Is it allowed for us to publicize our good deeds to inspire others to do the same?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

It’s good to HIDE your good deeds to keep the act of ibaadah SOLELY and PURELY for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, UNLESS there’s benefit in talking about it. 

Ibaadah should be ONLY between you and Allaah. 

If it’s done for showoff or for gaining people’s praise or for some other worldly gain, it becomes shirk because you’re making partners with Allaah for that good deed. Astaghfirullaah.

The only time it is good to mention some of the ibaadaat that you’re doing is when encouraging others to do good deeds or for some other valid reason.

But also remember that the Shaytaan is always trying to ruin our good deeds and whispers in our hearts. 

And no one is above the whisperings of the Shaytaan or his plots. 

Any one can fall into it except the one whom Allaah protects. 

So it’s best to HIDE your good deeds because a person might feel a little “arrogant” or they may fall into showing off (riyaa) without their realizing it.

And “Riyaa” is a kind of minor shirk which would cause their rewards to be lost. 

In fact, the first people to be thrown into Hell Fire on the Day of Judgment are those who were SHOW OFFS and did their good deeds for the DUNYA and NOT for the sake of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. 

One of the scariest ahaadeeth about this is the following:

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Verily, the first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. 

He will be brought forward. 

Allaah will remind him of the favors He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. 

Then He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?’ 

The man will reply: `I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.’ 

Allaah will say: 

“You have LIED. 

You fought so that people might call you courageous; and they have done so.’ 

Command will then be issued about him and he will be DRAGGED on his FACE and THROWN into HELL. 

Next a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur’an will be brought forward. 

Allaah will remind him of the favors He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. 

Then He will ask him: 

“What did you do to express gratitude for it?’ 

The man will reply: `I acquired knowledge and taught it, and read the Qur’aan for Your sake.’ 

Allah will say to him: 

“You have LIED. 

You acquired knowledge so that people might call you a learned (man), and you read the Qur’aan so that they might call you a reciter, and they have done so.’ 

Command will then be issued about him, and he will be DRAGGED on his FACE and THROWN into HELL. 

Next a man whom Allaah had made affluent and to whom Allaah had given plenty of wealth, will be brought forward. 

Allaah will remind him of the favors He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. 

He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?’ 

The man will reply: `I did not neglect any of the ways You liked wealth to be spent liberally for Your sake’. 

Allaah will say to him:

“You have LIED. 

You did it so that people might call you generous, and they have done so.’ 

Command will then be issued about him and he will be DRAGGED on his FACE and THROWN into HELL.”

And the wording, “So these are the first of Allaah’s creation the Fire will be kindled with on the Day of Resurrection“

(Saheeh Muslim)

🔺 It all boils down to your intention

So if someone is doing any good deed or staying away from bad ones so that others will praise him or that will raise his rank in the sight of others or for any other worldly benefits, then that’s riyaa.

But if he does any good deed or stays away from any bad deed just to please Allaah and not worry about what others say, then that’s sincerity.

So it all depends on the person’s intentions in his heart.

And actually the scholars say that leaving off a good deed just because “people” might think it’s riyaa is riyaa itself.

So it’s good for a person to continue doing the good deeds and also keep renewing his intentions for the sake of Allaah Alone.

🍃 Ibn al-Atheer said: 

‘If a person wants to perform a good deed and has a correct intention for it and the Shaytaan whispers and says, ‘Indeed you want to show off with this deed’, then this should not prevent him from that deed.’

[an-Nihayyah fee Ghareeb al-Hadeeth wal-Athar 5/286]

🍃 Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“Whoever has a legislated regular good deed which he does, like Salaatul Duhaa or Qiyaam al-Layl etc, then he should pray that where he is.

He should not leave his legislated regular good deed due to him being among the people – because Allaah knows from his heart that he is doing it secretly for Allaah – along with striving to be secure from showing off, and those matters which corrupt sincerity.

Whoever prohibits a person from carrying out that which is a legislated matter with the claim that it is ar-Riyaa (showing off) then his prohibition is rejected back to him.

Deeds according to the Sharee’ah are not prohibited from being performed fearing ar-Riyaa.

In fact they should be ordered with and should have Ikhlaas (sincerity).”

(Majmoo’ al-Fatawa 23/173-174)

🍃 Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti said:

‘Indeed some of the scholars have mentioned that when a person does a good deed secretly, and then when some people arrive, he leaves off that deed due to fearing ar-Riyaa due to them, then he has indeed fallen into Ar-Riyaa.

This is because his intention towards Allaah is impacted by weakness, resulting in him leaving a good deed and taking him away from Allaah, in addition to increasing his hardship.’

(Al-Adwa 9/118)

🔺Bottom line

If you’re sure that your intention is to encourage each other, then it’s ok to mention the good deed you did. 

But if you feel that Riyaa might be creeping in, it’s best to HIDE your good deeds.

The best approach is the middle one. 

🍃 Wahb ibn Munabbih said:

“A scholar once asked another greater than him in knowledge, 

“How much should I build?” 

He replied, “As much as shelters you from the sun and the rain.” 

He asked, “How much food should I eat?” 

He replied, “More than what keeps you hungry and less than what makes you full.” 

He asked, “How much should I laugh?” 

He replied, “As much as appears on your face but does not make audible your voice.” 

He asked, “How much should I cry?”

He replied, “Never tire from crying out of the fear of Allaah.” 

He asked, “How much should I hide my deeds?” 

He replied, “Until people think you had not done a good deed.” 

He asked, “How much should I make public my deeds?” 

He replied, “As much as will let the keen follow your example but not have the people talk about you.”

And then Wahb said:

“Everything has two ends and a middle. If you grab one end, the other will slant, but if you take the middle, both ends will balance. Stick to the balanced middle in all affairs.”

(Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ` 4:45)

May Allaah save us from all Riyaa and grant us sincerity in all our good deeds.

And Allaah knows best.