What is the ruling on righteous deeds from which showing off (riya') is expelled after it attacked them during their performance?
Hypocrisy (Riya') is one of the most dangerous matters, and sincerity (Ikhlas) is a great virtue. A servant must strive to attain it and beware of the whisperings of Satan who tries to make him lose interest in acts of obedience by claiming he is being hypocritical. If Satan whispers such thoughts, one should seek refuge in Allah from polytheism (shirk) and hypocrisy and continue with his work. This is supported by the supplication: "O Allah, we seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and we seek Your forgiveness for what we do not know." Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad said: "Abandoning an action for the sake of people is hypocrisy (riya'), and acting for the sake of people is polytheism (shirk), and sincerity is for Allah to protect you from both of them."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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