Chapter on the Stations and Times of Riya'

— then resolve firmly, with seeking forgiveness and the intention from you not to return to the like of that in deeds.

If you do not find that in your heart, then abandon the deed. If the initial contract was for the sake of creatures, then abandon the deed, with shame before God, Mighty and Glorious, that your soul should be debased by performing the deed for the praise of creatures, and not be debased by performing the deed for the praise of the Creator, Mighty and Glorious.

If the initial contract was for God, Mighty and Glorious, then you wavered after that, then recognize that and feel remorse over it, and return to your original resolve, and act upon it with shame before God, Mighty and Glorious, not seeking the praise of anyone other than Him — even if creatures were to look upon your inner conscience along with it. Rather, even if they were to look upon it, out of fear of their displeasure you would not desire their praise. So feel shame before God, Mighty and Glorious, who surveys you and surveys your heart's turning away from Him toward one who possesses for you neither benefit nor the warding off of harm.

And if they were to look upon your inner conscience, they would be more awe-inspiring to you than He, Majestic and Exalted. So let your shame before Him be greater.

If you are able to increase in deeds out of shame before your Lord, Mighty and Glorious, and as punishment for your soul, then do so.

If a passing thought occurs to you while you are engaged in a deed that you intended for God, Mighty and Glorious — it does not claim upon you that you are an ostentatious person, but rather it warns you of riya' (ostentation) and says: "Abandon it, lest you be showing off" — then that is from the enemy and from the desire of the nafs (soul).

But if a thought occurs that warns you of ostentation and commands you to complete the deed with vigilance so that it may be sound and sincere, then that is an admonition from your Lord, Mighty and Glorious.

Chapter on the Stations of Ostentation and Its Times

I said: Then inform me about the times of the promptings of ostentation, the variation of the stations according to the times of ostentation, and the variation of its stations.

He said: A prompting that occurs — no deed involving ostentation is resolved upon through it, but one wishes that one could

such as raiding, public worship, and jurisprudence — in order to be magnified thereby (among people) and praised for them, and to be magnified and to have (his needs) fulfilled, or to be connected, or to be given.

And there is a passing thought that occurs to him before entering into the deed, wherein he resolves upon it for the sake of riya' (ostentation), and does not resolve upon anything else, intending the limit of created beings. He does not remember at that moment any reward or ikhlas (sincerity).

And there is a passing thought before entering into the deed wherein he resolves upon ostentation, yet without intending the reward thereby, along with the remembrance of sincerity and knowledge of ostentation — yet he is heedless, not intending sincerity, nor alarmed by ostentation after his knowledge of it, and remembering sincerity without distress or aversion to it.

And there is a passing thought that presents itself, and you accept it before entering into the deed, resolving upon ostentation while you are mindful of ostentation and pained by it — yet you do not detest it with a detestation of refusal and abandonment of accepting it, as when you incline toward sin. Rather, it is a detestation on account of love of divine protection from it. Such a person is like the man who persists in sin: he detests it and is grieved by what he sees in himself, due to his knowledge that the angels are present therein, while he remains committed to it.

Likewise, this one intends ostentation and resolves upon it while he loves to be protected from it, yet his caprice has overcome him, and his fear and caution of it have departed from him, and self-struggle has become burdensome upon him.

This one is closer to ceasing than the one I described to you previously, who knows yet does not feel distress over that nor grieve over it.

And there is a passing thought that calls him to ostentation before the deed, along with a prompting thought from God, exalted and glorified, and a seeking of reward. Yet he lacks the intention toward God, exalted and glorified, and the intention toward creation simultaneously: he loves to be praised and rewarded. He intends God, exalted and glorified, and intends creation simultaneously — he loves to be praised and rewarded — he intends God, exalted and glorified, thereby, and intends creation through forgetfulness and the absence of awareness of ostentation.

And likewise a second passing thought (khatra) — he mentions that it is a caller to riya' (ostentation), and he recognizes it, then resolves against it and believes in the desire for reward.

And a passing thought also — he mentions ostentation while believing in the intention for God, Exalted and Glorious, along with pain and love of transition and divine protection.

And a third passing thought — after the resolve for God, Exalted and Glorious, before entering into the act, he adopts ostentation after that ikhlas (sincerity), then enters the act upon something other than that.

And a fourth passing thought — after entering into the act with the intention for God, Exalted and Glorious, alone, he accepts the passing thought of ostentation and adopts it after his entry into the act with sincerity, and he shows off by increasing in the act — such as producing an intensity of humility (khushu') that he did not intend and was not doing before the passing thought; or such as raising the voice in the prayer, or making it sorrowful, or embellishing it; or prolonging the recitation beyond the verses he had intended to recite; or prolonging the bowing and prostration and maintaining equilibrium therein.

And likewise the standing after bowing, and between the two prostrations — lingering in the standing, and raising the hands, and clasping one with the other.

And a passing thought that intrudes after entering into the act with sincerity — he adopts the love of one of them praising him for that act, that is, increasing by embellishment for him, not out of forgetfulness, nor for anyone other than him.

And a passing thought that intrudes after completing the act — so that the desire for their praise arises, and he produces from what came from him so that he may be praised for that.

It has been narrated from Ibn Mas'ud, may God be pleased with him, that he heard a man say: "Last night I recited al-Baqarah." He said: "That is your portion of it."

And it is narrated from 'Ata' about the man who said: "I fasted for an age." He said: "You did not fast

...extinguished, nor [damaged]

Some of them said: Because he innovated it [i.e., introduced it on his own].

And some of them said: Because of the dislike of perpetual fasting.

And a passing thought (khatra) that calls one to refuse that he be spoken to regarding the love of praise — so whatever appears of emaciation of the body, or yellowing of the complexion, or cutting off of the voice, or dryness of the lips, or drying of the saliva, or emerging [from seclusion] looking parched, or traces of tears, or alteration of the eyes, or the overcoming of drowsiness among people — he loves that and is delighted by it, hoping that they will infer from it his [devotional] practice, and so they praise him with [good] opinion and repentance for what appeared from him.

He may also allude through indirect speech, short of explicit declaration, so that they take notice of him, because his nafs (soul) dreads that they think he is showing off (mura'in) if he speaks of it explicitly. He loves that they know what he has done, and so they praise him and commend him and not blame him. So he alludes to it by abandoning explicit statement, out of dislike that they suspect him of riya' (ostentation), while intending that they perceive through the allusion the meaning, and thus praise him for what he had been concealing from them of his obedience to his Lord, Mighty and Glorious.

He may also abandon explicit speech, yet his soul overpowers him with the desire for praise through allusion — and that is a passing thought (khatra) that intrudes upon him regarding that, and he accepts it and acts upon it.

He may also refuse speech, allusion, love, and delight at what has appeared of the signs of his obedience — such as complexion, emaciation, and the like — yet their meeting with him calls them to love of esteeming him for what has appeared to them of his righteousness.

Even if he had passed [his time in devotion] purely for his Lord, Mighty and Glorious, he loves that one begins with greeting him and with cheerfulness. The greatest of his brethren in rank before him is the one who esteems him most for his obedience to his Lord, Mighty and Glorious, and the least of them before him is the one who abandons esteeming him for what is known of him. He becomes angry and vexed at one who does not esteem him and honor him, and he draws near and esteems the one who esteems him for what is known of him.

His annihilation is firmly established out of the desire to maintain standing in their estimation.

And at the moment of returning his greeting with veneration when he greets, and the thought occurs at the moment of asking for a need, and [in] bargaining at the time of purchase, and pardoning him from the price—he inclines toward that, and it is fitting that he do that with him and watch for that from them.

He finds burdensome the one who does not do that with him, and regards lightly the one who does do that with him, and deliberately seeks it in bargaining and in asking for a need, because of what he recognizes of their honoring of him. He rejoices in that, and considers it his right that they should fulfill his needs—even if they see in his brothers what they expect [TN: lit. "watch for"] of his work, or his righteousness, or his piety, or his goodness.

So he is not safe from that nullifying his reward.

It has been narrated from ʿAlī, may God be pleased with him, that he said: Indeed God, blessed and exalted, will say to the Quran-reciters on the Day of Resurrection:

"Was the price not reduced for you? Were you not greeted first with the salutation of peace? Were your needs not fulfilled for you?"

And in another hadith:

"There is no reward for you—I have already exacted [your] wages in full."

And Ibn al-Mubārak narrated from Wahb that a man from among the siyyāḥa (wandering ascetics) said to his companions: We only parted from wealth and children out of fear of tyranny. But we fear that tyranny may have entered upon us in our affair more than what entered upon the people of wealth in their wealth.

Indeed, when one of us meets someone, he loves to be venerated on account of the standing of his religion. And if he is asked a need, he loves that it be fulfilled on account of the standing of his religion. And if he purchases something, he loves to be given a discount on account of the standing of his religion.

So we fear that tyranny may have entered upon us in our affair more than what entered upon the people of wealth in their wealth.

That reached their king, and people rode out to him among the people, and behold the plain and the mountain were filled with people.

The wanderer said: "What is this?" It was said: "This king has oppressed you." So the boy said to him: "Come, let me give you food." And he brought him milk and a broth.

And in the other narration: "olive oil and hearts of trees," and he began to stuff his cheeks and eat ravenously. The king said: "Where is your companion?" They said: "This one." He said: "Are you so-and-so?"

And in one of the two narrations: "Like other people." And in the other he said: "Good." The king said: "There is no good in this one." Then he turned away from him. The wanderer said: "Praise be to God who turned you away from me, while you are blameworthy to me."

So those who work for God, Exalted and Glorious, never cease to deceive the servants regarding their righteous deeds, just as those who work for other than Him deceive regarding their evil deeds — desiring that their righteous deeds remain a secret between them and their Lord, Exalted and Glorious, so that He may reward them for them openly before the heads of the people on the Day of Resurrection.

Chapter on the Description of the Greatest Riya' (Ostentation) and Its Lowest Form

I said: "So inform me about the ostentatious ones — their ranks, the magnitude of their ostentation, its severity, their degrees therein, and who among people is the greatest in ostentation before God, Exalted and Glorious?"

He said: The greatest of the ostentatious before God, Exalted and Glorious, in ostentation is one who shows off with faith while holding to denial, doubt, or suspicion.

And likewise is the hypocrite whom God, Exalted and Glorious, mentioned in more than one place in His Book. God, Exalted and Glorious, said: «And when they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe," but when they are alone they bite their fingertips at you in rage». And the Exalted and Glorious said: «And among people is he whose speech pleases you in the life of this world, and he calls God to witness what is in his qalb (heart), yet he is the fiercest of adversaries. And when he turns away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and to destroy crops and progeny, and God does not love corruption».

And God Most High said regarding that, because it is a lie from them: «When the hypocrites come to you they say: We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of God». And God—Exalted and Glorious—knows that what they said is true, that you are His Messenger, «but God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars» — in their speech, with truthfulness, yet they do not hold that belief in their hearts.

And God Most High said: «And they do not come to prayer except while they are lazy».

And He said: «And when they stand up for prayer, they stand lazily, showing off to the people». It was said in the exegesis of this verse: that it is for other than God—Exalted and Glorious.

And God Most High said: «So woe to those who pray» — to His saying: «Those who are heedless of their prayer», «those who show off» — without genuine belief, but so that people think that he is a believer in the obligatory duties, performing them.

I said: Then who comes after them [in rank]?

He said:

The one who comes after them is lesser than the first group, though it is still grave in the sight of God Most High: the man who shows off with the obligatory act (riya' — ostentation), even though he believes that God Most High is his Lord and that this is an obligation upon him. It is like zakat (alms-tax) — he dislikes paying his wealth when no one sees him, so he says out of dislike of paying it that he should abandon the zakat. And God knows that if he were left alone in that matter, he would not have paid his zakat.

He pays the zakat (alms-tax) on his wealth, but if anyone were to notice him, out of fear that they would take his wealth — or he pays the zakat on his wealth so that if he were to be found safe from the blame of the servants, God Most High would know from him that were it not for the blame of the servants, he would not have purified nor feared for his wealth, nor would his uprightness have fallen away from him.

Likewise with the hajj (pilgrimage) and fasting: there is present with him during the month of Ramadan someone who would notice him if he broke his fast. Were he able to break his fast, he would break it, while he refrains from food, yet the qalb (heart) turns over upon seclusion where he would eat therein, or come to his wife therein, or what is not lawful for him.

Then, the one who follows him does not pay zakat, does not fast, and does not make pilgrimage, yet he lies by his speech, saying: "I have paid zakat, I have made pilgrimage, and I have fasted" — so that he would not be blamed for the abandonment of the obligatory duties.

As for the prayer, he does not pronounce takbir therein except for the sake of God, and he does not pray it except for His sake, yet he may become lazy about it. Nothing bears him to his prayer except the fear of blame, and despite that, he prostrates to none but God, Mighty and Glorious.

He may be among the vile ones who brazenly abandons it, and God knows that were it not for them, he would not have prayed it and would have abandoned it. So he prays it on their account, out of dislike that they would blame him for abandoning it — to the point that he prays without wudu' (ritual ablution), so that they would not blame him.

And were it said to him: "You have prostrated to other than God, Mighty and Glorious, and the world is yours if you did it," he would not have done it.

So he prays out of fear of blame — not for the worship of anyone other than God, Mighty and Glorious — from the aspect of rububiyya (lordship) and uluhiyya (divinity).

He may show off with all the rest of his deeds — the obligatory duty which, had it been hidden from him, he would not have performed it.

That, then, is riya' (ostentation) with the obligatory duty.

Likewise, he maintains ties of kinship, is dutiful to his parents — yet were it not for the one who would know about it, or the complaint of those with claims upon him — he would not have done that.

or holding a differing view, or because of the obligation upon whoever is present to go with him and attend it. And likewise attending the Friday prayer — he goes to it for a need that he prefers over it, or out of laziness in abandoning it, without denial and without doubt.

So riyā' (ostentation) regarding the obligatory duties is not based on the hypocrites' commitment to denial and doubt in the heart, but rather with yaqīn (certainty) that it is forbidden, and that God — exalted and glorified — is not to be doubted therein, and that it is obligatory upon him. However, it is laziness and negligence, so he manifests the performance of the obligatory duties out of dislike of blame and love of praise.

I said: Who comes next?

He said: The one who shows off with the obligatory sunnas (established practices) — such as attending the congregational prayers, were it not for whoever is present with him or checks on him for abandoning them.

Or the abandonment of some prayers at certain times, even though he would perform them at other times for the sake of God — exalted and glorified — so he performs them were it not for whoever is present with him or checks on him for abandoning them, preferring his need over them, or out of laziness regarding them.

Likewise hosting the guest who comes to stay with him, and visiting the sick — [the lost one whom he is obliged to look after, even if he be a strange] — because of the Prophet's saying:

"A Muslim has rights upon another Muslim" — [these being] established practices (sunnas).

Likewise following the funeral procession, and washing the deceased when he is unable to bring someone else to wash him, out of dislike of blame directed at him; and were it not for that, he would not have washed him nor attended his funeral.

And a group who manifest piety by displaying wara' (scrupulous abstinence) — one of them prolongs silence, and refrains from backbiting, and forbids others from it, and withholds from treachery, and fulfills the trust, and seeks forgiveness when a slip appears from one of them, and displays regret and sorrow, and seeks pardon from one whom he has wronged — yet God, exalted and glorified, knows of him that were he alone without that, he would not do it.

And he may indeed be entrusted with that or with part of it, yet he abandons scrupulousness therein. He only does that for the acceptance of testimony from him, or seeking worldly gain, or seeking fine praise, or out of fear of censure.

I said: From the one who relates it?

He said: The one showing off by completing the obligatory acts (fara'id), which, if abandoned, would constitute a deficiency or shortcoming in his obligation. Such as the one who intends to shorten the bowing and prostration, and the lightness of the prayer that necessitates upon him either repetition or diminishment from it — such as lightness of the bowing and prostration, and lightness of sitting upright between the two prostrations, and after his raising from the bowing. If the place is empty for him, he lightens his prayer, but if people see him, he completes it. It has been narrated from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, and it has been reported with a chain going back to the Prophet ﷺ that he said:

"Whoever prays a prayer where people see him and perfects and completes it, but when he is alone he lightens it — that is mockery by which he mocks God, Mighty and Glorious."

And in another hadith he said:

"He mocks himself."

And from Ḥudhayfa likewise the same.

And likewise one who pays the zakāh (obligatory alms) with debased coins, and inferior dates, and poor-quality clothing. He then refrains from that out of fear of people's blame. As God, Mighty and Glorious, said: «And do not aim at the bad thereof to spend from it» [2:267].

It is narrated from ʿUbayda that he said: counterfeit coins and the like.

And Mujāhid and ʿAṭā' said:

They used to hang clusters of inferior dates in the mosque of the Prophet ﷺ for charity, so he forbade them from that and said: «and you would not take it unless you closed your eyes to it» [2:267]. He said: It means — if you had a debt owed to you by someone else, you would not have taken it from him unless you closed your eyes to its poor quality, and you would take it despite its deficiency.

Mujahid said: He says: Do not take it in your marketplace, in your buying, nor from other than you, with an increase over what is good.

And ʿImran ibn Husayn said: If you found in the marketplace what you had taken, until it diminishes from its value.

Likewise he fasts, and remains silent from backbiting in the presence of one who would preserve him from it, and beyond that it is counted as negligence of his fasting.

And lying and [damaged] that is likewise.

I said: Who is the one who follows that?

He said: The one who shows off by completing the obligatory prayer, had he abandoned it and its [damaged] — such as hastening to the opening takbīra (the first "God is greatest"), raising the hands, clasping the left with the right, lowering the head with intensity, stillness and khushūʿ (reverent humility), moderation and composure in the bowing and prostration, and the recitation.

That which he shows of all that — God knows, exalted and majestic is He — that were he alone, his soul would be content to fall short in what none other than Him would suffice him for, and he would not add beyond that.

So when people see him with good character, and he acts and abstains from imitation in it — of raising and other than it.

And much seclusion in the month of Ramadan, and lengthy silence — intending by that to be praised for the intensity of his precaution regarding the obligatory duties.

And likewise in his zakāt (alms-giving), and his expiations, and his vows, and his honoring of his parents, and maintaining kinship ties — he chooses the finest of what is not obligatory upon him of dirhams and food, and the freeing of expensive slaves, and the giving of fine food — desiring praise, that he prefers God in glory and esteem over himself, and distinguishes himself thereby from the common people in the performance of their obligations; and he offers the most meager of things and the most complete of them.

…the intensity of taqwa (God-consciousness) in the presence of one from whom that is feared, and the intensity of silence, and likewise during his hajj (pilgrimage) — the intensity of sincerity in his pilgrimage, and the excellence of companionship toward his travel companion, and the predominance of wara' (scrupulous piety) over him.

If he were left alone, he would only perform what suffices of that, and would not increase beyond that. Were wara' to prevail over him, he would not scruple against eating from a matter that would suffice him if he left it , nor against the neglect of the obligatory duty.

He said: The one who shows off through increase in the obligatory sunnas (established practices) —

Such as hastening to come to the congregational prayer among the first people of the mosque, and the first row, and seeking to be directly facing the imam. Were he left alone, he would not care where he stood. That is because if he were seen to be deficient during the prayer from what he was known for of merit, his merit would diminish in the estimation of those who knew him for his racing toward merit.

Likewise in honoring the guest beyond what suffices, after he has performed what is required of him, so that he may be praised for it.

I said: Who comes after him?

He said: The one who shows off through supererogatory acts of obedience.

He may display the outward appearance of wara' (scrupulous piety) and taqwa (God-consciousness) along with his performance of supererogatory acts, intending by that to contrive toward sin .

He, even if he is worse in state than many of those we mentioned before him — for he shows off through voluntary acts — and even if what is greater in affliction from him is his pursuit of sin, that is indeed grave because he makes obedience to God, exalted and majestic, into a means and a commodity by which he attains acts of disobedience.

He is like a man who seeks the executorship of a will in order to betray it, or who takes money to give in charity to the poor in order to betray them.

a trust, desiring to pass through it . Or a boy whom he desires for that purpose.

This applies to two categories of people: As for the pursuit of licentiousness and others among the people of immorality —

As for his being chosen for the bequest and the wealth, assigning it to the poor, and the trust which he intends to betray, and taking money designated for military expeditions and pilgrimage which he betrays — many are those who display qirā'a (recitation) for that purpose.

And recitation may also be displayed by some of the debauched, who seek boys and women through obedience. He displays the wearing of wool, humility, abundant dhikr (remembrance), the seeking of knowledge, sitting with the people of religion, attending gatherings of remembrance, and other acts of righteousness — so that he may be entrusted and bequeathed to. Or he gives money to the poor, and to the trust which he intends to betray, and he gives what may be used for military expeditions or gives it to one who fights with it.

Likewise one who goes on pilgrimage, and likewise one who trades: he displays adornment with khushū' (humility), dhikr (remembrance), and other such things, so that he is not suspected in his pursuit and thus unable to attain his goal, or so that the woman and the boy feel secure with him — he displays nothing but righteousness and religion.

I said: What follows from this? He said: The one who shows off with supererogatory acts. He may also display tawarru' (scrupulousness) — covering with voluntary worship a sin upon which he is persisting.

If he betrays a trust of money and a claim is made against him, or he usurps money and is suspected of it, he displays khushū' (humility), religiosity, and nusk (devout worship) so that he may be declared innocent in people's hearts and they think well of him — innocence from what is claimed against him, or what he is accused of, or what they suspect of him.

Likewise if he is persisting in licentiousness, he conceals it with supererogatory acts, tawarru' (scrupulousness), and the display of acts of obedience and righteousness, so that suspicions are cut off from them — and if something is said about him or he is accused of it, he is not believed.

I said: What comes next?

He said: The one who shows off with deeds intending nothing but creation — affecting it for the sake of one of them alone, like the one who prays

he sees the worshippers» and fears that it will be said: he is lazy, or he does not persist in prayer. Or he spends the night with a group, and they rise, so he rises out of dislike that they should think he is not among those who rise at night, and that he should be known by that.

Or they are asleep, so he rises and prays so that they may see that he is above them and that he is among those who constantly stand in prayer (qawwamin). And when he does this and is alone, he does not do that — God, Exalted and Glorious, knows that were they not to see him and know what he did, he would not have done it.

Likewise, when people are fasting while they are in one place, and had he been alone he would have broken his fast, but he fasts with them out of anxiety that they would surpass him in fasting and look upon him with the eye of deficiency. So he fasts, yet had he been alone he would have broken his fast. He neither fasted nor volunteered that fast.

Likewise with all the deeds of obedience, including raiding, pilgrimage, and the rest.

Likewise he manifests righteousness and obedience:

so that he is deemed just, and his testimony is accepted, and his needs are fulfilled, and he maintains family ties, and is honored, and esteemed; or so that people speak well of him and he becomes renowned for goodness, or so that he is appointed as a leader over them — and the like. He intends nothing by that except creatures, and he does not consider any reward in his deed, nor in any part of it.

I said: What is incumbent upon him?

He said: The one who shows off through deeds intends God, Exalted and Glorious, and intends other than Him. Were it not for the desire of creatures alone for that, he would not have done it on their account, and had he been alone he would have done it solely for God, Exalted and Glorious. Thus the reward and the praise came together, and he became energized for it.

I said: And who is incumbent upon him? [TN: likely meaning "what applies to the second case?"]

He said: The one who performs the deed desiring the praise of them [i.e., creatures] and the reward, while he is habituated to that act of obedience — that is his intention (niyya).

He said: The one who shows off through voluntary acts in order to attain worldly gain thereby — like a woman who desires him for lawful purposes, or he desires marriage — so he manifests sadness, weeping, storytelling, righteous deeds, and admonishing people, so that she desires him, and he marries her. Many storytellers do this, as is related concerning the Bedouin who emigrated in order to marry Umm Qays.

I said: What follows from this?

He said: The one who shows off (murā'ī) affects supererogatory acts (nawāfil) when he becomes aware of some deficiency in religion in the eyes of others, or he fears that they will perceive that God, exalted and glorified, does not desire him, and he fears thereby that his standing will decline and his condition will change in the hearts in which it had been established.

He is like a man walking hastily or being observed while turning about; if he encounters a distracted person or is observed by one, he becomes tranquil in his gait, assumes humility (khushū'), lowers his gaze, lowers his voice, and relaxes his eyelids, lest the other look at him with the eye of heedlessness and inattention.

That is the showing off of one who supposes himself to be among the elite of the reciters, lest the other look at him with deficiency. Therefore, if some deficiency is noticed in him — from laughter or jesting — he seeks forgiveness, sighs, and grieves out of dislike that it be said: "He is heedless," and so that the other does not look at him with the eye of sorrow and fear. So he seeks forgiveness for what is not a sin, and he displays sorrow, sighing, and remorse in what God, exalted and glorified, desires.

Indeed he knows that God, exalted and glorified, does not punish for that, and it is no sin that he should seek forgiveness for. Rather, it is so that his standing among them does not change in their hearts, where they think of him only as being in a state of brokenness and sorrow. So he becomes agitated at what came from him — out of fear that his standing with them will fall — or he affects the outward display of sorrow, seeking forgiveness, and humility for other than God, exalted and glorified. Were he alone in performing it, he would be joyful and glad, and when the time came to perform it in their presence, he becomes agitated — from his intellect and his knowledge that it would be mere affectation (takalluf) for the servants — and that God, exalted and glorified, does not desire it. Yet his nature overcomes him in the conviction of their approval along with the conviction of reward.

I said: What follows from this?

He said: The one who shows off imagines that he is performing an act of obedience, when in fact he is not.

Like a man who is known for fasting, or others see him as fasting, or they assume he is fasting, so he does not eat or drink out of fear that one who thinks well of him or knows him by that would see him — and he leaves aside water though he is thirsty. He is invited to food, yet he refrains from eating out of love for being seen as fasting, and out of anxiety that it be said: "He has broken his fast," and so they would look at him with deficiency from the virtue of those who fast.

Likewise, the disciples (murīdūn) wish their shaykhs to be in a state that they are not in before other people.