الرِّياء
SHOWING OFF
ذَمُّ الرِّياءِ / The Censure of Showing Off
1ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): ويلٌ للذينَ يَجتَلِبُونَ الدنيا بالدِّينِ ، يَلبَسُونَ للناسِ جُلودَ الضَّأنِ مِن لِينِ ألسِنَتِهِم، كلامُهُم أحلى مِن العَسَلِ وقُلوبُهُم قُلوبُ الذِئابِ، يقولُ اللّهُ تعالى: أبي يَغتَرُّونَ؟!
1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Woe betide those who trade their religion for the life of this world – in front of people they are soft-spoken and their words are sweeter than honey, but they are wolves in sheep's clothing
[lit. their hearts are wolves' hearts (ed.)], and Allah says regarding them, 'Are they trying to pull the wool over My eyes?'
[A`alam al-Din, no. 295]
2ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ المَلَكَ لَيَصعَدُ بعَملِ العَبدِ مُبتَهِجاً بهِ ، فإذا صَعِدَ بحَسَناتِهِ يقولُ اللّهُ عزّوجلّ: اجعَلُوها في سِجِّينٍ إنّهُ لَيسَ إيّايَ أرادَ بِها.
2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily the angel
[charged with man's deeds] rises up with man's good deeds, delighted on account of them, but as he is lifting up his good deeds, Allah tells him, 'Go and place them in the Sijjin
[Sijjin: proper name given in the Qur'an to a written record of the evildoers' deeds (ed.)], as he did not perform these deeds for Me.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 295, no. 7]
الرِّياء
SHOWING OFF
3ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ المُرائيَ يُنادى يَومَ القِيامَةِ: يا فاجِرُ! يا غادِرُ ! يا مُرائي ! ضَلَّ عَمَلُكَ ، وبَطَلَ أجرُكَ ، اذهَبْ فَخُذْ أجرَكَ مِمَّن كُنتَ تَعمَلُ لَهُ.
3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The show-off will be called on the Day of Resurrection: O shameless liar! O treacherous one! O show-off! Your deeds are lost, and the reward for your deeds is lost. Go and get your reward from those you intended to please by your actions.’
[Munyat al-Murid, p. 318]
4ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): يقولُ اللّهُ سبحانَهُ: إنّي أغنَى الشُّرَكاءِ فَمَن عَمِلَ عَمَلاً ثُمّ أشرَكَ فيهِ غَيرِي فأنا مِنهُ بَرِيءٌ ، وهو لِلَّذِي أشرَكَ بهِ دُوني .
4– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Allah, glory be to Him, says, 'I am the most self-sufficient of partners, for whoever performs a deed for Me as well as for someone else alongside Me,
[know that] I am free from need of his action and I leave it for the one that he associated with Me.’
[`Auddat al-Da`ai, p. 203]
5ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ اللّهَ لا يَقبَلُ عَملاً فيهِ مِثقالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِن رياءٍ.
5– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily Allah does not accept a deed that is performed with even an atom's weight of showing off in it.’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 1, p. 187]
6ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ـ حِينَ سَـألَهُ رَجُـلٌ: يا رسولَ اللّهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ، فِيمَ النَّجاةُ ؟ ـ: أن لا يَعمَلَ العَبدُ بطاعَةِ اللّهِ يُريدُ بها الناسَ.
6– The Prophet (SAWA) was once asked, 'Where does salvation lie?' to which he replied, 'In that the servant must not perform acts of obedience to Allah whilst intending them for other people
[to see].’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, p. 186]
7ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما أقبَحَ بِالإنسانِ باطِناً عَليلاً وظاهِراً جَميلاً!
7– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'How ugly the man who is sick inwardly and beautiful outwardly.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9661]
8ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اللّهُمّ إنّي أعوذُ بكَ مِن أن تَحسُنَ في لامِعَةِ العُيونِ عَلاَنِيَتِي ، وتَقبُحَ فيما اُبطِنُ لكَ سَرِيرَتي ، مُحافِظاً على رئاءِ الناسِ مِن نَفسِي بجَميعِ ما أنتَ مُطَّلِعٌ علَيهِ مِنّي ، فَاُبدِيَ لِلناسِ حُسنَ ظاهري واُفضِيَ إليكَ بِسُوءِ عَمَلِي ، تَقَرُّباً إلى عِبادِكَ وتَباعُداً مِن مَرضاتِكَ.
8– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'O Allah I seek refuge in You from looking good in the gleaming mirror of people's eyes whilst my inward self that I conceal
[from others] be ugly in front of You, and from guarding myself
[against sins] only for show in front of people whilst You know all there is to know about me, such that I may display my good side to people, leaving the bad deeds for You, in seeking nearness to mere servants of Yours and getting further and further away from Your good pleasure.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 276]
9ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن كانَ ظاهِرُهُ أرجَحَ مِن باطِنِهِ خَفَّ مِيزانُهُ .
9– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'He whose outward appearance is superior to his inward self will have a very light scale of good deeds.’
[Amali al-Saduq, p. 398, no. 8]
10ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إيّاك والرياءَ؛ فإنّهُ مَن عَمِلَ لِغَيرِ اللّهِ وَكَلَهُ اللّهُ إلى مَن عَمِلَ لَهُ .
10– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Beware of showing off, for whoever performs good deeds for anyone other than Allah, Allah relegates him to the one he acted for.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 293, no. 1]
الرِّياءُ وَالشِّركُ / Showing Off and Polytheism
11ـ عن رسول اللّه (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ أخوَفَ ما أخافُ علَيكُمُ الشِّركَ الأصغرَ. قالوا: وما الشِّركُ الأصغَرُ يا رسولَ اللّهِ ؟ قالَ: الرياءُ .
11– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The worst thing I fear for you is minor polytheism.’ When asked what he meant by this, he replied, 'Showing off.’
[`Auddat al-Da`ai, p. 214]
12ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اِعلَمُوا أنَّ يَسِيرَ الرياءِ شِركٌ .
12– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Know that even the slightest showing off is tantamount to polytheism.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 151]
13ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): سُئلَ رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) عن تفسيرِ قَولِ اللّهِ: «فَمَنْ كانَ يَرْجُو لِقاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعمَلْ عَمَلاً صَالِحاً وَلاَ يُشْرِكْ بِعِبادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَداً» فقال: مَن صَلَّى مُراءاةَ الناسِ فهُو مُشرِكٌ ... ومَن عَمِلَ عَملاً مِمّا أمَرَ اللّهُ بهِ مُراءاةَ الناسِ فهُو مُشرِكٌ .
13– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'The Prophet (SAWA) was once asked about the interpretation of Allah's words in the Qur'an: "So whoever expects to encounter his Lord, let him act righteously, and not associate anyone with the worship of Allah"
[ Qur'an 18:110]. He replied, 'He who performs prayer in order to show people is a polytheist … and he who performs any act commanded by Allah to show people is a polytheist.’
[Tafsir al-Qummi, v. 2, p. 47]
سوءُ عاقِبَةِ أهلِ الرِّياءِ / The Evil Outcome of Those Who Used to Show Off
14ـ قال رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنّ النارَ وأهلَها يَعِجُّونَ مِن أهلِ الرياءِ ، فقيلَ: يا رسولَ اللّهِ ، وكيفَ تَعِجُّ النارُ ؟! قالَ: مِن حَرِّ النارِ التي يُعَذَّبُونَ بها.
14– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily the Hellfire and its inmates rage on account of those who used to show off.’ When asked how the Hellfire rages, he replied, 'It rages on account of the intense heat with which they are being punished.’
[Mustadrak al-Wasail, v. 1, p. 107, no. 109]
15ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): يُجاءُ بعَبدٍ يَومَ القِيامَةِ قد صَلّى فيقولُ: يا ربِّ صَلَّيتُ ابتِغاءَ وَجهِكَ فيُقالُ لَهُ: بل صَلَّيتَ لِيُقالَ ما أحسَنَ صلاةَ (فلانٍ) ، اِذهَبُوا بِهِ إلى النارِ.
15– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'On the Day of Resurrection, a servant who used to pray regularly will be brought forth, and he will beg, 'O Lord, I prayed in seeking Your pleasure', and he will be told, 'No, you prayed so that people would say how beautiful your prayer was. Take him to the Fire.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 72, p. 301, no. 44]
عَلاماتُ المُرائي / The Distinguishing Characteristics of a Show Off
16ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ثلاثُ علاماتٍ لِلمُرائي: يَنشَطُ إذا رَأى الناسَ ، ويَكسَلُ إذا كانَ وَحدَهُ ، ويُحِبُّ أن يُحمَدَ في جَميعِ اُمُورِهِ.
16– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Three characteristics distinguish a show off: he is energetic and active whilst in the presence of people, he is lazy when he is by himself, and he loves to be praised for everything.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 295, no. 8]
النَّوادِرُ / Exceptions
17ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): السِّرُّ أفضَلُ مِن العَلانِيَةِ ، والعلانِيَةُ لِمَن أرادَ الاقتِداءَ .
17– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Performing actions in secret is better than performing them publicly, except for the one who wishes to set an example.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 5273]
18ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لمّا سَألَهُ زرارةُ عن الرَّجُلِ يَعمَلُ الشيءَ مِن الخَيرِ فَيَراهُ إنسانٌ فَيَسُرُّهُ ذلكَ ـ: لا بَأسَ ، ما مِن أحدٍ إلّا وهُـو يُحِبُّ أن يَظهَرَ لَهُ في الناسِ الخَيرُ ، إذا لَـم يَكُـن صَنَعَ ذلكَ لذلكَ .
18– Imam al-Baqir (AS) was once asked by his companion Zurara, about a man who performs a good deed which people happen to see, and which he feels good about as a result. ImÁm replied, 'It does not matter as long as he did not
[originally] perform the action for that purpose. Everyone naturally wants people to see them as good.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 297, no. 18]
19ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن عَمِلَ حَسَنَةً سِرّاً كُتِبَت لَهُ سِرّاً، فإذا أقَرَّ بها مُحِيَتْ وكُتِبَت جَهراً، فإذا أقَرَّ بها ثانياً مُحِيَت وكُتِبَت رياءً .
19– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The deed of one who performs it in secret is recorded down as a secret action. If he admits to having performed it
[when asked], the previous record is erased and it is recorded instead as a public action. If he subsequently avers it himself, however, the previous record is erased and it is recorded instead as showing off.’
[`Auddat al-Da`ai, p. 221]