Episode 19/26: Showing Off (Part 3/3)
Abu Abdissalam – Purification Of The Soul – EP19
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the concept of "strife" and the importance of guarding intentions when worshipping. They stress the need for individuals to see their actions and not just be praised for them, as it could lead to " Dry-theology" condition. The treatments for the disease of costumerism are discussed, including using high self-esteem and practicing their own actions. The speakers emphasize the need for people to force their actions into their own minds to see themselves as being in a certain position and avoid harming their behavior.
AI: Summary ©
Showing off,
it is narrated on the authority of ameerul momineen. I will have Omar Ebner hottub May Allah be pleased with him who said, I had the Messenger of Allah, may Allah peace and blessings be upon him say, actions are judged by intentions. So each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration is for Allah and His messenger.
But he whose migration was for some worldly benefit, or for marriage, his migration is for that which he migrated for.
Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and welcome to another episode of purification of the soul.
I'm your host, Sam with us in the studio, our usual guests, good Ross
Baha and Mohammed.
We are talking in the last episode about ostentation over here and we, we said how evil disease it is and how difficult it is for a person to know that he has this disease in his own soul. And we also spoke about the fact that it is part of Shrek or the hidden ship. And we also said about how difficult it is to remove this disease from our heart. Now, the discussion of the topic of today's episode is how do we know the tell tale signs or what are the telltale signs of of ostentation?
Maybe you wouldn't do certain action. Apart from it the people around you. on your own, you wouldn't prolong the prayer.
The prayer? Yeah, that's right. So he'd only do an action if there's somebody there trying to be more religious while you're with other people. Yeah, so doing extra actions in front of me feel no drive, no emotion, no reason to do the action. Yeah, you don't have any reason to do the action when, when you're alone, when you're when you're by yourself. So it's other people who drive you to do acts of worship. And yes, I mean, we can summarize the telltale signs of ostentation. And Firstly, that a person is lazy with regards to his acts of worship when he's alone. So in seclusion, he doesn't find the desire to recite Quran, for example, or to pray voluntary prayers, for example,
or give voluntary charity. However, when he's with others in the masjid, for example, then he finds it easy to pick up the Quran to read long, you know, recitation, and so on and so forth. He does this very easily when other people are present. But note that one should still continue in doing the act of worship that he finds easy to do in the company of the righteous people. Why is that the case?
I guess, because we left it and now we're showing a facade that you're leaving it. You're leaving the action, but we're censoring him for doing it more in the presence of people. So why is it what why should we? Why are we telling you well continue your action anyway. Because at the end, his intention will change. Exactly. And that's the point here. The point, the important point here is to guard one's intention. One is not censoring, doing extra acts of worship in front of people, this is natural. Sometimes you're in the company of people. And the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam himself said that the righteous company is like the perfume seller is that the perfume said that
even if you don't buy perfume, you'll at least maybe he'll give you some scent. Maybe he'll give me some scent. So this is like the righteous company. So it is good to feel the drive moreso to do acts of worship, when you're with other people who are religious and players. But the point here is that one has to guard his intention. He has to make sure that he's doing this act of worship for the sake of Allah. So yes, he can do extra acts of worship in front of people, but they should not be the norm. They should be the drive now and then. But the norm is that he should do acts of worship in private as well. And he shouldn't be lazy when he's doing it by himself.
So that initial drive should not change his intention such that he finds himself regularly doing acts of worship moreso or beautifying his acts of worship in the presence of people. The second telltale sign
of ostentation is that a person increases in his good deeds when he is praised when he's praised for them, and he decreases in them when he is not praised for them. And this is very important because this is sometimes a hidden,
hidden type of a hidden reason why a person increases. So he's praised. People may be here of his deeds and might not even see it. And this is called sama. sama means that he does an act of worship that people don't even see. But he gets something out of it. In other words, people hear of his acts of worship. And this could either include things like, and this could also extend to things like reciting the Quran. Okay, people may not see him, but maybe if someone takes his recitation, and other people hear of it, and they say, oh, how beautiful his recitation is, but he recites for the sake of that praise if they praise it, and he's not reciting for the sake of praise us another
matter, which we'll discuss later inshallah. But if he's reciting for the sake of that praise, then he is again, he is. He's This is a clear sign of person who has facilitation was this disease of ostentation.
So these are the two key signs of ostentation, let's have a recap. The first one being
lazy when he's doing the action, and he's lazy when he's doing acts of worship by himself. So you won't find that he's going to do lots of acts of worship in front of people. He increases that worship when he's with the people, he increases acts of worship, when he's with other people. And finally, and that's to do with the first point, the second point is that when people praise Him, He does more acts of worship, when they don't praise him, he doesn't do as many acts of worship, one of the ways of curing this disease of ostentation. So just going back to that
the person does the acts for the sake of Allah, and is then showing off after that, we will come to that inshallah, because we're gonna mention that later on in this episode, because that's pertinent to something else, which leads to that point.
So, what are the telltale, what are the ways of curing one's ostentation,
to remember, that a person's did not avoid, if they don't follow all the effort of praying the Salah, and often the people who are ostentatious, they show off. They're lazy, they're lazy, they find it difficult to do acts of worship, for the sake of Allah Spinetta. So if the person is lazy, he should get into his psyche, that I've gone through all of this effort to do this acts of worship, but yet, it's not going to be accepted without last time. And that's a disaster. Because it's actually gone out. It's like someone who goes out and builds a house for somebody.
And then after all the effort, he spends maybe a few years building this house with his own hands, spending his own wealth, and then he gives it as a gift to somebody who just merely knocks it down.
And this is worse, because the acts of the acts of worship, the sole purpose is to attain a las pantallas pleasure. So this is much worse. So that's one way What else? Maybe he can try to hide his his actions. This is one of the most
the best remedies. One of the best remedies for ostentation is to hide his good deeds, what else
by trying to be more trustful,
trying, like he said, striving to be more secretive, yes. secretive in his in his good deeds. Maybe
when he is alone, when people are not looking to increase in these dates. That's absolutely right. And this is a beautiful remedy as well. That when he's by himself, he should increase in the acts of worship that he's doing. elongate his prayer much longer than when he does in, in public. Okay, so the public and private of a person should affect one another. How is that the case? One should not shorten his public or lessen his public appearance in terms of religious worship.
Out of fear of
ostentation, but the opposite should be the case. He can perhaps leave his public. But as it is, but increase in his private,
he can increase in his private affairs. So he's not actually going downhill if you like. If he decreases his public This is in fact, a truffle Shakedown, as you mentioned, as you mentioned, but after the break in sha Allah, we're going to have a look much more about these cures or these remedies for ostentation. We'll go through them one by one in sha Allah, and then we'll see certain cases which are not ostentation.
Mohammed
In the name of Allah, Muslims will be fasting all over the planet Earth, in China, in Russia, in Southeast Asia and Africa, in America, in Europe, in the Middle East, in all parts of the planet, all nations, all races, all people will be fasting in this blessed month.
Salam Alaikum and welcome back. Before the break, we were discussing certain remedies for this disease of ostentation, showing off Ria and To summarize,
the remedies or some of the remedies for this disease, we could say Firstly, one should recognize that one has this disease. This is generally the case with all diseases of the soul and heart. However, it is more pertinent here, because ostentation is so hidden. Hence the Prophet sallallahu Sallam feared it most first, and he called it hidden chip coffee. So this is the first
aspect to curing this disease of ostentation.
The second thing is that one should hide his deeds from others. And this is something that good was mentioned earlier on. iacob l mK phoof. He said one of the scholars of the past he said this sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds, just like he hides his evil deeds. Why? Why is he so sincere? He's hiding and how would you hide your evil deeds? By not telling people that you did so and so and so yeah, you're a person who would usually if he's if he has any kind of piety in him, he wishes to hide his bad deeds. He's embarrassed of his bad deeds of his sins. And he doesn't want people to know he genuinely does not want people to know of his sins genuinely. Okay, people often
they don't want other people to know of the weaknesses of their bad characteristics. They know that the Prophet sallallahu Sallam said, Kula Hata wa hydrocotyle in a tower boon, that every son of Adam is a sinner, or he earth and the best of sinners are those who repent. So in sha Allah, anyone who has some kind of piety will repent for his sins, He will not broadcast his sins, He won't tell other people about his sins, because he's embarrassed in front of Allah, I have committed such grave crime against Allah subhanho wa Taala. So in the same way, this scholar, he mentioned that a person, a sincere person, in other words, one who does not suffer from ostentation, on who is not showing off
in his deeds, he will do acts of worship
and hide those good deeds in the same way that a person who does evil deeds or bad deeds in the same way he hides his his bad deeds. What's that? What is the benefit of that?
That you can increase one's sincerity? How to Increase one's sincerity? Because then on your last visit, and other people, so yeah, because, yeah, because you can be sure that you're not doing it for someone else. This is one way that you can be sure to an extent that you're not doing it for the sake of anyone else. You don't want anyone to see that action. And so you do it in private. And it's this doesn't mean that one should never do good deeds in front of others, it just means that one should increase in doing good deeds in private. So there is no medicine, for ostentation, like performing a plethora of good deeds in private and like many medicines, this can be extremely bitter
at first, but if the person persists in taking this medicine, he will find that the fruits of it are enormous. He will then begin to tolerate the bitterness
As of the medicine, and this will eventually lead him to liking it, once he sees the benefits of it. Finally, he will come to a stage where he cannot live without this medicine. And such is the pleasure of the sincere private seclusion of worship of Allah subhanaw taala. So personally, he takes a deed, just like medicine, you take a bit of medicine, but you know that this medicine is a good remedy for the illness that you have of your body. So you will continue to take it, you'll continue to take it despite the fact that this medicine is better, is better, it tastes horrible. So you take this medicine, and at first, you don't like it, but you forced yourself. So the first stage
is what to force yourself to take that medicine. The second stage, you will eventually begin to tolerate that medicine, it's better, but hey, I can live with it. I can just about live with it. The third stage of this medicine is that he will begin to like it. Because then he realizes that this medicine actually has some benefits. And he will see beyond the bitterness of that medicine, he will not only get used to it, but he will begin to like it. And then the fourth stage is that he can't live without that medicine. Because that medicine is so integral to curing his disease. And he cannot live without this medicine. If he goes without it for a short while, then he yearns for it.
His heart longs for. And this is the same as doing good deeds in private. First is difficult a person has to fight against his own soul. He has to prohibit his soul
from you know, from being lazy, but he has to patiently persevere in doing these good deeds. He says to himself, hey, let me just do these two hours of prayer at night. For example, by myself, let me do my Sunnah prayers at home so nobody can see. Not a person's parents, not his wife, not his children, nobody. He does it in private. And then he forces himself first, then he goes on to tolerate it becomes a habit. Then he begins to like this feeling. And then finally he comes to a stage where he cannot live without these acts of worship in seclusion to,
like, increase us, and these
in these private acts of worship, let's have a look now at some signs, if you like or some some statements, or some of the people with regards to this very topic, as a philosopher would say, you can only know yourself by asking other people.
I think when other people comment about us, we and we get a more of an understanding about who we are. But that shouldn't differ that that shouldn't not make you who you are, it should be who you are, however,
other people's feedback is important for you. So that's how you know if you're showing off or not. One, when everything we do is for the people and not for our selves are for any
for the higher purpose for God. To do it for God, would you just do it to show people that we are doing it, for example, he just try to talk about what he has done. He has done and all of his achievements, mainly become secondary might not like about academic or career life. He just talks about how he's got loads and how he and how he when he bought his clothes from all secondary things, praying and reading Quran and simply by getting closer to God. Well, I think for us, in addition, you could use some high self esteem, because it happens when someone has a lack of self esteem. He doesn't feel that he is enough. So he uses like clothes and stuff to show off himself. But if he has
high self esteem and character inside him, and he has a strong identity, then he wouldn't need to show off to anyone.
Yeah, so some people mentioned some interesting interesting things. There. Were talks about some of the remedies of ostentation, we talked about how one should do a plethora of good deeds in private in seclusion. At the same time, we spoke about how a person should recognize first of all before that, recognize this disease, and then he should hide his good deeds and then finally, he should perform these deeds. He should perform more of these private deeds privately in seclusion, but also another remedy of ostentation, is to know the dangers of ostentation. He should remind himself that it is Allah alone, whose pleasures should be sought. If he does this D to show off. Allah will not
accept the state and he will not get the reward for his efforts. He should remember that the pleasure of people is only temporary. They'll praise Him and that's the end of that it's only a temporary praise temporary pleasure that he will attain, but to avoid the Wrath of Allah subhana wa
Tyler is far more serious. So he should weigh up and think logically to himself. Am I more in need of the People's praise? Or right? Or am I more in need of the pleasure of Allah? Am I more in need to keep away from the displeasure or the wrath of the people? Or am I more in need to keep away from the displeasure of the wrath of our last panel Dad, I mean that it's very clear, it's very clear that it is the pleasure of Allah is sought. And it is the wrath and anger of Allah data that we seek refuge in Allah from. Now, if a person has this in his mind, he has a goal in sight. And everybody knows when you have a goal in sight, it is much easier to traverse the path leading up to that goal.
The fourth remedy for ostentation is that and this is Jihad enough, if you like this is a primary
example of jihad enough.
In other words, primary example of struggling and fighting against one's own self or soul. And this is that whenever the thought of ostentation comes to his mind, while performing an act of worship, he should repel it immediately. by reminding himself of the greatness of Allah, he should act against his desire and force the thought of showing off out of his mind.
So an example of this he starts to praise us, Allahu Akbar. And then Subhana Allah will be hunting. At this point, he looks at the translation of what he's saying, if he doesn't already know Arabic, and he realized that he's glorifying Allah and praising Allah. Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil aalameen. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. How is it possible that someone can be ostentatious and desire. Other people have the pleasure of other people when he is directing or he's talking to humble me, Lord of the world, or of men are the one who is most Merciful, the bestow of mercy. The other people are not like that. Maliki Ahmed is the one who's gonna judge me, the one who is Master
of the Day of Judgment.
And then finally, we say he can, he can stay you alone, we are asked, we alone, you alone, we worship and You are alone, we ask for help. And this act of worship, I am worshipping you, alone, Allah. So this is how the person should think about the good deeds that he's doing. He should force physically remove the ostentation from himself. If he starts to beautify his voice for the sake of the people who may be praying behind him, hoping that they think oh, what beautiful voice this person has in recitation in the Quran, in this act of worship, then he should ask himself questions, that why do you wish the people to know about this act of worship when Allah the Almighty and
sublime knows about it, and he will reward you for it? Why do you want their praise when Allah will praise you on the day of judgment? So these are some of the remedies for this wicked quality. Now, a point to note is that some people abstained from performing good deeds out of fear of of seeming ostentatious. Now, this is incorrect and is an attitude that shows surrender to shaper. abstaining from an action out of fear that someone says he is ostentatious is in fact itself, a form of ostentation. This is because if one did not love, other people's praise and further condemnation, then one wouldn't care about the judgment of him being ostentatious or being sincere.
Furthermore, what difference is there between abstaining from an action out of fear of being accused of ostentation, and performing an action out of fear of being accused of being heedless and lazy, so there's no difference. In fact, abstaining from the good action is more serious, as this is all part of shakedowns trap against ignorant worshipers of a lot. So one should not abstain from acts of worship. Rather, he should cure the disease, kill the disease. So if a person, he's praying and he's fine, but he's being ostentatious, and he comes to realize that he should not just stop praying, rather than he should find the remedy for that, just like the person who is living, he's living, but
he has a disease while he's living. He should not stop living. In other words, he shouldn't kill himself. Rather, he should take medicine and try to remedy his illness. Finally, a common occurrence is that people get praised for their actions after completing them. So if a person was sincere when performing an act of worship, and then feels pleasure, when someone praises him afterwards, then there's no harm in this. There's no harm in this whatsoever. As long as when he did the action. He is totally sincere. He didn't intend to acquire that praise. So once again, if he feels pleasure, often
Someone praises him afterwards, then there's no harm in this as long as he did not intend to acquire that praise. And the Prophet sallallahu Sallam mentioned this in Hadith, a Buddha, Raja lavon, who, who said that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu Sallam was asked, someone asked him, tell us about a person who does good deeds, and people praise Him. Will this be considered showing off Ria, he replied, this is the glad tidings which a believer receives in this life. So when somebody praises you for a good deed, but after the action, and you get happy for that, there's no harm in that as long as the actual action was conducted in such a way that was free from ostentation, ask Allah
subhanaw taala to prevent this disease, of ostentation, overcoming our actions and ask Allah Subhana Allah to give us sincerity in all acts of worship, or sudden Lahore Silla Mubarak Alana venum 100