How Can I Stop My Feeling of Ostentation When I Am Praying?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question 

How can I stop my feeling of ostentation when I am praying?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Before answering your question, it is beneficial to understand what ostentation (riya) is.

Allah Most High says, “So woe to those ˹hypocrites˺ who pray – yet are unmindful of their prayers; those who ˹only˺ show off, and refuse to give ˹even the simplest˺ aid.” [Qur’an; 107: 4-7]

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Indeed that which I fear for you the most is the small association (of partners with Allah).” They said, “What is the small association, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Ostentation. Allah Exalted and Majestic will say to them (the ostentatious people) on the Day of Judgment, when everyone is recompensed for their deeds, ‘Go to those for whom you showed off in the world. See if you find with them any reward!” [Ahmad]

Ostentation (Riya)

Ostentation is to do any good deed for the sake of other than Allah Most High. Other than Allah Most High is a general term that applies to any and every ulterior motive, whether it be financial gain, status, for others to see, etc…

Ostentation is called ‘Riya’ in Arabic, meaning ‘to show or make someone see.’ This is because showing others one’s good deeds is the most common form of ostentation.

There are, however, levels to ostentation.

Levels of Ostentation

The most heinous form of ostentation is when the sole motive for doing a good deed is other than Allah Most High. This means (using prayer as an example) that had there not been anyone to see, one would not have prayed at all. This level of ostentation is tantamount to associating partners with Allah and such actions are rendered void.. [Ghazali; Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din]

A lesser level of ostentation applies when a person improves the quality of their deed for the sake of others, however, regardless of an audience they still would have performed that deed. [Ibid.]

For example, someone goes to the mosque to pray, but because they found a respected person in the mosque, they lengthened their prayer or beautified their recitation, etc… In this case, the prayer itself was for Allah’s sake – they would still have prayed had no one been in the mosque. However, the quality of the prayer was done for the sake of the audience. [Ibid.]

In this situation, the prayer is valid but the reward of the prayer is diminished to the extent that other than Allah was the motive. [Ibid.]

Cures for Ostentation

There are two approaches to curing ostentation.

Knowledge:

The first is a knowledge based cure.

It is to increase one’s realization and conviction in the fact that no one other than Allah Most High can give benefit, reward, success, salvation, etc… This is the most effective cure as it uproots the root cause of ostentation, ignorance of the greatness of Allah. Therefore doing deeds for the sake of the creation, who possess no ability to benefit, reward, grant success or salvation, etc… is absolute foolishness. [Ibid.]

Our beloved teacher, Habib Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah al-‘Aydarus mentioned, (i’m paraphrasing) that imagine a person was praying next to a tin-can full of dirt. If this person began to lengthen their prayer or beautify their rectiation showing off to the dirt, what would you think of them? You would think they are crazy. You would say they’ve gone mad. You would think this because there is no benefit in showing off to dirt because dirt cannot give benefit or success or reward, etc… Well, mankind is created from dirt and does not possess any of these qualities either, therefore, showing off to the creation is just as crazy. Remind yourselves that creation possesses nothing and only Allah Most High is the possessor of all.

This conviction can be strengthened by increasing in one’s remembrance of Allah and in one’s reflection on the greatness of Allah as opposed to the powerlessness and weakness of creation.

Action:

The second is an action based cure.

Of the greatest action based cures is for one to do their greatest good deeds in private such that none except Allah knows. Through this one will begin to enjoy the spiritual intimacy of worship and therefore not seek anything from creation even when they worship publicly.

Another action based cure is to fight off thoughts of ostentation each time they come, reminding oneself that ‘what Allah possesses is greater and everlasting.’ [Qur’an; 42:36]

What may assist you in implementing this second action based cure are the following:

– before the action intend seeking the pleasure of Allah

– in the middle of the action renew this intention

– after the action seek Allah’s forgiveness in case your intention changed

– recite the following supplication after each prayer, three times.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا أَعْلَمُ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ

‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I associate partners with You knowingly and I seek your forgiveness for that which i’ve done unknowingly.’

– recite abundantly Sura al-Ikhlas

The above are advices that we heard from our teachers. May Allah bless us with the ability to implement them.

Summary

Reflect on the above and turn your heart to Allah Most High in supplication seeking that He remove all other motives from your heart saved His Divine Pleasure. With regards to feelings of ostentation when you’re alone, these are merely whispers of Shaytan. Pay them no mind. Recite before entering the prayer Sura al-Nass to help castaway Shaytan’s whispers.

Hope this helps

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

23630 – حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْهَادِ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ لَبِيدٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ” إِنَّ أَخْوَفَ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمُ الشِّرْكُ الْأَصْغَرُ ” قَالُوا: وَمَا الشِّرْكُ الْأَصْغَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ: ” الرِّيَاءُ، يَقُولُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ: إِذَا جُزِيَ النَّاسُ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ: اذْهَبُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تُرَاءُونَ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَانْظُرُوا هَلْ تَجِدُونَ عِنْدَهُمْ جَزَاءً ” (2)
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ص39 – مسند أحمد ط الرسالة – حديث محمود بن لبيد

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.