Is informing one's wife about a good deed, or the intention to perform one, considered showing off (riya') or transferring the deed from secrecy to public knowledge, thereby diminishing the reward?
Hypocrisy (Riya’) is the intention to show off one's deeds to people, such as giving charity to be called a do-gooder, or praying to be called a worshipper. Sincerity () is purifying the mind from observing creation, and its opposite is hypocrisy. The state of the sincere person is as in His (Allah’s) saying: "We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We wish no reward from you, nor thanks." (Al-Insan: 9). A sincere deed is not harmed by people knowing about it if it was not done with the intention of showing off. However, if one informs others about it for the purpose of showing off, then he is a hypocrite. The more a deed is between the servant and his Lord, the purer it is and the further it is from hypocrisy and self-admiration. Some deeds, like secret charity, are better performed in secret.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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