Ash-Shirk al-Asghar (Minor Shirk)

Mahmood ibn Lubayd reported,“Allaah’s Messenger (ρ) said: The thing I fear for you the most is ash-shirk al-asghar (minor shirk). The companions asked O Messenger of Allaah, what is minor shirk? He replied, ‘Ar-Riyaa’ (showing off), for verily Allaah will say onthe Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, “Go to thosefor whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any
reward from them."Reported by Ahmad, at-Tabaraanee and al-Bayhaqee in az-Zuhd, See Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, p.118.

Mahmood ibn Lubayd also said, “The Prophet (ρ) came out and announced, ‘O
people, beware of secret shirk!’ The people asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what
is secret shirk?’ He replied, ‘When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify
his prayer because people are looking at him, that is secret shirk.’”Collected by Ibn Khuzaymah.


Ar-Riyaa’
Riyaa’ is the practice of performing any of the various forms of worship in
order to be seen and praised by people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in
righteous deeds and brings on the one who commits it a serious punishment. It is
particularly dangerous, because it is natural for man to desire and enjoy the praise
of his fellow men. Doing religious acts to impress people or in order to be praised
by them is, therefore, an evil which deserves man’s utmost caution. This danger is
really significant to the believers, whose goal is to make all of the acts of their
lives religious acts dedicated to God. In fact, the likelihood that knowledgeable
true believers would commit ash-shirk al-akbar is small, since its pitfalls are so
obvious. However, for the true believer like everyone else, the chance of
committing riyaa’s is great because it is so hidden. It only involves the simple act
of changing one’s intention. The motivating forces behind it are also very strong,
since it comes from man’s inner nature. Ibn ‘Abbaas alluded to this reality when
he said, “Shirk is more hidden than a black ant creeping on a black stone in the
middle of a moonless night.”Reported by Ibn Abee Haatim and quoted in Tayseer al-Azeed al-Hameed, p.587.

Thus, great care has to be taken to ensure that one’s intentions begin pure and
remain pure whenever righteous deeds are being done. In order to ensure this, the
saying of Allaah’s name is enjoined in Islaam before all acts of importance. A
series of du’aas (informal prayers) have also been prescribed by the Prophet (ρ)
before and after all natural habits like eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, and even
going to the toilet, in order to turn these everyday habits into acts of worship and
develop in Muslims a keen awareness of Allaah. It is this awareness, called
taqwaa, which ultimately insures that intentions remain pure.

The Prophet (ρ) also provided protection against the inevitable acts of
shirk by teaching certain specific prayers which may be said anytime. Abu
Moosaa said, “One day Allaah’s Messenger delivered a sermon, saying, ‘O
people, fear shirk for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.’ Those whom
Allaah wished asked, ‘And how do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the
creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He replied, ‘Say:

"Allaahumma innaa na‘oodhu bika an nushrika bika shay’an na‘lamuh, wa
nastaghfiruka limaa laa na‘lamuh".
(O Allaah, we seek refuge in You from knowingly committing shirk with You, and we ask Your forgiveness for what we do it unknowingly).”Collected by Ahmad and at-Tabaraanee