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Is a person rewarded for a deed that was done purely for the sake of Allah, then it was mixed with some ostentation or regret after its performance?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Scholars have differed on whether subsequent showing off (riya') after the completion of a sincere good deed invalidates it or not. Some say it invalidates it, while others say it does not. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that there is a disagreement on this matter. Ibn Muflih stated that the presence of showing off after finishing an act of worship does not invalidate it. Al-Ghazali opined that it is unlikely for something that occurs after a deed to invalidate its reward; rather, what is more fitting is that one is rewarded for their deed and punished for their showing off. Accordingly, showing off after a deed does not invalidate it, but its doer is punished for it. One must beware of showing off and the stratagems of Satan, which may drive a person to abandon good deeds.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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