Beware of the Black Ant

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, compares riyaa' to a black ant crawling in the middle of a pitch-dark night on a black rock that can go undetected.

Ibn ‘Abbas said,

Riyaa is more hidden than a black ant on a black stone in a dark night.

Riyaa' is a heart disease that cause death to your good deeds. Don't let riyaa' creep into your heart.

The symptoms of riyaa' include the desire to seek praise or a reputation, fear of criticism or being looked down upon, doing good deeds in public and evil ones in private, worrying about what people think of oneself, doing good deeds for someone else’s sake when they should be done for the sake of Allah.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

Shall I not inform you of what I fear for you more than the maseeh ud-dajjaal (false messiah)? It is the hidden shirk (riyaa). It is when a man stands up for prayer, then beautifies his prayer for another to look at

(Ibn Majah).

Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace narrated a story about three people on the Day of Judgment.

The first of the people whose case will be decided on Judgment Day will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought forth. God will make him know about His blessings (which He had bestowed on him in the World). The man will acknowledge them. Then God will ask him: What did you do with them? He will say: I fought in Your way until I died as a martyr. God will remark: You are lying. You fought so that you may be called a brave warrior. Then orders will be passed against him. So he will be dragged along on his face and cast into Hell.

Second will be a man who studied religious knowledge. Then he taught it to others and recited the Quran. He will be brought for Judgment. God will remind him of His favors (showered on him in the world). He will admit them (having enjoyed them in his life). Then God will ask him: What did you do with them? He will reply: I acquired knowledge and imparted it and also recited the Quran for Your sake. God will observe: You have told a lie, for you got knowledge to be renowned as a scholar; and you recited the Quran to be marked as a Qari (one who recites the Quran according to the rules). Then orders will be passed against him. So he will be dragged along on his face and thrown into Hell.

The third person will be a man to whom God had made abundantly rich and granted him every kind of wealth. He will be brought for judgment. God will let him know about His gifts conferred upon him in the world. He will recognize them. Then God will inquire: What did you with them? He will say: I left no way in which you like money to be spent without spending in it for your sake. God will say: You are lying. You did so to be described as generous and philanthropic in the society; It means you got your reward in the world according to your intention. Now you deserve nothing in the Hereafter except Hell. So orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged along on his face until he will be hurled into Hell.

Riyaa' can be treated. Some of the better ways are as follows:

--Du'a. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa salam) taught the specific duaa for riya: [O Allah, I take refuge in You lest I should commit shirk with You knowingly and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.]
--Hiding your good deeds. Do them where nobody can see.
--Reflecting upon's oneself's shortcomings.
--Keeping companionship with the pious.
--Being conscious of the evil effects of riyaa' in one's heart.
--Performing acts for the sole purpose of gaining Allah's pleasure.

Also, remind yourself of the verse of the Qur'an which speaks of the response of righteous slaves when they feed people in need,

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا ﴿٨﴾ إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّـهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا ﴿٩﴾ إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا ﴿١٠

And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, (8) [Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. (9) Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful." (10)

[Qur'an Al-Insaan 76:8-10]

We ask Allah to protect us from riyaa'. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam