Riya’ Through Action

As a Muslim or Muslimah, we will inevitable face many difficulties. We will face some blood, we will face some tests and challenges. But we have to go through the process to be like pure milk, to be a pure believer. That’s how you get ikhlas. Nobody can say, “I’m mukhlis (a sincere person).”

Subhan’Allah (glory be to God), look at the tests of the Companions. Saad ibn Abi Waqas radi Allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) said he was in Makkah in the place of Abu Talib when there was an embargo on the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him). He said, “One night I went to urinate. When I was urinating I heard something crackling. I looked down and found it was a dry piece of animal skin. I was so hungry, because I was Muslim and they were starving us, that I took this piece of animal skin, I washed it, cooked it and I ate it.” This is a test.

How does that compare to the tests we are facing in our daily lives? It’s nothing compared to that test. How many tests did Um Salamah (ra) endure? She said, “I never saw any family tested like the family of Abu Salamah.” How many tests did the Companions go through?

Look at Bilal ibn Rabee’ (ra). Subhan’Allah, he said that they used to put him on the sand naked. But what you don’t know is the temperature of the sand, unless you’ve been to the Gulf countries. That sand can easily be 50°C (122°F) or hotter. How many Muslims can stand to be naked? He was naked on that sand, and his back was sizzling. Then they put the stone on top of him and the fat from his back was coming out onto the sand in the desert. Then they would tie a noose around his neck and run dragging him through the streets. In the time of Mu’awiyah someone saw Bilal’s back and they said, “Your back is really deformed! I’m sure those days were the worst days you ever experienced.” He said, “Wallahi (By God), it was in those days I tasted the sweetest iman (faith).” Why? Because through the tests, he was being purified.

What about us when we have to pray five times a day? It’s not that hard of a test compared to Bilal (ra). What about our tests as brothers, the tests of refraining from putting holes in our noses, ears and eyebrows and getting tattoos? A brother might say, “It’s hard akhi (brother)!” It’s really not hard. He’s doing that voluntarily. No one walks up to him and forces him to put a hole in his eye. He chooses to do it. Bilal ibn Rabee’ (ra) was forced. That’s how we attain ikhlas, the ikhlas that will save us from riya’.

When we worship Allah (swt) and feel as if we are showing off, we still have to continue our worship. We have to go through the feces and the blood because out of the feces and the blood comes pure milk.

We ask Allah (swt) to help all of us obey Him. We should make du`a’ (supplication) for each other. We should say, “Oh Allah, everyone who came to this time that we spent together, help them with their problems, make their lives easy for them.” We should have the bond of brotherhood and sisterhood between us. We ask Allah (swt) to help us, insha’Allah (God willing).