The Dangers of Hypocrisy in Islam

The Dangers of Hypocrisy in Actions: A Threat to Sincerity

Hypocrisy (Riya) is an act that is related to the heart and intention, which is often not fully perceived by others. However, the hypocrite is well aware of what is going on in his heart and his intention behind the action. Therefore, others cannot easily pass judgment on whether a person’s action is hypocritical, as we are commanded to have a good opinion (Husn al-Dhann) and avoid suspicion (Suu’ al-Dhann).

Riya is the opposite of sincerity (Ikhlas) and is a form of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The meaning of Riya is to perform actions for the sake of showing others, while Ikhlas means performing actions to seek Allah’s pleasure and closeness. In Riya, the intention is not for the sake of Allah, but rather for showing off, gaining fame, respect, recognition, and worldly benefits. An action done with such intentions is rejected and invalid in the sight of Allah. Allah has set two basic conditions for the acceptance of actions: First, the action must be performed with sincerity (Ikhlas), and second, it must follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Only such actions are acceptable to Allah. Allah mentions this in the Qur’an:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلا صَالِحًا وَلا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا (الکہف:110)

Translation: Say, “I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your God is one God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with their Lord, let them do righteous work and not associate anyone in the worship of their Lord.”

This verse clarifies that anyone who hopes to meet their Lord should engage in righteous actions, and that worship must be done with sincerity, without associating anyone with Allah. An action that contradicts the Sunnah is rejected, and any action done without sincerity, i.e., not for the sake of Allah, is invalid.

It is clear from the above lines that the presence of Riya in an action is contrary to sincerity, and acceptance of actions requires sincerity. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explicitly declared that Riya is a form of shirk, as mentioned in the following narration. Let us briefly explore the forms of Riya so that we can avoid it ourselves and also warn others.

The most dangerous form of Riya is related to the hypocrites (Munafiqeen), who only appear Muslim outwardly but hide disbelief in their hearts. Their entire actions are based on showing off, and for these people, the punishment is severe. Allah says:

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا (النساء:145)

Translation: Surely the hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the Fire, and you will never find any helper for them.

Riya also exists among Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was greatly concerned about this in his Ummah and advised them to avoid it. Many Muslims perform actions just to gain fame, status, and recognition. Such actions are part of Riya and lack sincerity. One form of Riya is when a person secretly performs good deeds, but later publicizes them, such as saying, “I performed so much Qiyam al-Lail (night prayer), I recited so much Qur’an, I gave so much charity,” etc. Some people show Riya through their appearance, style, or speech. As a result, the public may be deceived by their outward appearance, clothing, or speech. They might think that these people are pious, but Allah is not deceived by them.

In today’s world, Riya is more widespread than the coronavirus and has infected every segment of society. Religious leaders, caretakers of mosques, scholars, and even those in the fields of journalism, rhetoric, and authorship often fall into the trap of Riya. People who gain fame through a few books, positions, or public speaking may become arrogant, and their moral degradation is beyond description.

Moreover, in social circles, Riya is also prevalent. Even the purest relationships are often based on showmanship. A son may pretend to be better in the eyes of his father than his other brothers, or people may try to gain social respect through flattery, sycophancy, or by agreeing with others. Such people are regarded highly by society, while those who are sincere and speak the truth are looked down upon.

In short, Riya is deeply rooted in the human heart, and only we can remove this disease from within ourselves. Let us now examine the dangers of Riya so that we can be wary of its consequences and take steps to protect ourselves from this harmful disease. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

إنَّ أخوفَ ما أخافُ عليكم الشركُ الأصغرُ الرياءُ ، يقولُ اللهُ يومَ القيامةِ إذا جزى الناسُ بأعمالِهم : اذهبوا إلى الذين كنتم تُراؤون في الدنيا ، فانظروا هل تجدون عندَهم جزاءً (صحيح الجامع:1555)

Translation: The thing I fear the most for you is minor shirk, which is Riya. Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, when people are rewarded for their deeds: “Go to those whom you used to show off to in the world and see if you find any reward with them.”

Riya is even more dangerous than the Fitnah of the Dajjal. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) once came out while we were discussing the Dajjal. He asked, “Shall I not inform you of something that I fear more for you than the Dajjal?” We replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “It is the hidden shirk, when a man stands to pray and beautifies his prayer because he sees that someone is watching him.” (Sahih Ibn Majah: 3408)

The love and greed for wealth and status are extremely harmful to religion, as indicated in the following narration. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

ما ذِئبانِ جائعانِ أُرْسِلا في غنَمٍ ، بأفسدَ لَها من حِرصِ المَرءِ علَى المالِ والشَّرَفِ لدينِهِ (صحيح الترمذي:2376)

Translation: Two hungry wolves released into a flock of sheep will not cause more harm than the greed of a man for wealth and status will harm his religion.

Today, both individually and collectively, the Ummah’s destruction, division, and corruption within religious centers are largely due to Riya. Actions performed for the sake of fame and financial gain rather than seeking Allah’s pleasure are leading the Muslims to ruin.

Due to Riya, all actions are rendered invalid. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

قالَ اللَّهُ تَبارَكَ وتَعالَى: أنا أغْنَى الشُّرَكاءِ عَنِ الشِّرْكِ، مَن عَمِلَ عَمَلًا أشْرَكَ فيه مَعِي غيرِي، تَرَكْتُهُ وشِرْكَهُ (صحيح مسلم:2985)

Translation: Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: “I am the most self-sufficient and independent of all partners. Whoever does an action in which they associate someone else with Me, I will leave him and his partnership.”

This Hadith shows that if someone associates others with Allah in their deeds, Allah will reject their actions. Now think, what will be the fate of actions based purely on Riya, done for the sake of others?

There are many other texts on this topic, but it is difficult to cover them all here. Lastly, I want to point to a long Hadith that serves as a significant lesson, especially for scholars. In Sahih Muslim (4923), it is mentioned that when people are judged on the Day of Judgment, the first three people to be called will be the Qur’an scholar, the martyr, and the wealthy person. These individuals will be exposed for having done their actions for the sake of fame, not sincerity, and Allah will order them to be dragged into Hell.

This Hadith is truly terrifying and serves as a stark reminder. It shows that regardless of how much one does, if the actions are not sincere and are done for show, they will not be accepted by Allah. On the contrary, these deeds will lead to the person’s downfall.

As mentioned in the Qur’an:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ، أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (هود:15-16)

Translation: Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments, We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they will not be deprived of anything. Those are the ones for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter except the Fire, and all their deeds are in vain.

The hypocrite is like someone who deceives others into thinking they are doing good deeds, while they forget that Allah knows what is in their hearts. In the end, Allah will expose them on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

مَن سَمَّعَ سَمَّعَ اللَّهُ به، ومَن يُرائِي يُرائِي اللَّهُ بهِ (صحيح البخاري:6499)

Translation: Whoever seeks fame through their good deeds, Allah will make their hypocrisy known to all on the Day of Judgment.

After knowing the terrifying consequences of Riya, we must strive to protect ourselves from it. Truly, a believer fears a bad outcome and avoids actions that lead to ruin. We must always remember that we cannot deceive Allah by hiding our true intentions from Him. He sees everything, and we will return to Him.

We should also strive to keep our actions hidden, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

مَنِ استطاعَ منكم أنْ يكونَ لَهُ خَبْءٌ مِنْ عمَلٍ صالِحٍ فلْيَفْعَلْ (صحيح الجامع:6018)

Translation: Whoever among you has the ability to keep his righteous deeds hidden, let him do so.

At the same time, we should always pray to Allah for sincerity in our actions. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

يا أيها الناسُ ! اتَّقوا هذا الشِّركَ ؛فإنه أخفى من دبيبِ النَّملِ. فقال له من شاء اللهُ أن يقولَ :وكيف نتَّقِيه وهو أخفى من دبيبِ النَّملِ يا رسولَ اللهِ! قال: قولوا : اللهم إنا نعوذُ بك من أن نُشرِكَ بك شيئًا نعلَمُه ، و نستغفرُك لما لا نعلمُه (صحيح الترغيب:36)

Translation: O people, beware of this shirk, for it is more hidden than the movement of ants. The companions asked, “How can we avoid it when it is more subtle than the sound of ants?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Say: ‘O Allah, we seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and we seek Your forgiveness for what we do unknowingly.'”