If, however, the deed was originally for Allah but a motive of riyāʾ (showing off) later intrudes, then: if he repels it, there is unanimous agreement that it does him no harm. If he yields to it, the question arises: does the deed become null, or is he still rewarded for his initial intention while remaining unharmed by the later ostentation? The early scholars differed on this point, and I incline to the view that his deed is not nullified and that he will be rewarded for his first intention.
Support for this position is found in what Abū Dāwūd records in his Marāsīl (p. 242) from ʿAṭāʾ al-Khurasānī: A man said, “Messenger of Allah, the entire clan of Banū Salamah fights in the path of Allah. Some fight for worldly gain, some out of bravery, and some seeking the Face of Allah. Which of them is the martyr?” He replied, “All of them—so long as the root of his undertaking was that the word of Allah be uppermost.”
Ibn Jarīr explains that this difference of opinion pertains only to deeds whose end is tied to their beginning—such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. As for deeds that are not continuous in that way—recitation, remembrance, spending wealth, and disseminating knowledge—an incidental intention of riyāʾ severs them, and a fresh intention must be made.
If a person performs a deed sincerely and Allah then places good praise for him in the hearts of the believers, that is Allah’s bounty and mercy. Should he feel happy about it, it does not harm him. In this vein is the ḥadīth of Abū Dharr in which the Prophet ﷺ was asked about a man who does a righteous deed for Allah and the people praise him for it. He said, “That is the hastened glad-tidings for the believer” (Muslim 2642).
Benefits
- Riyāʾ is manifest and hidden.
– Manifest riyāʾ is what prompts and drives a person to perform the deed, even though he may still be seeking divine reward.