Dua Against Showing Off
3 Things to Know About Sincerity
Showing off in worship, known as riya, is a hidden danger that can nullify good deeds, and the believer turns to Allah, asking Him to protect them from associating anything with Him and to grant them sincerity. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) called riya the hidden shirk and taught a beautiful supplication seeking refuge in Allah from associating anything with Him knowingly and seeking His forgiveness for what is done unknowingly. The dua against showing off asks Allah to purify the intention and to keep the deeds for His sake alone.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ
Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika an ushrika bika shay’an wa ana a‘lam, wa astaghfiruka lima la a‘lam.
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.”
Sincerity, known as ikhlas, means doing every deed purely for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure rather than the praise of people. This guide explains the dua against showing off and three things to know about sincerity, so that the believer may guard their deeds from riya, ask Allah to purify their intention, and remember that Allah accepts only what is done sincerely for Him, and that the deeds done to be seen by people gain nothing but the fleeting praise they sought.
Refuge from the Hidden Shirk
The Prophet (pbuh) warned the companions of the hidden shirk, which is showing off in worship, and taught them the beautiful supplication quoted above, seeking refuge in Allah from associating anything with Him knowingly and seeking His forgiveness for what is done unknowingly. This supplication guards against riya, the subtle sin of performing deeds to be seen by people. By reciting it, the believer asks Allah to keep their worship sincere and free of any showing off.
Riya is called the hidden shirk because it secretly directs an act of worship toward the praise of people instead of Allah, corrupting the intention behind the deed. It can creep into even the most outwardly righteous acts, which is why the Prophet (pbuh) feared it for his companions and taught this refuge. The dua against showing off draws on this, asking Allah to purify the intention, to keep the deeds for His sake alone, and to forgive any hidden showing off the believer is unaware of.
Three Things to Know About Sincerity
Sincerity keeps the deeds for the sake of Allah alone. These three things help the believer guard against showing off.
- Seek refuge in Allah from showing off, the hidden shirk, and ask Him to purify your intention.
- Do every deed for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure rather than the praise of people.
- Remember that Allah accepts only what is done sincerely for Him.
لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ
Liya‘budullaha mukhlisina lahud-din
Worship Allah sincerely devoting the religion to Him
Keeping Deeds for the Sake of Allah
The dua against showing off asks Allah to purify the intention and keep the deeds for His sake alone. By seeking refuge in Allah from showing off, doing every deed for His sake, and remembering that He accepts only what is sincere, the believer guards against riya in the best way. Showing off is the hidden shirk that can nullify deeds, and the believer who asks Allah to purify their intention and seeks His pleasure rather than the praise of people keeps their worship sincere and accepted.
This supplication pairs naturally with the dua against arrogance and the dua for truthfulness. Together they help the believer purify the heart and keep the deeds sincere for Allah.
The Prophet (pbuh) taught a refuge from the hidden shirk, which is showing off in worship. Learn the duas for life with us on YouTube, where the supplications are recited aloud, on TikTok for a reminder to seek sincerity, and on Pinterest where readers share how they keep their deeds for Allah.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dua against showing off is the refuge the Prophet (pbuh) taught: Allahumma inni audhu bika an ushrika bika shayan wa ana alam, O Allah I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.
Riya is showing off in worship, performing deeds to be seen and praised by people rather than for the sake of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) called it the hidden shirk because it secretly directs worship away from Allah.
Because it can nullify good deeds and corrupts the intention behind them, secretly directing worship toward the praise of people instead of Allah. It can creep into even outwardly righteous acts, which is why the Prophet (pbuh) feared it.
Sincerity, or ikhlas, means doing every deed purely for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure rather than the praise of people. Allah accepts only what is done sincerely for Him, and sincerity is the soul of every accepted deed.
By seeking refuge in Allah from riya, asking Him to purify your intention, and doing deeds for His sake alone. Renewing the intention, concealing some good deeds, and seeking only the pleasure of Allah help guard sincerity.
The believer renews their sincere intention, continues the good deed for the sake of Allah, and seeks His forgiveness, as the taught supplication asks pardon for what is done unknowingly. The believer does not abandon good deeds out of fear of riya.