The Third Type: Showing-Off (ar-Riyā`)
It is one of the ugliest inner sins that render deeds fruitless. Its definition according to Islamic Law is: doing an act of obedience or abandoning an act of disobedience for an earthly purpose. This means that one intends to get the praises of people or similar purpose, like trying to be famous, get a high position in the hearts of people, or reach a high rank so that one can acquire some of the benefits of the life of this world. It wouldn’t matter if s/he wanted to be closer to Allah because of this or not.
Ad-Daylami, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “It was said that showing-off is divided into seventy chapters.” Know that showing-off has five types:
● The first: When one prays or apparently do any similar act of obedience but does not actually do any of these. He just pretends to do it. This is considered disbelief in Allah, as one sees that the people are greater than Allah.
● The second: When one prays or demonstrate another act of worship only in front of people, but secretly does not do any of them.
● The third: When one performs an act of worship from the religion—apparently and secretly—but says by his tongue to others that he prayed, fasted, and rendered the purification dues, or shows the people all his/her deeds.
● The fourth: When one performs an act of obedience, apparently and secretly, and does not say what one does by the tongue. But in his/her heart, s/he only wants that the people praise him for his/her deeds.
● The fifth: When one performs an act of obedience, apparently and secretly, without any of the previously mentioned. But, when he hears the praises of the people for him/her, s/he gets happy.
● The sixth: which is to do all types of obedience free from any of that previously-mentioned. But one does this to motivate the people to avail him.
From showing-off is that one is deluded into thinking that he did a deed, but in fact, did not intend to do it and does not deserve to be praised because of it. Allah has threatened the one who does this in His Statement: { [Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done], and love to be praised for what they have not done, that they are rescued from the punishment, and for them is a painful punishment} (Q. 3:188) etc., But if he liked that and he did not delude the people that he did it, as the Imam ‘Izzad-dīn, peace be upon him, said: “It is better to denounce it, as it includes a love for lying and what is considered in its judgment.”
It is considered from showing-off that one shows the others that one eats a little so that they describe him as sober. However, if one does this because s/he gives the others preference over his/her self, and so that he avoids being described as insatiable, then he is not blamed if this was his intention.
The previously described are types of showing-off and they must be avoided. One must struggle against the self to fight them, and be careful and take care of them, so as to avoid annulling the good deeds while one is not conscious of it. Leaving showing-off is considered being sincere and faithful to Allah in worship. As Allah has commanded us in His Statement: {And they were commanded not but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone)} (Q. 98:5).
The standard of identifying this, so that it can be easy to know it, is that the doer is:
● Intending to please only Allah with one’s deeds. S/he hates that anyone knows about his/her deeds. The doer has reached one of the best grades of loyalty.
● Intending to please only Allah with one’s deeds, but likes to show it to people. This one is considered a hypocrite, as he intends to please both of them. This is forbidden, as we previously mentioned.
Indeed, it is a good thing that slave demonstrates the act of obedience, intending to be imitated and to be taken as example, then s/he will be considered like the one who enjoins the good. Similar is the case when one is accused of committing a sin—although innocent—but yet s/he shows the act of obedience for the people to be sure that he did not commit it and to assure his/her innocence. In this case he is considered like the one who prohibits the bad, as showing the obedience is an evidence of his repentance. Showing the acts of obedience is done for assuring his commitment to what one enjoins and what one forbids and to motivate people to respond for his enjoinment to revive a right or to put to death a wrong. Similar is the case when he stops doing the deed or stops showing it, to demonstrate his/her neglecting and his indifference towards good behaviour. The one who has these intentions should be very careful to avoid reaching the limit of showing-off because whoever wanders around a fortress, then it will be possible that he eventually enters it. Maybe Satan has made this to make him commit what he wants, as every deed is judged by the intention.
