then So-and-so’; ‘I have no one but Allah, then you’… for the particle thumma (“then”) conveys sequence and succession, so that the servant’s will comes after Allah’s will and is not equal to it. Allah the Exalted says, “And you do not will except that Allah wills.” (1) Hence the servant’s will is subordinate to Allah’s will. Although the servant does possess a will of his own—contrary to the Jabriyya—this will remains dependent on Allah’s will, and he cannot will anything unless Allah has already willed it. This refutes the Qadariyya from the Muʿtazila and others who claim that the servant has a will independent of what Allah intends—exalted is Allah above what they say.
- Shirk in intentions and aims
Among the forms of minor shirk is shirk in intentions and aims, also called the hidden shirk, such as ostentation (riyaʾ). It is of two kinds:
a. Riyaʾ (showing off): derived from the root “to see,” it means displaying acts of worship so that people may witness them and praise the doer.
The difference between riyaʾ and sumʿa is that riyaʾ concerns deeds that are seen, like the prayer, whereas sumʿa relates to what is heard, such as Qur’an recitation, preaching, or remembrance. This also includes a person talking about and publicizing his own good deeds.
Allah the Exalted says: “Say, ‘I am only a man like you, to whom revelation has been sent that your god is but One God. So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.’” (2)
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) commented on this verse: “Just as Allah is One, with no deity besides Him, so worship must be directed to Him alone with no partner. As He is unique in His divinity, He must be singled out in servitude; thus, the righteous deed is that which is free of ostentation and bound…"