RIYÂ – رياء

 

Literally: An acting with pretence. Hypocrisy. Dissimulation.

Not acting upon what is believed. Performing ‘amal as-sâlih, ‘ibâdah and the service to Islam and the Qur’an in order to attract the attention of people and be known and seen. Riyâ is labelled as the minor shirk and is also called the hidden shirk.

Riyâ is the opposite of ikhlas and the attribute and action of a munâfiq.

Some hadiths about riyâ:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏- إِنَّ أَخْوَفَ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ اَلشِّرْكُ اَلْأَصْغَرُ: اَلرِّيَاءُ

Rasûl of Allah (ﷺ ) said: “The thing I fear most for you is the minor shirk, which is riyâ.”1

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «إِن أول النَّاس يقْضى عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ رَجُلٌ اسْتُشْهِدَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا قَالَ فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ قَاتَلْتُ فِيكَ حَتَّى اسْتُشْهِدْتُ قَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّكَ قَاتَلْتَ لِأَنْ يُقَالَ جَرِيءٌ فَقَدْ قِيلَ ثُمَّ أَمر بِهِ فسحب على وَجهه حَتَّى ألقِي فِي النَّارِ وَرَجُلٌ تَعَلَّمَ الْعِلْمَ وَعَلَّمَهُ وَقَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا قَالَ فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا قَالَ تَعَلَّمْتُ الْعِلْمَ وَعَلَّمْتُهُ وَقَرَأْتُ فِيكَ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّكَ تَعَلَّمْتَ الْعلم ليقال عَالِمٌ وَقَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ لِيُقَالَ هُوَ قَارِئٌ فَقَدْ قِيلَ ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ حَتَّى أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ وَرَجُلٌ وَسَّعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَعْطَاهُ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ الْمَالِ كُلِّهِ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا قَالَ فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ مَا تَرَكْتُ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُنْفَقَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَنْفَقْتُ فِيهَا لَكَ قَالَ كَذَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّكَ فَعَلْتَ لِيُقَالَ هُوَ جَوَادٌ فَقَدْ قِيلَ ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ثُمَّ أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ »

Rasûl of Allah (ﷺ ) said: “The first person to be judged on the day of resurrection will be a man who died as a shahîd. He will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the ni’mah He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask, ‘What did you do to show gratitude for it?’ The man will reply, ‘I fought for Thy cause till I became a shahîd.’ Allah will say, ‘You lie. You fought that people might call you courageous, and they have done so.’ The command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into the fire. Next, a man who has acquired and taught ‘ilm and read the Qur’an will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the ni’mah He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask, ‘What did you do to show gratitude for it?’ The man will reply, ‘I acquired and taught ‘ilm and read the Qur’an for Your sake.’ Allah will say, 'You lie. You acquired ‘ilm that people might call you ‘âlim, and you read the Qur’an that they might call you a reader, and they have done so.’ The command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into the fire. Next, a man whom Allah has made affluent and whom He has given all kinds of property will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the ni’mah He showed him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask, ‘What did you do to show gratitude for it? The man will reply, ‘I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent.’ Allah will say, ‘You lie. You did it that people might call you generous, and they have done so.’ The command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into the fire.”2

Although showing and displaying the shaâ’er is considered firmness in religion, if someone shows his wealth, courage, ilm or other ni’mahs given to him in a way that will open the way to pride, it is considered blameworthy and prohibited. For example, while religion encourages wearing and displaying beautifully the sariq (turban), which is a shaâ’er of Islam, dresses that attract attention and are the source of pride are prohibited.

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَلاَ تَسْمَعُونَ أَلاَ تَسْمَعُونَ إِنَّ الْبَذَاذَةَ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ إِنَّ الْبَذَاذَةَ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ يَعْنِي التَّقَحُّلَ

Rasûl of Allah (ﷺ ) said: “Listen, listen! Wearing old clothes is from îmân, wearing old clothes is from îmân.3”

(Please refer to the Compilation on Riyâ)