saints because Allah makes them known as such. This is a manifestation of this Hadith.^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers, there is no doubt the pious servants of Allah perform deeds purely for His pleasure. As a result, Allah Almighty instils love and respect for them in the hearts of people, and their piety becomes known throughout the world. Our situation is quite the opposite; not only do we seldom perform good deeds, but when we do, we hasten to publicise them in order to earn praise.

To protect yourself from the spiritual disease of desiring fame, here are a few prophetic sayings:

1.Avoid mixing the love of people’s praise with obedience to Allah, otherwise your deeds will be ruined.^[2]

2.Love for wealth and status nurtures hypocrisy in a believer’s heart just as water causes vegetation to grow.^[3]

3.Two hungry wolves let loose upon a flock of sheep do not cause as much harm as the love of wealth and fame do to a Muslim’s faith.^[4]

4.Loving to be praised makes a person blind and deaf.^[5]

This is enough to be considered evil

Sayyidunā Anas رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “It is enough for a man to be considered evil that people point towards him regarding his religious or worldly affairs (i.e. praise him), except for the one Allah protects.”^[6]