The Exhibition of Good Deeds

Definition

Shaykh-e-Tareeqat, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, the founder of Dawat-e-Islami, ‘Allamah Maulana Abu Bilal Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri Razavi Ziyaee دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـه has written on page 66 of his 616-page book titled Nayki ki Da’wat [Call to Righteousness] : ‘To perform worship with any intention other than the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ (is showing off).’
In other words, showing off is to perform worship with the intention of informing people about our worship so that the show off can get money from them or be praised or considered to be pious or treated with respect etc. by them.

Unfortunately, first of all, our Nafs and Satan do not let us do good deeds, and secondly if we do succeed in struggling to do good deeds then our Nafs and Satan try their best to prevent our worship from being accepted. They do this by either making us commit such a mistake in our worship that invalidates it, or the desire for name and fame settles in our heart after we perform worship. Regardless of whether or not anyone talks about our good deeds, we ourselves (without any valid Shar’i reason) cannot stop advertising them by mentioning our good deeds and therefore we end up falling into the trap of showing off set for us by the Nafs and Satan.

Show-off will be left with nothing

Certainly, good deeds should be performed to please Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and to make the Hereafter better. Remember! The good deeds of the show offs, who perform them for the purpose of showing off, have no role in pleasing Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and making their Hereafter better, but such people are given in return for what they do only in the world. In this context, the 15th verse of Surah Hood is quoted wherein Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has said in part 12 of the Holy Quran Karim:

مَنۡ کَانَ یُرِ یۡدُ الۡحَیٰوۃَ الدُّنۡیَا وَ زِیۡنَتَہَا نُوَفِّ اِلَیۡہِمۡ اَعۡمَا لَہُمۡ فِیۡہَا وَ ہُمۡ فِیۡہَا لَا یُبۡخَسُوۡنَ

Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: Whoever desires the life of the world and its luxuries, We will give them the full compensation for their deeds in it, and will not make any reduction in it.

(Part 12, Surah Hood, verse 15)

Commenting on the abovementioned verse, Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُمَا has stated, ‘Those who show off are given the reward of their good deeds in their worldly life, and are not oppressed at all.’

(Tafseer Tabari, vol. 7, pp. 13)

Blessed sayings of the Beloved Prophet in condemnation of showing off

1. The Beloved and Blessed Prophet Hazrat Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: When a nation adorns itself with (deeds of) the Hereafter and beautifies itself for the world, then Hell is their abode.

(Jami’-ul-Ahadees, vol. 1, pp. 183, Hadees 1169)

2. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: ‘اِنَّ اللہَ تَعَالـٰی حَـرَّمَ الْجَنَّۃَ عَلٰی کُلِّ مُـرَاءٍ’ Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has declared Heaven Haraam for every show off (i.e. a Muslim who shows off will not enter Heaven at the beginning).

(Jam’-ul-Jawami’ lis-Suyuti, vol. 2, pp. 242, Hadees 5329)

3. The Noblest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, ‘Whoever acts for fame, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will humiliate him. Whoever shows his deeds off, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will torment him.’

(Jami’-ul-Ahadees, vol. 7, pp. 44, Hadees 20740)

بنادے مجھ کو الٰہی خُلوص کا پیکر قریب آئے نہ میرے کبھی رِیا یا رَبّ!

اَندھیری قَبر کا دل سے نہیں نکلتا ڈر کروں گا کیا جو تُو ناراض ہو گیا یا رَبّ!

The beloved son of A’la Hadrat, the grand Mufti of Hind (Mufti-e-A’zam Hind), Hadrat ‘Allamah Maulana Mustafa Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would show humility himself and advise us in the following manner:

نَفسِ بدکار نے دل پہ یہ قِیامَت توڑی

عملِ نیک کِیا بھی تو چھپانے نہ دِیا

Signs of showing off

As there are some symptoms of every disease through which disease is diagnosed, in the same way the disease of showing off also has some signs. The leader of the believers, Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجۡـھَـهُ الۡـکَـرِیۡم has stated, ‘There are three signs of a show off’:

1. He is lazy in performing good deeds when alone but is active when he is in front of people.
2. He increases his deeds if praised.
3. He decreases his deeds if criticized.

(Az-Zawajir ‘Aniqtiraf-il-Kabaair, vol. 1, pp. 86; Nayki ki Da’wat, pp. 80)

Cure the disease of ‘showing off’

If we feel the symptoms of showing off in our heart, then after repenting, do not delay treating this sickness. If we strive to heal our inner self, then اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ our outer self will automatically also get cleaned. The Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘One who reforms his inner self, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will reform his outer self (as well).’

(Al-Jami’-us-Sagheer lis-Suyuti, pp. 508, Hadees 8339)

We should all honestly ponder over whether we are lazy in worship when away from people but display eagerness when in front of people. After performing any pious or noble actions do we unnecessarily inform others of these deeds? When we are praised do we become proud and increase these righteous actions? Do we become sad, resulting in a decrease in our good deeds, if we are not praised? Do we get pleasure while performing good deeds in the presence of people and get no pleasure with the same action when alone? Do we humble ourselves in front of people by calling ourselves sinners, transgressor, criminals, beggars, humble and bad etc., just to impress them? Taking advantage of our Sunnah-conforming Madani attire, do we buy things from the shopkeepers who are impressed by us so that they sell us goods at a discount or give us things for free? If the answer to these questions is yes, then we should repent immediately, and strive to create sincerity in our actions, otherwise we might meet our death before repenting, and we are thrown into Hell because of showing off.

عطا کردے اخلاص کی مجھ کو نعمت نہ نزدیک آئے رِیا یا الٰہی

ہی اے کاش گزرے سدا یا الٰہی مری زندگی بس تری بندگی میں

The fortunate people, who abstain from showing off in their deeds and do not become disloyal to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will be able to attain salvation on the Day of Judgement , but unfortunately the deeds of those who show off, who become disloyal to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ by committing the sins of showing off, go to waste. They are not given the reward for the deeds they performed due to showing off. They will be called evil-doers, deceivers, infidels and losers. They will be told to ask for the reward of their deeds from those for whom they used to perform their deeds. More unfortunate things for the show offs have been mentioned in the light of blessed Ahadees. They will not even be blessed with the fragrance of Paradise which can be smelt from a distance of 500 years’ travel, let alone Paradise! The torment of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will be inflicted upon them. Therefore, pondering over our deeds, we should protect them from showing off, otherwise, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ forbid! The good deeds that we think will become the cause of our salvation in the Hereafter, will go to waste due to showing off and we will be left with nothing on the Day of Judgement. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ protect us from showing off and bless us with the treasure of sincerity!

اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِه وَسَلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد