AN EVIL DISEASE OF THE HEART TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT

 DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDER. Yawmul ahad, 26th day of Dhul-Hijjah 1446AH, Sunday, 22nd June 2025.

*_AN EVIL DISEASE OF THE HEART TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT_*. BismilLah. 

As human beings, we have this dangerous disease of acting to please others instead of ALLAH Azzawajal. Imagine someone offering Salaat, and as soon as he/she notices someone watching, he or she tries to perfect it than how he was offering it, that's a minor shirk if not major because it means you are trying to please the person looking at you than ALLAH Azzawajal looking at you live all the time. 

This is the disease of ar-Riya (show-off). It’s very difficult. Nobody can say, “I’m safe from ar-riyaa. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam warned us about ar-riyaa, but what is the meaning of ar-riyaa?

Ar-Riyaa is so dangerous that the Prophet was very concerned about it. He said, “Indeed the thing I fear for you the most is the minor shirk

(associating partners with ALLAH).”

We have minor shirk and major shirk. Major shirk is something like worshipping a statue or another god with ALLAH (Azza Wa Jal, The Mighty and the Majestic) or taking a legislator other than ALLAH Azzawajal. But the minor shirk is mentioned in this hadith. And the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that it is the thing he fears for us the most. The Companions of the Prophet asked him, “What is minor shirk, yaa Rasullah?” He said, “Ar-riyaa. Showing off.” In one hadith the Prophet gave the example of someone making the athan (call to prayer) and while making the athan he thinks, “Wow I bet the people think my voice is beautiful.” This is ar-riyaa. In another hadith, the Prophet said it’s so dangerous that it’s like the black ant on the black rock in the night with no moon. It can sneak up on you like this. Let's be mindful of show off in all we do.

*_We ask ALLAH (Al-Haadi, The Guide) to keep protecting us from this evil act and purify our hearts in all we do_*. Aameen.