The Hidden Shirk....

The hidden Shirk...

Assalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu, respected brothers and sisters we must ever be aware of the word "Shirk" (meaning association of others with Allah) and bare in mind that we may be protected from the major shirk due to Allah's protection and be ever grateful to our dear Lord for that, but we should also keep in mind the minor shirk such as Riyaa...

Linguistically "Riyaa" comes from the root "Ra'aa" which means to see, to behold, to view.
The derived word 'Riyaa' means "eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation; dissemblance."

From the Shara'i point of view, "to perform acts which are pleasing to Allah, with the intention of pleasing other than Allah" is called Riyaa.
Thus, Riyaa originates in the heart.

Such a thing is Riyaa, such a danger to us, beloved and respected Brothers and Sisters, that if one has riyaa in his/her heart it can negate one's belief and break the concept of Tauheed (Islamic Monotheism)!!!!!

Mahmood bin Labeed reported that the Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) said:
"The thing that I fear most for you is the minor Shirk; Riyaa."
(Musnad Ahmad)

Abu Saeed (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) came to us while we were discussing about Dajjal and said:
"Should I not inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of Dajjal? It is the hidden Shirk; a person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him."
(Sunan Ibn Majah Vol 2, No 3389)

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) delivered a sermon to them one day and said:
"O people! Fear this Shirk (meaning Riyaa), for it is more inconspicuous (more hidden) than the crawling of an ant."
(Authenticated in Sahih al-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, No 33)

The primary cause of Riyaa is weakness in faith!!!!

When a person does not have strong faith in Allah Subhana Wa'talaa, he will prefer the admiration of people over the pleasure of Allah. There are three symptoms that are indicative of Riyaa, and it is essential that a believer should avoid all of them.

(1). The love of praise:
As mentioned in a Hadith of the first three people being thrown into the hellfire; the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so that people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.

Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu anhu) quoted Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) as saying:
"Allah, Most Great and Glorious said: Pride is My cloak, and greatness is My robe, so whoever competes with Me, with respect to either of them, I shall cast him into Hell."
(Sahih Muslim, Vol 4, No 6349, Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol 3, No 4079)

Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu anhu) quoted Allah's Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) warning about a person's adoration of himself:
"There are three destructive things: desires that are followed, greediness that is obeyed, and a person's self-admiration and conceit; and this is the worst of the three."

Allah also warned against falling into the category of those Christians and Jews whom the Holy Qur’an mentions:

"Do not assume that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done, think not that they are absolved from punishment, (but rather) for them is a painful torment."
(Al-‘Imran: 188)

(2). Fear of Criticism:
No one likes to be criticized. The dislike of criticism regarding religious practices may be divided into two categories:-

(a) The first category is that of a person who neglects a commandment of Allah in order to avoid the criticism of his peers. However, the true believers are described in the Holy Qur’an as follows:
"...They do not fear the criticism of those who criticize. And this is the blessing of Allah; He gives it to whomsoever He wishes. Verily, Allah is Self-Sufficient, All-Knowing."
(Al-Maidah: 54)

(b) The second category is that of a person who obeys certain commandments of Islam, not for the sake of Allah, but because he fears people will look down on him and criticize him if he does not do it.

For example, a man may make his formal prayers in the mosque because he does not want people to criticize him for praying at home, or to think that he is not praying at all.

(3). Greed for people's possessions:

If a person covets what other people possess, whether it is rank, money or power, then he will wish them to envy him similarly.

For example, if he is jealous of a position of a certain person in society, he will try by every possible means to attain the same position. Such desires lead people to spend their lives putting on a show for other people so that they will admire their rank, money, or power.

These three categories are implied in the following statement of Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam).
Abu Musa related that a person came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) and asked:
"A person fights to defend his honor, another to prove his bravery (i.e. to be praised for it), and a third to show off (i.e. so that his position can be seen); of these three, which one fights in the way of Allah?"
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa salam) answered:

"Whoever fights to make the word of Allah present [i.e. to bring honor to Islam, and to establish it in the land], he is the one who fights in the way of Allah."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol 4, No 65)

Some scholars advised:
"Remove the causes of Riyaa from yourself by considering the opinion of people as important to you as animals and small children. Do not differentiate in your worship between the presence of people or their absence, or between their knowledge of your actions and their ignorance. Rather be conscious of the infinite knowledge of Allah alone."

There are several ways to avoid Riyaa, which are as follows:-

(1) Increasing knowledge of Islam

(2) Du’a: we are taught the specific Du’a for Riyaa:

"O Allah, we seek refuge in you from committing shirk knowingly, and ask your forgiveness for the shirk that we may commit unknowingly."

(3) Reflecting upon Heaven and Hell

(4) Hiding one's good deeds from others

(5) Reflection upon one's shortcomings

(6) Accompanying the pious

(7) Knowledge of Riyaa.

{By Abu Ammar Yasir, from http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2008-weekly/iqra-06-06-2008/index.html}

May Allah make us from amongst those weary of Riyaa, and from amongst those who do good deeds and refrain from bad deeds for the pleasure of Allah Subhana Wa'talaa alone, ameen!

Keep the Ummah in your duas,

Wasalaam, XXX MEHAK XXX