Part 9 (d): Signs of Riya’ and Curing of Riya’ Heart Therapy

Read the Table of Contents of Heart Therapy

Read Part 9 (c): Riya and its Types  (Riya with respect to why someone is showing off)

The tell-tale signs of ostentation include:

1. Laziness towards acts of worship especially when one is on his own: Being lazy with regards to acts of worship when one is alone. However, when he is with others in the Masjid, for example, he finds it easy to do these deeds.

   Note: One should still continue in doing the acts of worship that he finds easy to do in the company of righteous people; the important thing, however, is to guard one’s intention.

2. Reacting to Praise: Increasing in one’s good deeds when one is praised for them and decreasing in them when one is not praised.

Curing Riya

There are a number of remedies of this disease:

1. Recognising the Presence of Riya: As a general rule, the first step to curing any of the diseases of the heart and soul is recognizing the presence of the disease. However, this is all the more important in the case of Riya because of its ‘hidden nature’. This is also why the Prophet (SAW) feared it for his ummah above other sins and called it the ‘hidden shirk’.
2. Concealing Good Deeds: One should hide his good deeds from others, especially supererogatory ones. Ya’qub al-Makfuf said, ‘The sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds just like he hides his evil deeds.’

   Note: This does not mean that one should never do good deeds in front of others, rather, that one should increase his good deeds in private.

3. Knowledge of the Dangers of Riya: One should familiarise himself with the dangers of Riya. He should reinforce in his mind that Allah’s pleasure along should be sought, and were he to complete a deed seeking the pleasure of others it would not be accepted by Allah and no reward would be given for it.
4. Questioning One’s intentions: Whenever the thought of Riya comes to him, while performing an act of worship, he should repel it by reminding himself of the greatness of Allah. He should act against his desires and force the thought of ostentation out by asking himself why he wishes for people to know of his deeds when Allah SWT, the one Only who can reward him for it, already knows.

Important Note:

• Some people, in their scrupulousness to avoid Riya, abstain from performing good deeds, especially in front of others. This is incorrect and an attitude that surrenders to Shaitan. Abstaining from an action out of fear that someone might call one ‘ostentatious’ is no more than a form of ostentation. This is because this fear comes from a love of other people’s praise and fear of their condemnation that one is seen to be either sincere or ostentatious. It is more serious that one abstains from doing good actions as this is one of Shaitan’s traps against the unaware worshipper.

• Finally, people often get praised for their actions after having completed them. If a person was sincere when performing an act of worship, and then feels pleasure when someone praises him afterwards, there is no harm in this as he did not seek this praise.

This can be seen in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr (RA) who said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was asked, ‘Tell us about a person who does some good deeds and people praise him, will this be considered as showing off?’ He replied, ‘This is from the glad tidings which a believer receives (in this life).’ [Muslim]

Read the next Part 10: Love of this World