Lesson about Riyaa-e, by Abdul Jabbar van de Ven
In the name of Allah, Most gracious, Most Merciful.
In these few minutes that bring me closer to my grave, I would like to give some words to you as advice. If you believe in a Hereafter, hwere you have to answer for your deeds, then pay well attention. I want to tell you about something treacherous, that can sneek in your deeds without you even noticing it, because of which your good deeds might be for nothing. A disease hard to trace.
A disease about which the Prophet (pbuh) has said:“..because it is more discrete than the crawling of an ant.”
The name of this disease is ‘Riyaa-e’, whihc means in Arabic as much as: at first sight doing something good but with dissemblance (hypocrisie?) in your heart.
In Sharia Riyaa-e is ascribed as: doing deeds that are loved by Allah (praying, reading Quran etc) but with the intention to please someone other than Allah.
Each brother or sister will sooner or later find that Shaytaan is trying to whisper this disease in his/her heart, but the ones who are active in da’wah, and give many lessons and da’wah, will find that they are extra vulnerable to this disease. Therefor, dear brother, dear sister, do what you do, sincerely for Allah, or are you proud at what other people think of you?
This disease begins in the heart, but can affect your whole body. Your tong can recite Quran in the loveliest way, but only so people will say:“Ma_sha_Allah, he’s got such a lovely voice.” Your legs can walk around Ka’bah, but only so you can call yourself Hadji when you return to your home.
Be honest about this to yourself. And you will see that maybe you are more affected by this than you thought. The big scholar of old times, Imam Sufyan at-Thawrie (lived more than 1200 years ago) said about this: "Nothing is harder for me to better than my own intentions, as they seem to try to change all the time. "
That is the quote of one of the leading scholars of Islam and look at his honesty and humbleness towards the truth! If this is the quote of a man who constant busy with Allah, then what do you think about you and me today?
Another great scholar, Ibn al_Mubarak (born 118 after Hijra) said about this:“It’s very well possible that a little deed can become great (in reward) by it’s intention and it’s very well possible that a great deed can become little by it’s intention.”
In a sahih hadith, in Moesnad Ahmad, we read that the Prophet (pbuh) has said:‘The one thing I fear most for you is the little shirk.’ They said: ‘and what is the little shirk, O Mesenger of Allah?’ And he said:‘Riyaa-e’.
And Allah says about this in His Book (76:8-9) : “And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan and the captive, (Saying), We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”
And in Soerah An_Nisa, aya 142 we read:“The Hypocrites-they seek to deceive Allah but it is Allah who deceive them. When they stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance.”
and in Soerah 107 aya 4-6: “So woe to the owrshippers who are neglectful of their pryaers, those who (want but) to be seen..”
In this little form of Shirk, hide big dangers and disadvantages. We can read one of those dangers in the following sahih hadith ("Sahih At-Targhieb wat-Tarhieb, nr.23), where in the Messenger of Allah has said:“Whomsoever boasts about his deeds to others, Allah will humiliate him in front of the eyes of His universe, and torn down his reputation.”
Another enormous danger, as we’ve already seen is, that your good deeds wont’be accepted by Allah, so you’ll belong to the poorest of poor onthe Day of Judgement. As the Prophet (pbuh) has said in a sahih hadith: 'Allah accepts no deed, but which is done with sincerety for Him, therewith seeking His pleasure."
So dear sister, dear brother, may Allah have mercy on you and search the symptoms within yourself of this disease. Be honest towards yourself and Allah. A medicine to protect yourself against Riyaa-e is knowledge. As Allah says in Quran (35:28): “…Those truly fear Allah, among His servants who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.”
When we know Allah, we will love Him, but at the same time try to avoid his punishment. When we learn about al_Akhira, we know what is waiting for us. When we larn about tawhied, weknow that Riyaa-e is a form of shirk.
Anotehr important medicine against this disease is of course du’aa. The Prophet (pbuh) has thaught us to recite the follwoing du’aa often: "“Allahoemma ienie 'awdhoe bieke en oeshrike bieke wa ennaa a’lem, wa astagfiroeke liemaa laa a’lem”. (O, Allah, I seek my refuge with you, so I knowing wont assign partners to you, and I ask forgiveness for what I odon’t know).
And as the Propeth (pbuh) has said that the little form of shirk is even more discrete than the crawling of an ant, it can fall under the second form of shirk (“for what I dont’t know”).
So far my short nasi for you and primilarly myself. May Allah cure our hearts, so our Ummah will become stronger and we may enter al-Jannah!