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Detailed Analysis Of Concept Of Riya
Assallam o alaykum, hello there. this question mentioned above is lengthy and is about concept of Riya. i would like you to correct me in any thing, which you see wrong in this question…
“Riya is doing ibadah of Allah, but not for Allah, instead for other worldly gain from people”
The root word of ibadah means Servitude and humility towards Allah. and when these internal feelings of servitude and humility, manifest, they manifest in terms of either some rituals of worship, which we call Parastish (it’s not bending or touching ground with forehead, but these internal feelings with which a person does these actions with intention of praising or showing humility towards Allah).
Or it manifests in some base actions that we do with intentions of obeying Allah’s commands, or seek his pleasure. example of a simple base action is eating with right hand, which is a normal action neither rewarding nor sinful. but when this same action is done as a manifestation of servitude or humility towards Allah (with completing his command to follow Sunnah), then this action becomes ibadat and earns reward…. Another example would be helping a person which neither earns rewards or sin (as a base action) but since it is liked by Allah. if someone does this action to show humility and servitude towards Allah, by doing something he likes. then this action becomes ibadat and earns him reward.
So the answer to all confusions regarding Riya, about which actions can we do to get worldly gains?? and which actions cannot be done and would fall under Riya??. the answer to all these questions lie in the understanding of concept above.
If any action is done out of servitude and humility to Allah, whether to obey him, get his pleasure, to praise him etc etc, any such action done out of these reasons, if that particular action with these sentiments is done to get aim of worldly gain from people, then this is what is called Riya (in concept).
But if any base action done normally (even if it is liked by Allah) without being done as a manifestation of servitude or humility to Allah, then getting any worldly benefit from people i.e pleasing people and so they like him, for it, is okay (since that particular action was not worship, nor was it portrayed/shown as being done as worship/pleasure of Allah).
A very good analogous example of this would be , helping someone to get him pleased with us is okay and permissible. but helping someone and portraying it that it was done for Allah (as a Sadaqah), and by portraying this, seeking pleasure of people, would be shirk/Riya.
the same action of helping someone is done in both cases, the same aim of pleasing someone is in both cases, but one case is Riya and other is not. Because of a subtle difference, that is the person doing this action portraying as doing it for Allah, and earning pleasure of people is actually same as person portraying praying to Allah but for pleasure of people (in both this example and prayer example, notions of ibadah “servitude and humility” is being done or shown to being done, to get worldly benefit).
so this concept clears questions that why seeking worldly benefit from people like their pleasure on doing an action like helping someone is not shirk, but seeking pleasure on doing zakat is shirk.
that why seeking worldly benefit on bending down (in an exercise session) is not shirk but seeking benefit of pleasing people by doing bending down for sajdah is shirk.
that why pleasing someone by accepting his challenge of not eating and drinking for 12 hours, is okay. but that same seeking of pleasure by not eating for 12 hours with notion of fasting (saum) is shirk.
that why helping someone to earn his pleasure is not shirk, but to help him with notion of pleasing Allah or showing it to be doing it for pleasing Allah. and seeking pleasure of people by this notion that they be pleased and say “wow he is such a pious man, he helps others for Allah” such a thing is shirk.
and this also explains that why there’s no such distinction in worship rituals because all the worship rituals, are all of one category, that they are manifestation of feelings of servitude and humility to Allah only. there’s no another category in them.
in all of these examples there’s a difference, that one case involves manifestation of servitude and humility to Allah, and that case is not to be done for worldly aims.
Please point out to me any mistakes in understanding of this concept or it’s relation with Riya. and can this concept be used primarily as a check for checking which thing can be done and which thing is not to be done, as it would be Riya??
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Detailed Analysis Of Concept Of Riya
updated 1 year, 6 months ago
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It seems ok.
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@Irfan76 so sir i can use this understanding as a frame work to check different cases?
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yes
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