Chapter: On Sincerity and Avoiding Show and Fame

باب فی الاخلاص وترک الریاء والسمعۃ — اخلاص اور ریاکاری سے بچنے کے بارے میں

بَابٌ فِي الْإِخْلَاصِ وَتَرْكِ الرِّيَاءِ وَالسُّمْعَةِ — On Sincerity

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ

"And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth." (Al-Bayyina, 98:5). The author explains: Ikhlas (sincerity) is the soul of every act of worship. An act performed for show (riya') is not only without reward but actively harmful, as it constitutes a form of minor shirk (associating partners with Allah in intention).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ

Narrated by Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed Allah does not look at your forms and your wealth but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.' (Muslim — Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ)

عَنْ جُنْدُبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ سَمَّعَ سَمَّعَ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَمَنْ يُرَائِي يُرَائِي اللَّهُ بِهِ

Narrated by Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever lets people hear (his deeds for fame), Allah will let (his disgrace) be heard; and whoever shows off, Allah will expose him.' (Agreed Upon — Bukhari and Muslim). The author: Fame and show both undermine sincerity; only the deed done entirely for the sake of Allah endures and is accepted.

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ

Narrated by 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: 'Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended. Whoever migrated to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; and whoever migrated to gain something of the world or to marry a woman, his migration is to what he migrated toward.' (Agreed Upon — Bukhari and Muslim)