Bismillah hir Rahmaan Nir Raheem
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu
Admiring oneself after doing a good deed
Sometimes a person finds himself filled with self-admiration or showing off
after doing a good deed or act of worship, and he is scared that this will
cancel out what he has done. What do you advise?
Praise be to
Allaah.
If a person feels self admiration after doing something good or fears that he
may show off, he should ward that off and resist it by seeking refuge with
Allaah from it, and saying “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana
a’lam, wa’staghfiruka lima laa a’lam (O Allaah, I seek refuge with you from
knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for that
of which I am unaware)” – as was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
These kind of feelings happen to everyone, but you have to try to be sincere
towards Allaah, seek His forgiveness, and remember that there is no strength
and no power except with Allaah; if it were not for the help of Allaah, you
would not have been able to do this good deed, so to Allaah be praise in the
beginning and at the end.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh ibn
Jabal: “O Mu’aadh, by Allaah indeed I love you, and I advise you, O Mu’aadh, do
not forget at the end of every prayer to say: Allaahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika
wa shukrika wa husni ‘ibaaditika (O Allaah, help me to remember You, give
thanks to You and worship You in the best way).” (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu
Dawood, al-Nasaa’i, and others; it is saheeh).
Do not forego doing good deeds for fear of showing off, because this is one of
the tricks that the Shaytaan uses to weaken people’s resolve and stop them from
doing things that Allaah loves and is pleased with.
As for merely feeling happy that one has done a good deed, this does not
contradict sincerity and faith, for Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
“Say: “In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur’ân);
—therein let them rejoice.” That is better than what (the wealth) they amass”
[Yoonus 10:58] – meaning, if he attains guidance, faith and righteous deeds,
and the mercy resulting from that overwhelms him and he feels joy and success
as a result. Hence Allaah commanded us to rejoice over such things.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “If your good deeds make you happy and your bad deeds make you
sad, then you are a believer.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Majaah and others from
the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah; it is a saheeh hadeeth).
By the same token, if people praise you for your good deed, then this is a
portion of the glad tidings of the Hereafter, which Allaah gives a person in
this world. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
was asked, “What do you think if a man does a good deed and the people praise
him for it?” He said: “That is the portion of the glad tidings for the believer
which he is given in this world.” (Narrated by Muslim
from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him).
So this praise is a sign that Allaah is pleased with him and loves him, so He
makes him dear to other people.
We ask Allaah to make our intentions and deeds right.
Reference: Masaa’il wa Rasaa’il by Muhammad al-Mahmood al-Najdi, p. 21
Surah Isra 17 verse 80 Say: "O my Lord! let my entry be by the Gate of Truth
and Honor and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honor; and grant me
from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."
Ameen,Thumameen. Transliteration :Wa qur rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqiw wa
akhrijni mukhraja sidqiw wa-j'al li mil
ladunka sulta_nan nasira_(n).
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