Ever caught yourself praying extra carefully because someone's watching? Or reading Quran with a better voice when people are around? Or posting about your worship online hoping people will notice? You might be slipping into riya, performing acts of worship not for Allah, but to be seen and praised by people.
Riya (Showing Off) in Worship
Words of the Prophetﷺ
Whoever seeks to be seen by people, Allah will expose them. And whoever seeks to be heard (famous among people), Allah will make them heard.
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At-Tirmidzi. (2008). Sunan Al-Tirmithi. Translated by Haytham Kreidly.
A Warning for Quran Reciters Who Show Off The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Seek refuge with Allah from the Valley of Sorrow." The companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What is the Valley of Sorrow?" He replied: "It is a valley in Hell from which Hell itself seeks refuge with Allah one hundred times every day." They asked again: "O Messenger of Allah! Who will enter it?" He answered: "The reciters of the Quran who show off their deeds."
For example:"Alhamdulillah, I've memorized 10 juz" (with the intention of being praised) Posting memorization progress (to seek validation) Reading Quran in public places (wanting people to see I'm religious)
Does that mean we shouldn't post on social media? You can post, as long as your intention is to inspire people or share goodness (dawah).
Important Note: Riya is a personal matter of the heart. Don't use riya as an excuse to judge others. See someone posting their worship? Don't jump to "That's riya." We can't know their intentions, so it's better to focus on your own heart and assume the best about others.
Riya is More Dangerous Than the Dajjal Narrated by Abu Sa'id: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us while we were discussing the Dajjal", and said: "Shall I tell you about something I fear for you more than the Dajjal?" We replied: "Yes", then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Hidden shirk, when a person stands to pray and beautifies his prayer because others are watching."
The solution to riya is not to stop posting on social media, stop worshiping in public, or stop sharing good deeds. The solution is to keep training your heart. Before doing something good, try asking yourself, "If nobody was watching, would I still do this?"