_Imām Ibn Qudāmah -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
Know verily that, the pious salaf never seize fearing for themselves the hidden show off least they should fall in it and they used to struggle extensively to conceal their good deeds from people. And they love and hasten to hide them more than the way people love to conceal their sins and shortcomings.
They did all these in order to purify their deeds from show off so that Allāh Ta’āla can accept their acts and reward them in abundance for their sincerity.
The impurities of the hidden show off are much and unlimited. Thus, whenever a servant feels in his heart a slight difference during his ‘Ibādāt between when he is being seen by others and when in seclusion, that shows that there is some portion of show off in his heart.
However, its not every portion of show off that nullifies reward completely nor spoil deeds. Rather, in it there are differences.
If it was said: No one can escape of being happy if his goodness and righteousness is known to others, thus, is it all forms of happiness that are blameworthy?
Answer: Happiness are divided into that which are praiseworthy and that which are blameworthy.
In the praiseworthy happiness, a Servant’s main intention is to hide his good deeds and to be sincere to Allāh Ta’āla, but when sighted by others, he knows that it is Allāh Ta’āla who Has given them the opportunity to see his good deeds, then he is happy with the blessings of Allāh upon him for revealing only his deeds and hiding that which are bad.
Therefore, there is no kindness that is greater than for Allah to conceal the sins of His servant from people and reveal his good deeds to them. Hence, the happiness of the servant should be for that blessings and kindness from Allāh not due to praises of people nor his status in their heart.
And the servant should not use as evidence the kindness of Allāh towards him of revealing his good deeds and concealing his bad deeds in this dunya as a yardstick that Allāh will still do the same to him in the Hereafter for that is only peculiar and restricted to the believers not the kuffār nor the Munafiqūn. Thus, a servant should hasten to synthesize himself from kufr and nifāq.
In this regard, it is reported from Safwān Ibn Muhriz who said:
_ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺭَﺟُﻞٌ ﻻِﺑْﻦِ ﻋُﻤَﺮَ ﻛَﻴْﻒَ ﺳَﻤِﻌْﺖَ ﺭَﺳُﻮﻝَ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻳَﻘُﻮﻝُ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟﻨَّﺠْﻮَﻯ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺳَﻤِﻌْﺘُﻪُ ﻳَﻘُﻮﻝُ ” ﻳُﺪْﻧَﻰ ﺍﻟْﻤُﺆْﻣِﻦُ ﻳَﻮْﻡَ ﺍﻟْﻘِﻴَﺎﻣَﺔِ ﻣِﻦْ ﺭَﺑِّﻪِ ﻋَﺰَّ ﻭَﺟَﻞَّ ﺣَﺘَّﻰ ﻳَﻀَﻊَ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻪِ ﻛَﻨَﻔَﻪُ ﻓَﻴُﻘَﺮِّﺭُﻩُ ﺑِﺬُﻧُﻮﺑِﻪِ ﻓَﻴَﻘُﻮﻝُ ﻫَﻞْ ﺗَﻌْﺮِﻑُ ﻓَﻴَﻘُﻮﻝُ ﺃَﻯْ ﺭَﺏِّ ﺃَﻋْﺮِﻑُ . ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻓَﺈِﻧِّﻲ ﻗَﺪْ ﺳَﺘَﺮْﺗُﻬَﺎ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻚَ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟﺪُّﻧْﻴَﺎ ﻭَﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﺃَﻏْﻔِﺮُﻫَﺎ ﻟَﻚَ ﺍﻟْﻴَﻮْﻡَ . ﻓَﻴُﻌْﻄَﻰ ﺻَﺤِﻴﻔَﺔَ ﺣَﺴَﻨَﺎﺗِﻪِ ﻭَﺃَﻣَّﺎ ﺍﻟْﻜُﻔَّﺎﺭُ ﻭَﺍﻟْﻤُﻨَﺎﻓِﻘُﻮﻥَ ﻓَﻴُﻨَﺎﺩَﻯ ﺑِﻬِﻢْ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﺭُﺀُﻭﺱِ ﺍﻟْﺨَﻼَﺋِﻖِ ﻫَﺆُﻻَﺀِ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ﻛَﺬَﺑُﻮﺍ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ.”_
_A man said to Ibn ‘Umar: How did you hear the Rasūl (ﷺ) as saying something about intimate conversation? He said: I heard him saying: A believer will be brought to his Lord Azzawajal on the Day of Resurrection and He would place upon him His veil (of Light) and make him confess his faults and say: Do you recognise (your faults)? He would say: My Lord, I do recognise (them). He (the Lord) would say: I concealed them for you in the world. And today I forgive them. And he would then be given the Book containing the account of his good deeds. And as for the kuffār and Munafiqūn, there would be general announcement about them before all creation telling them that these people told a lie about Allah._
Transmitted by Imām Muslim in his ‘Sahih’#2768.
*18th Dhul Qa’dah ,1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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