Let us listen to a narration regarding the life of Sayyiduna Dawood Ta’iرَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه  in order to make a mindset of concealing our good deeds and protecting them from the harms of ostentation.

Fasted for 40 years but…

Sayyiduna Dawood Ta’i رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه fasted for 40 years continuously, but his sincerity was of such a level that he did not even let his family notice. He would take his lunch with him on the way to work and give it to someone on the way, then he would eat when he would return from work after Maghrib. (Tareekh-e-Baghdad, Dawood Bin Naseer, vol. 8, p. 346)

Dear Islamic brothers, Sayyiduna ‘Isa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام has stated the following regarding concealing our good deeds, fasts, and charity etc: ‘When any one of you is fasting, you should apply oil to your head and beard, and wipe the hands over your lips as well so that people do not become aware that you are fasting. When you give (charity) with your right hand, your left hand should be unaware of it and when you offer Salah, you should hang a veil on your door.’ (Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, to the end, vol. 3, p. 361)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                            صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

O devotees of the Prophet! You have just heard that whoever can hide his good deeds, he should do so because a concealed good deed is better, in fact it is 70 times better than a publicised deed. Offering Nafl prayers secretly in solitude is better than offering them in front of people; freedom from hell is written for the one offering 2 Rak’aat of Nafl Salah secretly in solitude.

Concealed acts of piety extinguish the wrath of Allah Almighty, protect one from pride, love of status (desiring to be honoured) and the harms of ostentation, help one attain a place under the shade of the throne of Allah Almighty, help one attain the forgiveness of sins and become a means of attaining the supplications of a large group of angels and their protection.

Virtue of worship in solitude

The noble Taabi’i saint, Sayyiduna Ka’b-ul-Ahbaar رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states: ‘whoever worships Allah Almighty for even one night in such a way that no one familiar