of it (and praise him), then on the
Day of Qiyaamat, Allah will cause him to hear (i.e. Allah will punish him) and
cause him suffering.’ They said, ‘Give us some advice!’ He said, ‘The first
thing to rot, shall be the stomach of man, so whosoever of you is able to, he
should only eat from that which is pure (halaal). They should do just that, and
whoever is able to, should not allow even a handful of blood to be a hindrance
between him and Jannat (in other words he should not kill anyone unjustly)’.
Hadith 10: Imam Ahmed
reported from Shad’daad bin Aws. He says; I heard Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم saying,
‘The one who performs (his) Namaaz with Riya has committed ‘shirk’, and the one
who keeps fast with Riya has committed ‘Shirk’, and the one who gave out Sadqa with
Riya has committed ‘Shirk’.’
Hadith 11: Imam Ahmed
reported from Shad’daad bin Aws رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that he was weeping and someone asked the reason for him weeping.
He said, ‘I am recalling something which I heard from Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم and it is causing me to weep. I heard Huzoor صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم say, ‘I
fear (the threat) of ‘Shirk’ and concealed lust for my Ummah’. I said, ‘Ya Rasool’Allah
صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم! Will your Ummah commit ‘Shirk’ after you?’ He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Yes, but they shall not worship the
sun, the moon, or the stones and idols, but they shall display Riya in their
A’maal[9],
and Shahwat-e-Khufiya[10]
refers to this, that he shall keep fast in the morning and then break it due to
some desire’.’
Hadith 12: Imam
Ahmed, Muslim and Nasa’i have reported from Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘On
the Day of Qiyaamat, accountability will first be taken from a person who was martyred.
He will be brought forth. Allah ta’aala will question him in regards to the
good things he bestowed upon him, (and) he will recognised the good things
(blessings) (in other words, he will acknowledge them)’. He will be asked,
‘What deeds have you performed compared to these blessings?’ He will say, ‘I
made Jihad (i.e. fought) in your path, until I was martyred’. Allah will say,
‘You are a liar! The only reason for which you fought was so that people may
refer to you as a courageous person, and this has been already said’. It will
be commanded for him to be dragged on his face and thrown into hell-fire. Then,
a person who acquired knowledge and taught it and one who learnt the Qur’an
will be brought forth. He will be questioned with regards to the blessings
bestowed upon him (and) he will recognize (acknowledge) these blessings. He will
be asked, ‘What deeds have you performed compared to these blessings?’ I
acquired and taught (imparted) knowledge for your sake and learnt the Qur’an’.
It will be said (to him), ‘You are a liar! You acquired knowledge only so that you
may be called an Aalim and you learnt the Qur’an so that you may be called a
Qaari, so this has already been said to you’. He will be dragged on his face
and thrown into hell-fire. A third person will then be brought forth, to whom Allah
had granted abundance and He granted him all kinds of wealth abundantly. He will
question him with regards to the blessings which He bestowed upon him, (and) he
will recognise (acknowledge) them. He will be asked, ‘what deeds have you
performed compared to these blessings? There is no path beloved to you, in
which I did not spend for Your sake’. It will be said, ‘you are a liar! You
only spent, so that you may be recognised as a generous person, so it has been said.
The command will be given for him as well, and he too will be dragged by the
face and thrown into hell-fire’.
Hadith 13: Bukhari
has reported in Taarikh and Tirmizi reported from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Ask Allah’s refuge from ‘Jabb Al
Huzn’. This is an abyss in jahanum, and even jahanum seeks refuge from it four
hundred times daily. Those Qur’a who displayed Riya in their actions will be
thrown into it and those Qur’a who go out to visit the wealthy (leaders), are
the ones most deserving of Allah’s Wrath’.
[1] Riya refers to hypocritical showiness.
[2] Sum’a refers to pursuit of fame.
[3] Masih Daj’jaal here refers to the false messiah.
[4] Shirk-e-Khafi refers to minor shirk, i.e. a hidden form of
polytheism.
[5] Shirk-e-Asghar refers to a lesser (i.e. concealed) form of
polytheism.
[6]
Musjid-un-Nabwi is the Sanctified Haram, i.e. the Mosque of
Rasoolullahصلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم
[7]
Rauda-e-Anwar refers to the Sacred and Sanctified Grave of
Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم
[8]
A Wali is a friend of Allah ta’aala. They have been blessed with the
ability to be of assistance to the servants of Allah, whilst they are in this
world and even after passing from this world.
[9] A’maal refers to deeds and actions.
[10] Shahwat-e-Khufiya, refers to concealed lust.
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