Riyaa: Hidden Shirk (English/Arabic)

The meaning and impect of Riyaa (Show off the deeds) described in a lucid and impressive way.

The topic of Riyaa (Show off) is one of great importance to all who believe that they will be .held to account for whatever they do in this life. Believers know that the only thing which humans will take from this world is their deeds. Consequently, to do as much good as possible is a priority which should be given precedence over’ all other priorities in life.

However, good deeds are those defined by Almighty Allah S.W.T., and His Messenger (PBUH), and not what human fancy assumes to be good. Furthermore, good deeds must be done for the sake of Allah S.W.T. alone for them to be acceptable. Righteous deeds done for worldly gain have been transformed into evil deeds unacceptable to Allaah. Therefore, it is extremely important for the God-fearing to know the factors which would convert righteous deeds into evil deeds.

Riyaa is one of the most powerful of such factors and its subtleness makes it among the most dangerous and difficult to diagnose. In this work, the author has combined the efforts of early scholars, like Ibn al-Jawzee and Ibn Rajab, to study the spiritual disease of Riyaa, with that of modern scholars like Saleem al-Hilaalee and ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ‘Abdul-Lateef.

The result is a very comprehensive yet concise treatise on the subject of Riyaa. It is, without a doubt, a very important addition to the English Islamic library, which presently lacks any specialized works on the topic. Its importance cannot be overstressed, because the character which Islaam seeks to build would be incomplete without a clear understanding of this subject.

Author: Abu Ammar Yasir Al-Qathi