Chapter on the Stirring of Riya' and What Calls Toward It

Chapter on the Stirring of Riya' (ostentation) and the Motives Calling to It

I said: What is the riya' that branches out in the qalb (heart), and what is that which blends with it? For if it had no root in the servant's heart from which it branches out and with which it blends, he would not accept the enemy's insinuations regarding that, since he calls to that for which the servant's heart has neither love nor desire.

He said: Indeed.

I said: What is it?

He said: Three knots in the innermost conscience of the nafs (soul): love of praise, fear of blame and lowliness in the eyes of people, and covetousness for what is in people's hands .

I said: What is the proof for that?

He said: What the servant finds within himself:

That he loves to make the servants aware of his obedience to his Lord, exalted and glorified; and while he prays, gives, and is generous, he desires to be praised, commended, and exalted, and he dislikes being blamed. So he performs the act of obedience in order not to be blamed, due to his lacking desire in it.

I said: I do find that, but I wanted the proof for it from [prophetic] knowledge.

He said: The proof for that is the hadith reported by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, that a Bedouin asked the Prophet ﷺ and said:

"O Messenger of God, a man fights out of zealous pride (hamiyya)?"

And the meaning of that is that he fights to protect himself, being indignant that he be overcome or blamed for being defeated or overpowered by his people, so he fights for that reason.

That is, he sees his position in the front rank as one who has advanced, and the man fights to protect his position «and a man fights to be mentioned» . This is seeking praise through the qalb (heart), and with knowledge of one's worth. «And a man fights to be mentioned.» This is seeking praise through the tongues.

Ibn Mas'ud, may God be pleased with him, said: When the two ranks meet, the angels descend and write people according to their intentions: "So-and-so fights to be mentioned" — and the meaning of this is the limit of created beings — «and a man fights for dominion.» This is covetousness for this world.

'Umar, may God's mercy be upon him, said: And another thing you say in your campaigns: "So-and-so was killed as a martyr" — yet perhaps he had filled the two saddlebags of his mount with silver.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"And whoever goes on a military expedition intending nothing but a halter , he shall have what he intended."

This is reported from him by 'Ubada.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

«Whoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain he seeks to obtain, or a woman he wishes to marry, then his emigration is to what he emigrated to.»

'Umar, may God be pleased with him, narrates it from him.

And he said:

«Whoever emigrated seeking something of this world, he shall have only what he sought.»

And a man emigrated in order to marry a woman called Umm Qays, so he was called "the emigrant of Umm Qays," since he did not emigrate except so that she would marry him. Ibn Mas'ud narrates this from him.

So the casting of these three enemy-whisperings upon riya' (ostentation) intensifies it, and they are the love of three qualities:

the love of praise and the fear of blame and lowliness, and seeking eminence. All of that is: the love of praise and the fear of blame.

For the servant may know that he cannot attain what people possess through obedience to his Lord unless they praise him for it, so they spend their wealth for him. And that his distress at blame for the sake of praise is only out of aversion to their praise departing from him. Thus these three states all revert to the love of praise — except that they branch out and multiply according to the filth of people and the degree of their ranks.

I said: How then does one fear blame?

He said: It is like a man when the enemy arrives, and he presents himself for battle. A group braver than he advances before him, and they plunge into the throats of the enemy, while he is unable to do the same. So the seeking of praise was not his motive when he presented himself; rather, when he stood with the common soldiers in the ranks and was equal to them, while the elite had already advanced into the throats of their enemy, he fears that those with him in the ranks would say about him: "How cowardly he is!" — while they see from one like him his advance and their advance.

So when he despairs of praise, and he is one who does not wish to stand in the ranks as a coward or as other than

so he restrains his nafs (self-soul), lest they say: "What a coward he is!" And he wished to withdraw from the front line, but he feared that they might say so, and lest he turn back and they blame him for cowardice and lack of desire for the reward of God, Exalted and Glorious.

Likewise, one who fell behind from the front line in battle could not seek praise for bravery, and he wished to withdraw due to his lack of desire for the rewards or due to cowardice preventing him from withdrawal, lest he be blamed for cowardice and be called by it. So he held his self in that position out of fear of being blamed, and were it not for that, he would have withdrawn. For when he feared disgrace or saw the abundance of killing, he preferred to step away from the line or flee from the army and the detachment. But when he feared it would be said: "A coward who held himself back from his position."

And like a man who is among a group of people, and each one of them gives charity with dinars and dirhams, or with something of great value, yet his self does not consent to give charity the like of what they gave, and he dislikes not giving anything at all lest he be called a miser. So he gives charity with something small lest he be miserly, and he may despair of being praised since he fell short of what the people gave.

Or like a man who is with another man who lengthens his prayer at night or during the day, and he is unable to pray as much as the one with him, and he dislikes appearing lazy compared to the one with him. So he does not hope to be praised since they surpassed him in prayer. So he prays two rak'ahs or a few rak'ahs out of dislike of appearing lazy, yet he is distressed that people look upon him with the eye of laziness, while he finds no ground for being praised.

And like a man who abandons some of what he does not know of his religion and does not ask about it, out of dislike that it be said: "He has been ignorant of this until today," or "He is ignorant of the likes of this."

And the fear of blame for lying may drive him to the point where he claims that he has already written books of knowledge [damaged].

And the fear of blame for lying may impel him to issue a legal opinion (fatwa) on that which he has no knowledge of, even though he knows that he does not properly understand what he is asked about, and that the obligation upon him is not to issue a legal opinion on that matter, and that it would be more fitting for him to say: "I do not know." But he dreads being blamed for ignorance.

And many things of this kind.

Likewise, he abandons commanding the right (al-amr bi'l-ma'ruf) and forbidding the wrong (al-nahy 'an al-munkar) out of dislike of being blamed by the one whom he would command and forbid.

I said: And what about greed for what is in people's hands — how does that manifest?

He said: It manifests in his loving that someone from whom he hopes for piety (birr) sees him, so that he gives to him on account of his works, and treats him with kindness and maintains ties with him; or that person becomes aware of his [worship], and he rejoices at that person's awareness of him so that he may treat him with kindness and maintain ties with him.

And if that person discovers his sin, he becomes more distressed than he would be at the discovery by someone else from whom he has no greed — someone in whose possession he has no [hope].

And if that person becomes aware of his obedience, his heart (qalb) finds more ease in that person's awareness than it would find ease in the awareness of someone else from whom he has no greed — someone in whose possession he has no [hope].

And many things besides that.

Likewise, one who sells to him or agrees with him on terms, preferring to defer payment for him, and loving that he see him in a state of wara' (scrupulous piety). So his heart is set at ease, and he desires to establish his standing before him through wara', guarding his speech, and fulfilling promises, so that he trusts him and does not go past him to another.

Likewise the craftsman, before the one to whom his name is referred, and the hired worker before the one who hires or employs him in his goods, his trade, or his work — he loves to establish soundness before him and displays wara' to him.

I said: I have understood these two. As for the love of praise (al-maḥmada), it is more manifest in the soul and more exalted than to require explanation of it for me. It has become clear to me that these three traits are what produce riyā' (showing off) and incite to it.

So what is the origin from whom these three traits originated? For it is not fitting that they be anything other than an origin from which they branched and diverged.

He said: As for the origin from which these three traits branched and diverged, it is the soul's (nafs) knowledge of the pleasure it attains from praise and honor, and what enters upon it of the harm of blame, and its grief. When this knowledge grew immense, the servant was thereby impelled toward holding fast to these three traits.

For when he knew that, should people esteem his worth, they would greet him first when they met him, with cheerfulness and veneration, with warm reception, and making room for him in the gathering, and honoring him with distinction, accepting his testimony, believing his speech, thinking well of him until sin is directed away from him toward the good. And how much more so regarding news, if it came from him? And accepting his command, refraining from opposing him, leadership, and the assistance of servants.

As for covetousness (ṭamaʿ): its recognition is that one knows that through what appears of his obedience to his Lord, people will treat him generously with wealth, and gifts will be presented to him, and needs will be fulfilled for him, and he will hasten to lend money, and provision will be expanded for him in seeking religious [matters], and what resembles that.

I said: And what of the fear of blame?

He said: As for the fear of blame, its recognition is that one knows that if people blame him, they will deny his sincerity, and ill opinion will be held of him in matters of good — so how about in matters of evil?

His testimony will be rejected against him, his words will be turned against him, his gathering will be shunned, people will turn away from him, and they will be curt in greeting him. He will be turned away without having his need fulfilled, and people will be embarrassed to keep his company, and there will be warning against him. If anything is investigated regarding his affair — whether a fault or a testimony — he will not be trusted with wealth or what is sacred. And out of caution, the sin of another may be placed upon him, and charges may be brought against him on behalf of someone else. And perhaps he was wronged.

So whoever did not recognize the magnitude of the worth of these traits — in goodness, in covetousness and praise, and in harm, in blame — and held fast to the love of their praise, fear of their blame, and covetousness for what is in their hands, then that knowledge bequeathed him craving (raghba), and it overwhelmed his heart (qalb). And so the promptings of these three traits stirred toward ostentation (riyāʾ), both in deed and in knowledge. And the enemy [i.e., Satan] intercepted him with false claims, because of what he recognized of the magnitude of his craving for them.

Chapter on That by Which One Breaks the Promptings of Ostentation, Praise, and Covetousness

I said: You have described this knowledge with a description that has not diminished it in my heart (qalb) — rather, I feared it might overwhelm me. Indeed, I used to find that within myself before you described it to me, but I did not know how to explain it until you explained it to me. So what is the knowledge that weakens and diminishes and uproots these three traits, and that points to the evil consequences and faults of these three traits, so that the servant renounces them, neither holds to them, nor lets them have any strength in his heart — until the three traits that stir ostentation are weakened, and one turns away from them and from their sake?

the rectification of his heart in this world and his knowledge of what he is deprived of and what diminishes from the khawf (fear) of God and His granting of success — one of them:

and what diminishes from the reward of God, Exalted and Majestic, in the Hereafter for that, and the fear of His displeasure, should He look upon his heart while he holds to even one of them.

The second defect: the attainment of what he gains from the servants upon securing that, along with what befalls him from God, Exalted.

As for what he is deprived of from God, Exalted and Majestic, in this world and what befalls him when he holds to them — indeed, he seeks to endear himself to the servants by distancing himself from God, Exalted and Majestic.

And he adorns himself before them with what is shameful before God, Exalted and Majestic.

And he draws near to them by distancing himself from God, Exalted and Majestic.

And he seeks their praise by making himself blameworthy before God, Exalted and Majestic.

And he seeks their pleasure by exposing himself to the anger of God, Exalted and Majestic.

And he seeks their allegiance by exposing himself to the enmity of God, Exalted and Majestic.

And he is deprived of rewards in the Hereafter, and his deeds are nullified in this world, and his reward is voided on the day of his poverty, his need, and his destitution.

And perhaps what is invalidated of his deeds — had he been sincere in it in this world — would have been placed alongside his good deeds, and they would have outweighed his evil deeds, and he would have entered Paradise.

But his evil deeds become weightier than his good deeds, and had he been sincere, it would have been placed alongside his good deeds and he would have entered Paradise. Instead he enters the Fire, since he has no sincere good deeds to be placed alongside his good deeds.

So do not ask about his soul being cut asunder with anguish and regret — unless his sincerity comes before the Day of Resurrection, when he sees the place of benefit of ikhlas (sincerity) and the place of harm of riya' (ostentation).

And if his good deeds outweigh on a condition where he possesses no sincere deeds besides that, then he has [damaged] his good deeds to some [damaged] by which he draws near to his Lord, Exalted and Majestic, and [damaged] his Paradise, along with the questioning .

God Almighty's granting him success in it and His guiding him to it, and the shame and riya' (ostentation) from him, in that he has already put forward in this world, in his deed, both drawing near and boldly exposing himself to distancing from Him and incurring His loathing, before others, for the sake of praise and commendation.

And what befalls him in this world — the darkening of his qalb (heart) and the dread of his nafs (soul), and the removal of raja' (hope) from his heart — since he deals with them while their sight cannot perceive: because some of them are pleased with what displeases others, and if he does what displeases some, others are angered; and if he does what some of them desire, others are angered; and some of them praise him for what others blame him for; and because some of them harbor su' al-zann (ill opinion). So his heart is scattered, seeking the pleasure of some of them at the cost of the displeasure of others whom he abandons. His anxieties are numerous, and his sorrows are many.

As for what he suffers from them, along with this great tribulation that he exposes himself to, and what he forsakes of the pleasure of God Almighty in this world and the Hereafter — for indeed their praise does not increase him in lifespan, nor in provision, nor in the diversion of affliction, nor in the attraction of well-being, nor in the repelling of anything detested from what God Almighty has decreed.

As for coveting what is in their hands — he shall not obtain what has not been decreed for him, even if he had already obtained something. What has been decreed for him he would have obtained as a lofty station had he devoted his worship sincerely to his Lord, to attain what was decreed for him. But instead he nullified his deeds and exposed himself to the loathing of his Lord and deprivation of His reward, without any increase in provision or lifespan, and without attracting any benefit in religion or worldly life beyond what was decreed for him. So how can a person of intellect renounce that which harms him in his Hereafter and his worldly life without attracting any benefit in his present life?

As for the blameworthy one: God does not send down upon him any affliction that He has not decreed for him, nor would what has not been decreed reach him.

And nothing of blame reaches him except that which, had he been sincere, that blame would have been more severe.

Perhaps He is able to cast His denial into their hearts, so they blame him when he fled from their blame.

He does not avert anything out of fear of their blame — neither regarding the outcome nor regarding provision — and he does not cut short any appointed term that the Most Merciful, Mighty and Exalted, has decreed.

So his works are rendered void without any warding off of a detested affliction, and without any removal of a feared decree; and what has not been decreed is never a calamity at all.

So how would a rational person not renounce these traits when he knows their harm, and that he attains no benefit in his worldly life through any of them, and that God's decree is already settled, and that these three traits are deception and delusion — they cause the greatest harm and benefit nothing whatsoever?

So when this servant understands what I have described to him — that his works are rendered void, his reward is nullified, his concerns are scattered, he exposes himself to the encounter of his Lord, Mighty and Exalted, and his qalb (heart) is veiled from goodness coming from God, Mighty and Exalted — without any increase in benefit and without any warding off of harm, he renounces the three traits and does not cling to them.

And how would a rational person cling to them when they harm him — the greatest, most enormous harm — without gaining any benefit?

The most important of these is that God casts into the hearts of people the lying of this dissembler and his riya' (ostentation), so people blame him precisely from the direction in which he intended their praise.

That is to say: what has not been decreed cannot be — it is not valid that it should be something detested. And what God has decreed — it is not possible that it should be detested, because the believer loves to be content with withholding and giving, and upon this he stands firm on the road of noble character. He is generous toward creation in his presence; he does not desire from them any good, and he does not flee from any evil.

...repelling harm.

This would not occur after this clarification except from the foolish and the insane.

...some of his limbs, or kills his child, without gaining any benefit and without repelling any harm.

The Prophet has narrated what makes all of that clear for you, along with what God, Exalted and Glorified, has revealed in His Book: that he was composing poetry with a man, and he said: "If my praise adorns, then my blame disfigures." He said: "That is God, Exalted and Glorified."

So when it was established that no one's praise adorns except the praise of God, Exalted and Glorified, and no one's blame disfigures except His blame, and this was settled in the mind of the intelligent servant, his praiser and his blamer became equal in the obedience of God, Exalted and Glorified. Nothing contended with him except his natural disposition (tab'), which he had subdued with his intellect and overcome with his knowledge.

Moreover, even if their praise benefited him and their blame harmed him, he would have been ignorant to seek praise and flee from blame, because he would be making people think that he desires their praise, since his true intention regarding them is concealed in his qalb (heart) — whether he loved their praise or not.

So the matter outwardly — in the sight of the servants — is one thing, but in the sight of God, Exalted and Glorified, it is not one thing. Outwardly he is purified, but inwardly he is inwardly filthy, corrupt of heart, harboring in his heart intentions regarding them that he does not reveal to them, so that they praise him or blame him.

even if he concealed ikhlas (sincerity) by the will of God, Exalted and Majestic, «alone», the matter would have been one and the same in their estimation. Rather, had they been shown what was in his heart, they would have known that he desires one of them to obey his Lord, or covetousness for what is in their hands, or fear of their blame. They would have detested him for that, along with his exposing himself to the detestation of God, Exalted and Majestic, for nothing in religion is of any significance except what one holds in one's heart, and its meaning is nothing but tribulation — in this world and the Hereafter — tomorrow before God, Exalted and Majestic.

If he were to gain benefit and adornment through their praise, and harm and disgrace through their blame, he would have already erred from the path — seeking praise and fleeing from disgrace.

So how then, when no one's praise benefits except God, and no one's blame harms except God, Exalted and Majestic? For He has no partner in His dominion, and no one directs anything contrary to what He wills in His sovereignty.

This, then, is what diminishes what the nafs (the self) hopes for from these traits, and magnifies the knowledge of their harmfulness. When this knowledge becomes firmly established, it bequeaths to the qalb (the heart) zuhd (renunciation) in them and rejection of them, and so the promptings of riya' (ostentation) in one's heart are weakened when they arise from one's self and one's enemy. The natural disposition is broken, the enemy is feared, ikhlas (sincerity) becomes firmly rooted, action is purified, the heart is cleansed, and the servant becomes worthy of turning from God, Exalted and Majestic, and of His assistance to him. His concern becomes unified, and he becomes single-minded in his dealings with his Creator and Master. He finds rest from the blameworthy scatteredness of dealing with creation, and he is liberated from the humiliation of ostentation — and from his abasement before the servants, and his preoccupation with pleasing one while angering another — because dealing with creation is ultimately meaningless, whereas dealing with God, Exalted and Majestic, contains the good of this world and the Hereafter.

Chapter on the Explanation of What One Shows Off in, of Deeds, Clothing, and Other Things

I said: These traits have become contemptible in my estimation, and the wretchedness of those who hold them as beliefs has become clear, along with the deficiency of their intellect and understanding of their Lord, Exalted and Majestic. So inform me about the things one shows off with — that by which one adorns oneself through these

Looking at the Arabic source and the footnote definitions, I need to find where should be placed.

is defined as "All the variants [damaged]." — Looking at the Arabic source, the footnote marker (0) appears after "اهلك ةا ق رافال" which corresponds to a note about variants being damaged. In the Arabic, this marker appears near the line about five things ("ءايشأ ةسخ"). The current text already has after "five" in the line "He said: The one who shows off (riya') and the things by which one adorns oneself are five:"

Now checking — it's already placed after "'Isa".

And — it's already placed after "Exalted and Glorified".

All three footnote markers are already present in the body text. The translation appears to already have all the footnote reference markers correctly inserted. Let me re-read the task to make sure I'm not missing something.

Re-reading carefully — yes, all three markers , , and are already in the text. The text is complete as-is.

The third matter: what is it? Is it of one type, or of various types?

He said: The one who shows off (riya') and the things by which one adorns oneself are five:

The servant shows off by his body, by his speech, by his deeds, and by others among his companions and relatives.

Thus he shows off through obedience in these five things.

Likewise the people of this world: they show off for worldly gain through these five matters, except that this is less evil than showing off through obedience.

Showing Off by the Body

As for the body, the servant shows off by it from the aspect of religion.

He shows off with emaciation and yellowing of complexion so that people may suppose in him exertion, grief, or khawf (fear).

He shows off with weakness of voice, sunkenness of eyes, and dryness of lips, so that people may infer from this that he is fasting.

As it is narrated from Abu Hurayra, and narrated from 'Isa, peace be upon him, that he said:

"When one of you fasts, let him oil his head, comb his hair, and apply kohl to his eyes" — fearing that they might show off through what appears on the complexion of their faces that indicates their fasting.

Ibn Mas'ud, may God be pleased with him, said: "They would rise in the morning oiled and groomed."

Likewise, the yellowing of complexion indicates fasting, standing in night prayer, griefs and sorrows, and that signifies devotion and longing toward the Most Merciful, Exalted and Glorified.

And that is because of the firmness of endurance and the clarity of complexion. As for the people of this world: «they show off with fatness» and clarity of complexion and erectness of stature. And that is lighter than showing off with religion.

[Showing Off with Attire]

As for attire: the servant shows off by disheveling the head, and a weary appearance of the eyes, and shaving the mustache, and uprooting the hair or parting it — manifesting thereby the imitation of the Prophet's ﷺ attire, and the mark of prostration, and coarseness of clothing and its thickness and rolling it up, and shortening the hems, and patching the sandals and fashioning them after the style of the people of religion, and leaving the garment unrefined, and all manner of taqashshuf (austere shabbiness) according to his standing in worship and the standing of his companions — for the reciters in this matter are of various types.

Among them is he who desires that praise be combined for him in both religion and worldly life: so he wears fine garments and rolls them up, and wears fine sandals and fashions them in a manner unlike the common people's imitation of the style of the people of religion, along with their fineness; and he wears a fine cloak and does not twist it [TN: i.e., does not rumple it], or he twists it if his companions would not accept anything other than that — fine garments that are acceptable among the people of religion and the people of worldly life.

He desires that his companions, the reciters, the kings, the wealthy among the merchants and others praise him. The attire of the reciters is not in the fineness of the garments of the wealthy, yet he has combined the style of the people of worldly life with worldly life, so as to gain favor with the people of religion and worldly life.

And among them is he who loves that the kings, sultans, and reciters venerate him for his religion, and it gains currency among all people; so he draws near to the sultan on the pretext of religion, and fulfills the needs of the people of religion and their scholars — as contrivance and adornment.

seeking closeness through obedience in the sight of the people of guidance, and whose face is disgraced in the sight of the people of falsehood and the people of untruth.

And among them are those who meet these people with what they love, and meet those people with what they love — and this is the worst faction among the people of riyā' (ostentation) — contriving to draw near to the people of each group with what is valued among them.

And among them are those for whom a way has been made that delights them, yet they are unable to shift away from that which they have grown accustomed to and become known for in their religion with respect to outward appearance. So among them is one who wears wool and coarse, lowly garments, and if it were said to him, "Wear fine cotton, or soft quality fabric, or thin delicate cloth," it would be for him close to slaughter — out of aversion to people saying: "He has slackened from his path and inclined toward the world after his asceticism."

And if it were said to the people of the middle rank — those who wear the middling cotton garments — to wear fine thin garments, and quality thin cloaks, and elevated thin cloaks, or fine thin linen, it would be for him close to slaughter — out of aversion to it being said: "He has inclined toward the world and desired it."

Likewise, if it were said to the people of this rank to wear wool and tattered, filthy garments, that would distress them — out of aversion to the people of the world scorning them and looking upon them with contempt. He does not wish to be scorned, and he wishes to be praised for having the appearance of the righteous, yet he is unable to change that appearance to something higher than it — out of aversion to being suspected of desire for the world.

And likewise the people of riyā' (ostentation) who wear fine, elevated garments — if it were said to them, "Shift to wool and coarse clothing," they would not do so, lest they lose their standing in the presence of kings, and in the presence of the sultan, the judges, and the people of wealth.

Looking at the Arabic source, I need to find where the footnote markers (١), (۲), and (۳) appear and match them to the corresponding locations in the English translation.

In the Arabic, the bracketed phrases that correspond to footnotes 1 and 2 are:
- (لجأ نم) = "(for the sake of)" — footnote 1 (ط نم تطقسا)
- (ايندلا لهأ نم) = "(gatherings) among the people of this world" — footnote 2 (ط نم طقس)

Footnote 3 appears at the very end of the page, related to the Muhasibi/Shafi'i discussion about raising hands, which connects to "raising the hands before and after bowing."

Now let me insert the markers:

Likewise, they do not shift to the adornment of kings in wearing dyed garments, fine fabrics, and cutting of cloth, lest they lose standing among the qurra' (reciters/scholars of religion), and people would blame them and say: "They have turned back from their path and stripped themselves of the way of the reciters." All of that is (for the sake of) maintaining standing through religion before all groups.

As for riya' (showing off) through worldly things, one makes a display before worldly people at their (gatherings) among the people of this world with fine garments, contrary to the adornment of religion, by lengthening the cut of cloth, dyed cloaks, fine fabrics, and other such things.

Showing Off Through Speech

As for showing off through speech: it is by speaking with wisdom, establishing proof in argumentation, memorizing hadith, clarifying proof, understanding in public matters, manifesting the remembrance of God—Mighty and Majestic—with the tongue, commanding what is right, forbidding what is wrong, softening the voice during conversation, beautifying the voice in recitation, and making it sorrowful—so as to indicate by that a state of fearfulness.

And one shows off before the people of this world through eloquence, forcefulness of argument in discourse regarding rights and other matters, beauty of voice, memorization of poetry, beauty of voice with poetry and song, strength of voice, and knowledge of grammar and rare expressions.

Showing Off Through Deeds

The religiously devout person shows off through his deeds: he shows off by prolonging the prayer, the balance of standing upright in it, composure, elongating the bowing and prostration, intensity of khushu' (humble submissiveness) in it, making the recitation sorrowful, placing the right foot over the left, aligning the two feet, spreading the arms apart in bowing and prostration, and raising the hands before and after bowing.

[damaged]

relaxing the limbs and lowering the head, and composure in walking and humility (ikhbāt) [TN: deep humility before God] when encountering others, and clinging to dignity when asking questions.

The Varieties of Riyā' (Ostentation)

Among them is a group who desire thereby to combine religion and worldly gain.

She walks hurriedly for her need, and conceals herself likewise, until some of the people of this world notice her, whereupon she draws her steps close together, slows her walking, and lowers her head. Then when she has passed beyond them, she returns to her other manner.

This is like the man who walks hurriedly for his need, or who sits turning about and walks about, and then some of the people of this world and the people of religion — those whom he loves to look upon him with the eye of khushū' (reverent awe), composure, and dignity, and not to look upon him as light in his gait or heedless in his turning about — catch sight of him. So when they catch sight of him, he becomes calm in his walking, lowers his gaze, and draws his steps close together.

Likewise, he abandons turning about and produces a khushū' that was not upon him before, for he did not have reverent awe out of remembrance of the greatness of God, Mighty and Glorious, nor out of remembrance of the Hereafter. Rather, it is a reverent awe he produced for those among creation who observed him.

Some of the people of religion also show off before others among the people of religion — the scholars and the company of those who are above them in acts of obedience and knowledge. So he walks with the common person or the worshipper so that it may be said: "So-and-so visits so-and-so and walks with him," or so that it may be said: "So-and-so is the companion of so-and-so." And he increases his frequent visits and mentions him often in his speech, so that he may be marked by his love.

I have thus made clear to you altogether the foundations of the traits for which the ostentatious ones (al-murā'ūn) show off.

They differ among themselves in that, some without others.

Among them are those who intend by that for people to recognize his worth.

And among them are those who intend, along with the recognition of worth, to spread among them fair praise and commendation.

And among them are those who intend by that prominence and fame throughout the lands, and praise and commendation, and that people travel to him.

And among them are those who intend by that influence with kings and the sultan, and the fabrication of testimonies.

And among them are those who intend by that to be trusted, so that he may hoard wealth and oppress rights. These are the most evil of the sects.

Chapter on What Negates Riya' (Ostentation)

I said: What negates ostentation until the servant is freed from it?

He said: The negation of ostentation is of two meanings. The first: negating what has already been accepted of ostentation and to which one has inclined. The second: negating the passing thought through repulsion, without accepting it.

I said: I ask you about all of them together, and I will begin with the negation of the passing thought.

He said: The passing thought cannot but come either from the enemy [i.e., Satan] or from the desire of the nafs (self). The first of its [forms]: ostentation through the mention of people's awareness, or their knowledge, or the hope of their awareness or their knowledge. The second: the desire for their praise, or the caution against their blame. And a single passing thought may combine the mention of their knowledge and the desire for their praise together.

The third: the invitation to speech, and the resolve upon that, and the inclination toward it.

The strongest of people in negation is the one who repels at the first passing thought by reminding of the generality of creation and being content with the generality of

Looking at the Arabic source, I need to find where footnote should be placed. The Arabic footnote (۳) refers to text between brackets (نیب ام نيیترصاحلا), meaning "What is between the two brackets is omitted from manuscript ط."

Looking at the Arabic source text, I can see ()ةرارمو( which shows parenthetical brackets around a word. In the English translation, this corresponds to "the bitterness" — looking more carefully at the passage: "the sweetness of love of praise and the bitterness and revulsion of blame in his heart."

The Arabic shows (ةرارمو) in brackets, meaning "and the bitterness" is the bracketed text. In the English, this would be "and the bitterness" — so should be placed after that bracketed content.

Looking at the English text: "So the sweetness of love of praise and the bitterness and revulsion of blame in his heart fill it" — the bracketed portion in Arabic is (ةرارمو) = "and the bitterness". So should go after "the bitterness."

Here is the complete updated translation:

the Creator.

And the one that follows it in strength is: the repeller at the time of incitement toward praise and intimidation away from blame, through desire for reward and dread of the Recompenser's censure.

And the third is: the one that repels when it calls to acceptance after the stirring of desire and dread regarding praise and blame.

I said: How then does one repel the intruder at the occurrence of these three passing thoughts?

He said: One negates all of that through knowledge and aversion — whether they come together or separately — and if one does not negate them, it is riyā' (ostentation).

He said: If one was averse to ostentation in the totality of his heart's resolve, then ostentation intruded upon him while he was rational, he would recognize that this is the ostentation that nullifies deeds, and he would flee to his Lord and feel ashamed, and he would employ the prior aversion in the totality of his heart's resolve and his innermost conscience, without needing to be reminded.

For the passing thought comes with the call to ostentation through incitement toward praise and attaining worldly gain, and through intimidation and warning against blame and reproach. So the sweetness of love of praise and the bitterness and revulsion of blame in his heart fill it, and there remains no empty space in the heart through which he might be reminded that this is what nullifies his deeds.

It is like the one who harbors enmity: he intends that if he becomes angry, he will restrain himself and will not requite with what God, exalted and glorified, detests. But when he becomes enraged, fury fills his heart, and he forgets his resolve, and there remains no empty space in his heart through which he might be reminded of what he had previously resolved regarding restraint.

So just as fury fills his heart, likewise the sweetness of desire fills his heart, and he forgets the remembrance of his Lord.

It is reported from Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah, may God be pleased with him, who said: "The Messenger of God ﷺ took our pledge of allegiance under the tree that we would not flee and he did not take our pledge that we would die." He said: "So it [the pledge] was truly fulfilled on the Day of Hunayn, but we forgot it, and a call was made to the companions of the tree, and we returned."

Rage is only, by analogy, like the heart's being filled with the sweetness of desire, which is one of the creatures.

So the servant forgets his resolve and the prior aversion to riya' (showing off) in the totality of his heart's resolve, and it does not negate that. And the generality of forbidden deeds is likewise (of this category).

Likewise with that which presents itself to him while the remembrance of riya' is not with him — there is no loss of ma'rifa (knowledge), for when it presented itself to him, he had ceased from the initial aversion and did not employ it, because he had only advanced it in the totality of his inner resolve, to employ it at the moment the intruding thought arose, so as to impel him not to accept it. Then he abandoned it at the time he needed it and at the very place for which he had prepared it. This is because that aversion was from the servant's resolve upon ikhlas (sincerity) and the abandonment of riya' before the deed — that he would be sincere and would not show off — when he performed a deed of obedience to his Lord, Mighty and Majestic.

So he advanced the aversion to riya' before the deed in order to employ it at the time of the deed, but he squanders it through his forgetfulness of standing with the right of his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, in his innermost being.

As for the loss of knowledge — he forgot the initial aversion.

And he may remember and thus recognize that what presented itself was an intruding thought, and a caller to that which would nullify his deed, and that it is the riya' which he had been forbidden from. But his caprice and his desire overpower him, so he does not reject that and does not abhor it due to the dominance of hawa (caprice) and the scarcity of the arousal of khawf (fear).

As for his becoming distracted from it after knowledge —

As for one who defers repentance from that, accepts riya' (ostentation), and acts upon it—

he is like a man who conceals himself with speech in which there is no meaning he intends other than the created beings, and he becomes aware of that, yet he proceeds in his speech and does not negate it from his qalb (heart) nor falls silent from his speech.

Likewise: he goes to a place where there is no benefit for him other than the created beings, desiring the praise of one of them or their benefit through obedience to his Lord—such as going to a public gathering or a gathering from the gatherings of remembrance. And likewise in prayer: ostentation occurs to him, he recognizes it, and he acts upon it.

And likewise: when going, speaking, and acting are presented to him before he enters into them, and ostentation occurs to him, and he recognizes it in his heart, and he enters into acting upon that, and does not forbid his soul from that.

As for the one who does not recognize it when it is presented to him, his initial aversion was effaced when he inclined to acceptance and the commitment to ostentation.

And as for the one who recognized it and then did not dislike it—his recognition was a proof against him, for when God, Exalted and Glorified, reminded him, He alerted him and admonished him, and made him recognize what was presented to him of the ostentation that nullifies his deed. Yet he inclined to the prompter of ostentation and accepted it after knowledge and recognition, due to the overpowering of his caprice and desire. So of what benefit are recognition and aversion to him when they parted ways at the moment the prompter to ostentation arose?

Likewise, it is narrated from al-Hasan, who said: "The servant never ceases —what good is knowledge that corrupts his deed?"

Among them are those for whom what they are engaged in is adorned so that they see themselves as correct.

And among them are those whom their desire overpowers after knowledge and recognition.

That is also without any pleasure therein.

And before that, there was no acquaintance with the summoner (al-dā'ī), nor remembrance with it, nor love of oneself by which the summoner [calls].

When the summoner to ostentation (riyā') presents itself, he recognizes it as ostentation, then detests it, fleeing from it, with aversion to it.

And in that there are transmitted reports that contain proof and evidence that aversion and refusal to accept what ostentation presents suffice to repel ostentation, and the aspirant (al-murīd) is not capable of more than that, nor has God burdened him with anything beyond it.

Among that is what is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ when his Companions, may God be pleased with them, complained to him and said: "O Messenger of God, something occurs in our hearts such that «if one of us were to fall from the sky and be snatched by birds, or the winds were to blow him to a far-off place» [22:31], that would be dearer to us than to speak of it." He said: "Have you indeed found that? That is manifest faith." He did not mean the whisperings (al-waswās) themselves, but rather he meant their refusal and their aversion to accepting them, to the point that they chose to fall rather than speak of them, and they would cut themselves off [from such thoughts] and not utter them, out of their detestation of them.

If refusal and aversion deliver one from the whisperings concerning God, Mighty and Glorious, then [they deliver] from the whisperings regarding ostentation all the more and more assuredly. For whatever is sufficient to repel the greater and more abundant is all the more sufficient to repel the lesser and smaller. Even though ostentation is grave, the whispering concerning God, Mighty and Glorious, at its occurrence is [still] minor [compared to acting upon it].

Abū Ḥāzim said: "Whatever is within yourself that you yourself detest for yourself does not harm you." It is from that [same meaning]. And Zayd ibn Usāma said likewise, truthfully: "For what you have detested and refused, you have indeed repelled it, and there remains [only what does not harm]."

as the satisfaction of the Lord, even if the motive was mixed, «Satan whispers» [TN: cf. al-Nas 114:5].

And for this reason, it is narrated concerning religion in its entirety:

In the hadith of Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be pleased with him, that he said to his companions: "All praise belongs to the One who reduced him to mere whispering."

So when the thought of riyāʾ (showing off) presents itself and one recognizes it, then detests it and refuses to accept it — fleeing from it.

And it is inevitable that detestation combined with refusal to accept it will occur, because inclining toward riyāʾ — while one detests what persists of it — necessitates diminishing it. What is meant by acceptance is the refusal accompanied by detestation of it.

This is because riyāʾ is only accepted through two qualities: the soul's desire for it and craving. And there must be an opposite of these two: so detestation becomes the opposite of craving, and refusal becomes the opposite of desire. At that point the servant is saved from riyāʾ.

If you say: How can I detest what I desire and crave?

[Know that] God placed in you an instinct by which you love what agrees with you and gives you pleasure, and a detestation of what opposes you and hurts you.

And He placed in you an instinct of reason for its love.

So He joined with the instinct of love for what agrees and hatred for what opposes — Satan, who adorns the worldly life for him and distracts him from the Hereafter.

And He joined with the general intellect, the Book, and the Sunna — the adornment of the Hereafter for him and the making of the worldly life hateful to him.

So when the thought presents itself, the soul recalls its knowledge of what accords with it from praise and commendation — [from]