Thread by @PenAbdull

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المؤمن بين الإخلاص والرياء

A believer between Ikhlas (sincerity-doing things for the sake of Allaah) and Riya’ (show-off)

إنَّ الإخلاص هو حقيقة الدين ، ومفتاح دعوة المرسلين .. قال سبحانه : { وَ مَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينَاً مِمَنْ أَسْلََمَ وَجْهَهُ للهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِن }

Certainly, Ikhlas (sincerity) is the very essence and the reality of Islam and the key of the call of the messengers Allaah says:

“And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allaah (follows Allaah’s religion of Islamic monotheism); and he is a Muhsin (a good doer)..” Qur’an 4:125

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :( قال تعالى : أنا أغنى الشركاء عن الشرك، من عمل عملاً أشرك معيَ فيه غيري تركته وشركه ) رواه مسلم

The Messenger of Allaah SAW said: “Almighty Allaah says, ‘I am the One Who is free from want of partners….

He who does a thing for the sake of someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism.."

[Muslim].

وقال صلى الله عليه وسلّم : ( من تعلَّم علماً مما يُبتغى به وجه الله عزَّ وجل لا يتعلَّمه إلاَّ ليصيب به عَرَضاً من الدنيا لم يجد عرف الجنة ـ يعني ريحها ـ يوم القيامة ) رواه أبو دواد .

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone acquires knowledge that should be sought seeking the Face of Allah, but he acquires it only to get some worldly advantage, he will not experience the arf, i.e. the fragrance, of Paradise.” Narrated by Abu Dawud and it is authentic

Knowledge today for is for mere display and not to change our ways or to desire reformation of others. And that is why you see people bragging about it instead you f being humbled by it.

قد يقول قائل ماهو الإخلاص الذي يأتي في الكتاب والسنة وفي استعمال السلف الصالح رحمهم الله ..

A questioner might ask, what is the Ikhlas that was mentioned in Qur’aan and Sunnah and in the vocabulary (usage) of the pious predecessors (May Allah have mercy on them)

فأقول : لقد تنوَّعت تعاريف العلماء للإخلاص ، ولكنها تصبُّ في معين واحد

There are different definitions of ikhlas given by the scholars, however, they all point towards one meaning

ألا وهو أن يكون قصد الإنسان في سكناته وحركاته وعباداته الظاهرة والباطنة خالصة لوجه الله تعالى لا يريد بها شيئاً من حطام الدنيا أو ثناء الناس .

And it is for the intention, the purpose and the aim of a person in his movements and silence, his apparent and hidden acts of worship to be exclusively and mainly to seek for the Face of Allaah and not seeking thereby anything of worldly benefits nor the praises of people.

قال الفضل بن زياد : سألت أبا عبد الله ـ يعني الإمام أحمد بن حنبل ـ سألته عن النية في العمل ، قلت : كيف النية ، قال : يعالج نفسه إذا أراد عملاً لا يريد به الناس ..أن يعالج نفسه فإذا أراد عملاً لا يريد به إلا وجه الله تبارك تعالى ..

Fadl Ibn Ziyad said: “I asked Abu Abdullah (Imam Ahmad ) about the intention in action, how should it be? He said: ‘One should concentrate on himself when he intends to do an action, not doing it for the sake of people (showing off).’"

فبالإخلاص يعطي الله على القليل الكثير ، وبالرياء وترك الإخلاص لا يعطي الله على الكثير شيئاً ،

By virtue of sincerity, Allaah gives many (reward) for a small (deed) and by the negative factor of riya’ (show-off), Allaah gives nothing (of reward) for many (deed).

يقول شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله : والنوع الواحد من العمل ... والنوع الواحد من العمل قد يفعله الإنسان على وجه يكمن فيه إخلاصه وعبوديته لله فيغفر الله به كبائر الذنوب

Ibn Taymiyah said with one deed done by a person having made his intentions sincerely for the sake of Allaah, it has the potential of attracting the forgiveness of Allaah on him for major sins committed.

قال ابن القيم رحمه الله : فالأعمال لا تتفاضل بصورها وعددها ، وإنما تتفاضل بتفاضلها في القلوب ، فتكون صورة العملين واحدة ، وبينهما من التفاضل كما بين السماء والأرض

Ibn Qayyim said; “Deeds are not deemed valuable by there mere nature or quantity, what makes deeds to be valuable is that which is in the heart (intention).

حديث الرجل الذي سقى الكلب .. وفي رواية بغيٌ من بغايا بني إسرائيل ـ زانية ـ فعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أنَّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلَّم قال:( بينما رجل يمشي بطريق اشتدَّ عليه العطش فوجد بئراً فنزل فيها فشرب ، ثم خرج فإذا كلب يلهث يأكل الثرى من العطش ،

فقال الرجل : لقد بلغ هذا الكلب من العطش مثل الذي قد بلغ مني ، فنزل البئر فملاً خفه ماءً ثم أمسكه بفيه حتى رقى فسقى الكلب ، فشكر الله له فغفر له ) ، قالوا : يا رسول الله إنَّ لنا في البهائم أجراً ، فقال : ( في كل كبدٍ رطبة أجر ) متفق عليه .

Of what will present before is the value and status of Ikhlas is the hadith of the man and in another narration a prostitute from amongst the prostitutes of the children of Israel that quenched the thirst of a dog and was forgiven by Allaah and admitted to Jannah because of that

قد ترى أنَّ العمل بسيط ، لكن خالط من العمل الإخلاص الشيء الكثير .

You can see that the deed (done by this prostitute) is simple, however because Ikhlas that’s has yielded many things; forgiveness, gratitude by Allaah and admission to Paradise.

رواه مسلم عن عبد الله بن عمرو عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : ( لقد رأيت رجلاً يتقلَّب في الجنة في شجرة قطعها من ظهر الطريق كانت تؤذي المسلمين ) ، وفي رواية : ( مرَّ رجل بغصن شجرة على ظهر طريق فقال : والله لأنحينَّ هذا .. والله لأنحينَّ هذا عن المسلمين لا يؤذيهم فأُدخل الجنة )

A man was admitted to Paradise because of a piece of wood he picked from the street lest it harms the Muslims. Intention is indeed our forgotten emergency today.

Ask yourself; am I doing what I’m doing for the sake of Allaah or just to spite others or to show-off or for fortune

Many are wealthy however, if what they spend of it is to show-off they will reap not from its benefit on the Day of Judgment.

Many are very vast in knowledge, but if their knowledge is for show-off or to argue or to look down on others, they will benefit not from it on the Day of Judgment. Satan has knowledge.

بعمل بسيط أخلصه لله ربِّ العالمين كان سبباً في دخوله الجنة .

With a very simple deed that was done for the sake of Allaah, the Lord of all that exists, it was a means of his entering into Paradise.

قال شيخ الإسلام رحمه الله معلقاً على هذا الحديث ـ حديث البغي التي سقت الكلب ـ ، وحديث الرجل الذي أماط الأذى عن الطريق .. قال رحمه الله : فهذه سقت الكلب بإيمان خالص كان في قلبها فغفر الله لها ، وإلا فليست كل بغي سقت كلباً يُغفر لها .

Ibn Taymiyah while commenting on the hadith of the prostitute and the man that removed harm from the path of people, said they were given Jannah by virtue of the Ikhlas they had otherwise it is not merely for every prostitute.

جاء في حديث أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلَم يقول : ( إنَّ أول الناس يُقضى يوم القيامة عليه رجلٌ اُستشهد فأُتي به فعرَّفه نعمته فعرفها ، قال : فما عملت فيها ؟! قال : قاتلت فيك حتى اُستشهدت ، قال : كذبت ، ولكنك قاتلت ليقال جرئ و لقد قيل ،

My beloved brothers and sisters in Islam pay attention to the following hadith. It is an eye opener and equally extremely scary

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, SAW said, “Verily, the first people to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who was martyred. He will be brought, the blessings of Allah will be made known, and he will acknowledge them….

Allah will say: What did you do with them? The man will say: I fought in Your cause until I was martyred. Allah will say: You have lied, for you fought only that it would be said you were brave, thus it was said.

Then, Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face until he is cast into Hellfire. Another man studied religious knowledge, taught others, and recited the Quran. He will be brought, the blessings of Allah will be made known, and he will acknowledge them.

Allah will say: What did you do with them? The man will say: I learned religious knowledge, taught others, and I recited the Quran for Your sake. Allah will say: You have lied, for you studied only that it would be said you are a scholar

and you recited the Quran only that it would be said you are a reciter, thus it was said. Then, Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face until he is cast into Hellfire. Another man was given an abundance of blessings from Allah and every kind of wealth.

He will be brought, the blessings of Allah will be made known, and he will acknowledge them. Allah will say: What did you do about them? The man will say: I did not leave any good cause beloved to You but that I spent on it for Your sake. Allah will say:

You have lied, for you spent only that it would be said you are generous, thus it was said. Then, Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face until he is cast into Hellfire.”

إنه الإخلاص الذي يجعل للأعمال قيمة عند الله تبارك وتعالى ، فلا إنفاق، ولا استشهاد ، ولا قراءة قرآن ... إلا بالإخلاص لله ربِّ العالمين

Our deeds attain value in the Sight of Allaah by virtue of our sincerity; not even spending on the path of Allaah, not even martyrdom and not even the recitation of the Qur’an. So it is not quantity but quality which is a product of Ikhlas.

من أجل ذلك فقد كان سلفنا الصالح من أشدِّ الناس خوفاً على أعمالهم من أن يخالطها الرياء أو تشوبها شائبة الشرك فكانوا رحمهم الله يجاهدون أنفسهم في أعمالهم وأقوالهم كي تكون خالصة لوجه الله تبارك وتعالى .

Our pious predecessors were most afraid with respect to their deeds lest Riya’ affects them. They strove to ensure that their deeds and words were sincerely done for the sake of Allaah.

The Prophet said: "For the ones whose concern is this world, Allah will scatter his affair, and place poverty between his two eyes. He will not get from the world except what is written for him.

For the one whose intention is the Hereafter, Allah will gather for him his affair and place contentment in his heart, and the world will come to him willingly."[Ibn Majah]

وقال سفيان الثوري : ما عالجت شيئاً أشدّ عليَّ من نيتي لأنها تتقلب عليَّ في كل حين .

Ath-Thawri said: "I have not treated anything more difficult than my intention, because it keeps changing."

اعلموا أنَّ الإخلاص ينافيه عدة أمور. من حبِّ الدنيا ، والشهرة ، والشرف ، والرياء ،والسمعة ، والعُجب .

Know this for a fact, that there are many things that negate Ikhlas. Amongst them is inordinate love for the things of this world, love of fame, honor, show-off, self-conceit

اللهم اجعل عملنا في رضاك خالصاً لوجهك الكريم
اللهم إنا نعوذ بك أن نشرك بك شيئاً ونحن نعلمه ونستغفرك اللهم مما لا نعلم.
اللهم طهِّر قلوبنا من النفاق وأعمالنا من الرياء وألسنتنا من الكذب وأعيننا من الخيانة إنك تعلم خائنة الأعين وما تخفي الصدور ..