Showing off and the salaf

A 3

The month of Ramadan is here which means we should be increasing in good deeds and acts of worship but we must be attentive and alert so to make sure that we don’t fall into ar-riya and showing off with your good deeds

Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said, speaking about the striving of the Salaf in hiding their deeds:

"A man would have gathered the Qur'ān (i.e. memorised it) whilst his neighbour would be unaware.

Another man would have learnt a lot of Fiqh whilst the people would be unaware.

A man would be praying lengthy prayers in his house, whilst he has guests, and they would not even realise.

Indeed, I came across a people, there was not a single deed on the face of the earth which could be done in secret, that they ever did it in public!"

[Al-Zuhd, p. 35-36]

Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله said:

إن كان الرجل ليجلس مع القوم يرون أنه عيي وما به عي إنه لفقيه مسلم

"If a man sits among the people, and they perceive him to be ignorant, when in fact he is not ignorant, then this is truly the Muslim who posesses understanding (of the religion)

[Al-Zuhd, p. 320]

وفيك بارك الله

In essence, it is about how the Salaf strove to hide and conceal their deeds, unlike us where we want everyone to know our achievements and accomplishments. They did not want fame and 'clout'. Rather they were sincere.

And due to their sincerity, Allāh raised their status in the Ummah. May Allāh have mercy upon them all.

The second post is about how someone can be a person of knowledge, and no one even realises they're a person of knowledge.

That means this person has gone to great lengths to conceal their deed of seeking knowledge and also does not speak in a way that allows others to realise he is far above them in knowledge, and this is something that can only be achieved with immense knowledge and sincerity.