Ostentation (اَلرِّيَاءُ)

                Allah gave the heart a special status in The Noble Quran and Sunnah, He said in Surah Al-Mulk, Aya 23 (”Say, “It is He who has produced you and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.” (قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۖ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ). The heart shares the liability of searching the truth, then guiding the self to the straight path. Allah explained to the Muslims that there are only two paths in this life, the straight path and the path of astray. One of the tools that can help to figure our correctness is the heart, that’s why the prophet Muhammed, PBUH, said that the heart is the part of the body that is healthy, the whole body is healthy, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. The Heart can be a gate to Satan that he sneaks through to attack the believers and guides us remotely from worshiping Allah. And as they say, fighting an obvious enemy is better than fighting imaginations, feelings, or thoughts. But Allah completed His favor of Islam upon us, and He cleared for us all related issues and affairs concerning the heart, its diseases and cures. Muslims shall not wait until he is attacked by the tricks of Satan, but they must be fully prepared with weapons of knowledge that only guide to Allah if they want to be safe. In this article, we will tackle some diseases of the heart and its cures.

Ostentation (اَلرِّيَاءُ)

        Ostentation (الرياء) is doing a good deed seeking people’s pleasure and acceptance. It is changing the intention from Allah to people. When a person does good deeds, he secretly desires people’s appraisal not just Allah. He wants his name to be mentioned with honor and respect among people, this is his only intention behind doing this good deed. Ostentation is against sincerity and fidelity towards Allah. Ostentation is a hidden polytheism. The prophet Muhammed said about the Ostentation ”Hidden polytheism, when a man stands to pray and makes it look good because he sees a man looking at him.” The believers must be careful against this hidden disease, it is hard to be observed and captured. The human nature seeks people’s love, respect, and honor, it is part of our nature. But Allah must be worshiped only and solely. Allah has no partners. The danger of ostentation is that all the deeds that were corrupted by ostentation are lost and the person won’t be rewarded for it. Allah accepts only that which is pure and made for the Sake of Him.

The cure for ostentation

         The scholars spoke a lot about this object for its significance and danger, as it destroys the intentions, the sincerity, the pure love for Allah, and the person becomes like a toy in the hands of the devil. Firstly, one of the things that help believers to avoid this disease is knowledge. It revolves around awareness of showing off and its consequences represented in shame in this life and the hereafter. The prophet Muhammed said ”He who wants to publicise (his deeds), Allah will publicise (his humility), and he who makes a hypocritical display (of his deeds), Allah will make a display of him”. Secondly, believing that the end of seeking people’s pleasure is unreachable. No one can please everyone around him, thus it is beneficial for the Muslim to honor his actions by seeking Allah’s Pleasure. Remember that we do not worship Allah because He needs us but we are honored to be Allah’s Slaves and under His Protection and Sovereignty. The hearts are in the Hands of Allah, we as human beings do not have control over it but Allah has. It was narrated by the prophet Muhammed, PBUH, that whoever seeks Allah’s pleasure by the people’s wrath, Allah will suffice him from the people. And whoever seeks the people’s pleasure by Allah’s wrath, Allah will entrust him to the people.

      Thirdly, one should know that we all are slaves before Allah, no one has the power to control anything even if he/she is so powerful as it all belong to Allah. Allah created it in the first place and will end up to Him too. So actually people’s love or praise has no avail. They can not prevent a harm or grant a benefit. We all are poor to Allah, we need Him, and seek His Providence. Fourthly, what helps you avoid showing off is trying your best to keep your deeds secret. The believer must be keen to do the deeds privately, for example, giving Saddaqah to the poor can be done secretly. Praying Nawafil (Sunnah Prayers) can be prayed at home, ect. Finally, Allah granted us a valuable tool that can help us which is Dua and supplications. Dua can open all the closed doors once Allah orders. Repeat Dua day and night, and before doing any good action, O Allah grant us sincerity in deeds for You. May Allah guide us to the straight path and protect us from the tricks of Satan.