Check Your Heart Before You Go To The Masjid

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The masjid is a place of worship and where you see a great increase of people gathering to worship Allah in this noble month of Ramadhan.

When you go to your local masjid or far away masjid to pray taraweeh (not only 8 but the full 20 cycles) or stay for qiyamu lail (night vigil), to recite the Qur'an or make i'tikaf (spiritual retreat), be careful what is in your heart. If the basic motive is to be seen by others, and for people to praise you or see you as religious or spiritual, or as someone who follow the sunnah, you lose all the reward for the good deed. Not only that, you are punished for seeking other than Allah.

The Prophet, Allah bless him ad grant him peace, warned against showing off in performing good deed. Even the slightest of showing off (riya') in religious practice is akin to shirk (polytheism).

Riya' is an obstacle to an illuminated heart. No one is free from some element of riya'. It is a matter of degree. We have to be conscious about this all the time and protect ourselves from it. If we are able to remove any and all showing off from our hearts, this is key to illuminate our hearts.

The righteous are those who fear Allah the most. They are people who Allah protected them from riya'. They are a source of light for others. We should seek them and should want to be around them for they are people of benefit and by being around them we ourselves can remove darkness in our hearts.

اللَّـهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّـهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّـهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٣٥﴾ فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّـهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ ﴿٣٦

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things. (35) [Such niches are] in mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings (36)

[Qur'an An-Nur 24:32]

May Allah protect us from the disease of riya' and illuminate our hearts. Ameen. Please keep us in your du'as. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam