Those who have Riya in their heart will be questioned on the Day of Judgment

Riyaa` is showing off; doing deeds to impress someone and not for the sake of Allah. It is an extremely dangerous deed. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has called it minor shirk. What is shirk? It is associating others with Allah. Riyaa` is doing something which should be for Allah, but it’s for somebody else, so it is also a form of shirk. An example of this would be that the munafiqeen pray, but they are not sincere in their prayer.

Allah says: “Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.” (4:142) They’re praying in the masjid, but the heart is somewhere else.

Riyaa` would be a scholar to show off, someone who memorizes Qur’an to show that he is a qari, etc. Allah is Ghaniy; He is free from all need. He does not want something from you that is not purely for Him. That is why Allah does not accept having anyone worshipped besides Him – that is shirk. Similarly, with the deeds, Allah does not want you to do something that is not solely for Him. There is a hadith in Muslim, which many of us have heard:

People dispersed from around Abu Huraira. And Natil, who was from the Syrians, said to him, “O Shaikh, relate (to us) a tradition you have heard from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.” He said: Yes. I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say:

“The first of men (whose case) will be decided on the Day of Judgment will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought (before the Judgment Seat). Allah will make him recount His blessings (i. e. the blessings which He had bestowed upon him) and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his life). (Then) will Allah say: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I fought for You until I died as a martyr.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You fought that you might be called a brave warrior. And you were called so.’ (Then) orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged with his face downward and cast into Hell.

Then will be brought forward a man who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to others) and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Then will Allah ask: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur’an seeking Your pleasure.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You acquired knowledge so that you might be called a scholar, and you recited the Qur’an so that it might be said: He is a Qari, and such has been said.’ Then orders will be passed against him and he shall be dragged with his face downward and cast into the Fire.

Then will be brought a man whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Allah will (then) ask: ‘What have you done (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent.’ Allah will say: ‘You are lying. You did (so) that it might be said about (You): He is a generous fellow, and so it was said.’ Then will Allah pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell.” [Muslim, 20/4688]

Abu Hurayrah was once asked a similar question. A man came to Abu Hurayrah and said that he did not want to memorize Qur’an because there is a hadith that says if you memorize Qur’an and forget it, you come with your face mutilated on the day of judgment. Abu Hurayrah said: that is the beginning of losing Qur’an. By making this intention of not memorizing, you are in a worse situation.

Similarly, the scholars say if shaytaan is making you think your intentions are for riyaa`, do that act and try to make the intention for Allah.

For example, if there is a public fundraising, shaytaan may tell you not give a public donation, give it privately. Then, as you are leaving, shaytaan may make you forget, and in that way, you did not donate at all. So the scholars say to do the act and try to correct your intention.