Ostentation in Spirituality: A Brief Overview
Ostentation, or ‘riya’ in Arabic, is a spiritual condition where religious acts are performed for others’ approval rather than for God. The Prophet labeled this as “the lesser idolatry.” Imam Mawlud identifies three signs of ostentation: lethargy in private worship, increased actions when praised, and decreased actions when praise is absent. The root of ostentation is desire, particularly for something from a source other than God. The cure for ostentation, according to the Imam, is to actively seek heart purification by eliminating love of praise, fear of blame, desire for worldly benefit from people, and fear of harm from people. This is achieved by nurturing the certainty that only God can benefit or harm one. People often expend energy seeking others’ approval, such as seeking prestige or promotion by pleasing someone in authority. However, praise is often ephemeral and fickle. When a person gains wealth and fame, friends appear everywhere. But if they lose their wealth and standing, those friends disappear. Helen Keller once said that there is no slave in this world who didn’t have a king somewhere in his ancestry, and there is no king who didn’t have a slave somewhere in his ancestry. This world has peaks and valleys. Nothing in creation is permanent. To spend time and energy seeking permanence in the fleeting things of the world— like praise—and then neglect what lasts forever with our Maker is the summit of human folly. The Imam further elaborates on ostentation, specifically, performing acts of worship to misuse an orphan’s wealth for personal needs, desiring worldly benefit, and displaying good works to keep the scorn and criticism of others at bay. These are all forms of hypocrisy and are highly despised. The least form of ostentation is cured by knowing that only God possesses the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and only He recompenses people for their actions in this world and the Hereafter.
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November 2024
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