Riyaa (showing off).

Riyaa' is when one intends to gain the people's pleasure when drawing close to Allah Tala. It is action of the heart and not the action of the tongue. Riyaa is the pure intention and not the the aim, since the aim in this case is the pleasure of the people however the intention maybe to please Allah tala.

For example: One can draw closer to Allah Tala in worships ('Ibadaat) or many other things. So the one who prolongs his prostration so that people can see him is showing off.

The one who writes an article so that people say he is a scholar is showing off.
The one who gives a lecture to impress the poeple is showing off.
The one who gives a khutbah so people say he is a good khateeb is showing off.
The one who wears rags so people say he is simple is showing off.
The one who grows a beard and wears jalbiyya so people say he is following sunah is showing off.
The one who eats baked beans so people say he is ascetic is showing off.
The one who walks with head down so people think he is pious is showing off.
The one who carries a small copy of the Quran and reads it in public to show people is showing off.

We live in a reality where there is no shame in showing off, rather the great majority of Muslims are naive and unaware of its reality and rules. The proof that we live in an age where there is no shame in riyaa` is the appearence of qalaamis al burood, which the prophet (saw) informed us about for example Al-Hakeem at-Tirmizi reported in an-Nawaadir about a hadith whose isnaad is sound, on the authority of Anas (ra) the prophet (saw) said:

"..Then there will appear al-qalaanis ul-burood, and at that time there will be no shame of the showing off (riyaa')."

qalaamis al-burood means hood and outergarments.

Riyaa is not discovered by anyone except Allah Tala, even the one who is doing it at times is not aware of it unless he enjoys Khalis Ikhlaas.

Riyaa (showing off) is absolutly forbidden.

Ibn Majah and al-Bayhaqi reported wiht a hasan isnad on the authority of abu Saeed al-khudri that Prophet (saw) said when he saw them talking abt the Maseeha ad-dajjal, he said:

"shall I not inform you what i I fear of you more than the Maseeh ud-Dajjal? we said: Yes, Oh Messanger of Allah! he said: It is the forbidden Shirk, which is when a man stands up for prayer, then bautifies his prayer for because of another man is looking (at him)."

in Another hadith the prophet (saw) said:
" A little showing off (riyaa') is shirk."

The Riyaa of shirk invalidates the action so by greater reasoning (Qayas Awla) an action should be invalidated if its purely showing off in techinal term Riyaa' Khalis as oppose to Ikhlaas Khalis as mentioned above.

Ahmed reported on teh authority of Ubay b. Ka'ab with a hasan Isnad tha the prophet (saw) said:

"Give good tidings to this ummah of splendor, high ranks, victory and strengthening. Whoever of them worked the deeds of Akhirah for the sake of the dunya, he would not have any share/reward in the akhirah."

Riyaa` is shirk, Allah Tala will ignore the action done out of Riyaa' to the one who associates partners with Allah Tala (shirk), he Allah Tala on the day of judgement will ask the one who does Riyaa, ask for Riyaa from the Shareek (parnter one associated with Allah) ie the one for whom the action was done to please other than Allah Tala.

May Allah Tala make us concious of Riyaa in all our actions and speech.

If I said good its from Allah Tala and if I made a mistake its my mistake and from the Shaytaan.

Waslaam

Your Brother in Islam

(based on notes from a khutbah i gave a while back).