The Book of Belief and Disbelief
Showing off
7ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) إِنَّ الْمَلَكَ لَيَصْعَدُ بِعَمَلِ الْعَبْدِ مُبْتَهِجاً بِهِ فَإِذَا صَعِدَ بِحَسَنَاتِهِ يَقُولُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اجْعَلُوهَا فِي سِجِّينٍ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ إِيَّايَ أَرَادَ بِهَا.
7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Holy Prophet has said, ‘The angel ascends with the good deeds of a servant (of Allah) with happiness and joy and Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will say, ‘Keep them along with the records of evil people; he has not done them for Me.’”
8ـ وَبِإِسْنَادِهِ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) ثَلاثُ عَلامَاتٍ لِلْمُرَائِي يَنْشَطُ إِذَا رَأَى النَّاسَ وَيَكْسَلُ إِذَا كَانَ وَحْدَهُ وَيُحِبُّ أَنْ يُحْمَدَ فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِهِ.
8. He (Ali ibn Ibrahim) has narrated through his chain of narrators the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘A showoff has three signs: he is very active when people are present, very lazy when he is alone and he loves to be praised in all matters.’”
9ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَالِمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَا خَيْرُ شَرِيكٍ مَنْ أَشْرَكَ مَعِي غَيْرِي فِي عَمَلٍ عَمِلَهُ لَمْ أَقْبَلْهُ إِلا مَا كَانَ لِي خَالِصاً.
9. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn Salim who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “I am the best associate (in a deal). Whoever associates others with Me in a deed that he has done, I will not accept it; I accept only what is purely for Me.’”
10ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ أَظْهَرَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا يُحِبُّ الله وَبَارَزَ الله بِمَا كَرِهَهُ لَقِيَ الله وَهُوَ مَاقِتٌ لَهُ.
10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from Dawud from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Whoever shows off to people an act that Allah loves and opposes Allah with what He dislikes (showoff), he will find Allah at war with him.”
11ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ فَضْلٍ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَا يَصْنَعُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ حَسَناً وَيُسِرَّ سَيِّئاً أَ لَيْسَ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ فَيَعْلَمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ وَالله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ بَلِ الإنْسانُ عَلى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ إِنَّ السَّرِيرَةَ إِذَا صَحَّتْ قَوِيَتِ الْعَلانِيَةُ. الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مِثْلَهُ.
11. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Fadl abu al-‘Abbas from abu ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “Why should one of you publicize a good deed and hide an evil one? Can he not find in his own-self that it is not right? Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘In fact, human beings are well aware of their souls.’ (75:14) When the private side is correct, the public side becomes strong.’” Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Fadalah from Mu’awiyah from al-Fudayl from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) a similar Hadith.
12ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ السِّنْدِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُسِرُّ خَيْراً إِلا لَمْ تَذْهَبِ الأيَّامُ حَتَّى يُظْهِرَ الله لَهُ خَيْراً وَمَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُسِرُّ شَرّاً إِلا لَمْ تَذْهَبِ الأيَّامُ حَتَّى يُظْهِرَ الله لَهُ شَرّاً.
12. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Salih ibn Sindy from Ja’far ibn Bashir from Ali ibn abu Hamza from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘Whenever a servant (of Allah) does a good deed secretly, not very long thereafter Allah uncovers for him good rewards. Whenever a servant (of Allah) does an evil deed secretly, very shortly thereafter Allah uncovers for him an evil return and misfortune.’”
13ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ أَرَادَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِالْقَلِيلِ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ أَظْهَرَ الله لَهُ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَرَادَ وَمَنْ أَرَادَ النَّاسَ بِالْكَثِيرِ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ فِي تَعَبٍ مِنْ بَدَنِهِ وَسَهَرٍ مِنْ لَيْلِهِ أَبَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلا أَنْ يُقَلِّلَهُ فِي عَيْنِ مَنْ سَمِعَهُ.
13. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from Yahya ibn Bashir from his father from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Whoever wants Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, with a small deed Allah uncovers for him a reward bigger than what he wanted. Whoever wants people with a great deal of deeds, physical effort, and with, nightly vigil, Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, deems it necessary to belittle it (his effort) in the eyes of those for whom they (the deeds) were meant to be.”
14ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) سَيَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ تَخْبُثُ فِيهِ سَرَائِرُهُمْ وَتَحْسُنُ فِيهِ عَلانِيَتُهُمْ طَمَعاً فِي الدُّنْيَا لا يُرِيدُونَ بِهِ مَا عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يَكُونُ دِينُهُمْ رِيَاءً لا يُخَالِطُهُمْ خَوْفٌ يَعُمُّهُمُ الله بِعِقَابٍ فَيَدْعُونَهُ دُعَاءَ الْغَرِيقِ فَلا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُمْ.
14. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘There will come a time when people will be filthy from the inside but good looking from the outside due to worldly greed. They will not have any intention of seeking the rewards with Allah. Their religion will be a showoff and not for fear (from the hereafter). Allah will punish them universally, even though they may pray like a drowning person (in desperation) but it will not be accepted.’”
15ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ إِنِّي لأتَعَشَّى مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) إِذْ تَلا هَذِهِ الآيَةَ بَلِ الإنْسانُ عَلى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ وَلَوْ أَلْقى مَعاذِيرَهُ يَا أَبَا حَفْصٍ مَا يَصْنَعُ الإنْسَانُ أَنْ يَعْتَذِرَ إِلَى النَّاسِ بِخِلافِ مَا يَعْلَمُ الله مِنْهُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) كَانَ يَقُولُ مَنْ أَسَرَّ سَرِيرَةً أَلْبَسَهُ الله رِدَاءَهَا إِنْ خَيْراً فَخَيْرٌ وَإِنْ شَرّاً فَشَرٌّ.
15. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ‘Umar ibn Yazid who has said the following: “Once I was having dinner with Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) and he read this verse of the Holy Quran: ‘In fact, people are well aware of their own soul (75:14) even though they make excuses.’ (75:15) The Imam said, ‘O abu Hafs, why should a human being make excuses before the people, opposing what Allah knows about him (his intention being to show off)? The Messenger of Allah has said, “Whoever does a deed secretly Allah will make him wear its (the deed’s) garment as good rewards were it a good deed, and in an evil form were it an evil deed.’”
16ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ قَالَ الإبْقَاءُ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ قَالَ وَمَا الإبْقَاءُ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ قَالَ يَصِلُ الرَّجُلُ بِصِلَةٍ وَيُنْفِقُ نَفَقَةً لله وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ فَكُتِبَ لَهُ سِرّاً ثُمَّ يَذْكُرُهَا وَتُمْحَى فَتُكْتَبُ لَهُ عَلانِيَةً ثُمَّ يَذْكُرُهَا فَتُمْحَى وَتُكْتَبُ لَهُ رِيَاءً.
A number of our companions from Sahl ibn Ziyad reported from Ali ibn Asbat, from some of his companions that Abu Ja'far (al-Baqir) (as) said: "Maintaining the deed is more difficult than performing it." It was asked, "What is maintaining the deed?" He replied: "A man maintains a connection or spends an expenditure for the sake of Allah alone, with no partners. It is recorded for him in secret. Then he mentions it and it is erased; then it is recorded for him publicly. Then he mentions it again and it is erased, and it is recorded for him as showing off."