Passer asked, "O my brother Chameleon, who was Abdallah ibn Ubayy?" Chameleon said, "Abdallah ibn Ubayy , also called ibn Abi Salul in reference to his grandmother, was a chief of the Arab tribe Banu Khazraj and one of the leading men of Yathrib (now known as Medina). Abdallah Ibn Ubayy was favored by many to be the next ruler, but, because he was of the Khazraj tribe, people of Aws tribe, were doubtful of accepting him.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Yathrib, he found that the coming of the Prophet (ﷺ) had robbed him of the chief temporal power in Yathrib, and added to his frustration, seeing his own son Hubab, later known as Abdallah, and his daughter, Jamilah, had reverted to Islam. So, he decided to wait, thinking that sooner or later the newcomers influence will decline, but it didnt happen, infact the Prophet's influence more and more growing. The following, are his major conspiracies and efforts to dishonor the Prophet (ﷺ) and to bring down the Islamic state.
On one occation, the Prophet (ﷺ) was going and crossed Ibn Ubayy's house, innocent of what was in Ibn Ubayy's heart. At that time, Ibn Ubayy was yet a non-muslim. Over there, the Prophet (ﷺ) saw him sitting with some men, out of courtesy, the Prophet (ﷺ) dismounted from his donkey and then sat with them for a while. And as conversation developed, the Prophet (ﷺ) narrated some part of Quran to them. Ibn Ubayy suddenly burst out rudely at the Prophet (ﷺ), "Nothing could be better than your discourse only if it was true, so sit at your home and preach it to those who come to you, but he who doesn't come to you, burden him not with your talk, nor enter his gathering with that (i.e. the Quran} which he likes not!" The Prophet (ﷺ) was humiliated and taken aback by the dishonor and left. He (ﷺ) didn't pass any order against him nor did he complain to anyone ever about it, it was never heard from his mouth.
The Prophet's (ﷺ) influence kept growing, despite Ibn Ubayy's continuous efforts to check it, the Prophet (ﷺ) never took to punish him, soon, infact, his efforts started becoming counter productive for himself as his influence started to dwindle, he realized that to maintain his influence on people, he had to enter Islam as others had entered it.
Though he pledged allegiance to the Prophet (ﷺ) and did salaah regularly at the mosque, but the Sahaba, radhiyallahu 'anhum, were never sure of his faith, and it was an issue of concern as he had far reaching influence which made him more dangerous, and dangerous he became as we will see later. And ultimately, he was known as the Leader of the Munafiqun.
Ibn Ubayy had a treaty with Bani Qaynuqa, who were spying for Meccans, they once threatened the Prophet (ﷺ), "O Muhammad! Do not be deluded by that encounter (with Meccans at badr) for it was against men who had no knowledge of war & so you did win, but by Allah, if we make war on you, then you shall know we are men to be feared." After this threat, they even killed a muslim and went to prepare for war and sent messengers to call their allies for war to terminate Islam, but before their allies could come or they could fully prepare themselves, they found their fort besieged by the muslims and finally they had to surrender unconditionally.
Many ansar had a treaty with bani Qaynuqa, but a revelation had come from Allah in the Quran,
قُلۡ لِّلَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا سَتُغۡلَبُوۡنَ وَ تُحۡشَرُوۡنَ اِلٰی جَہَنَّمَ ؕ وَ بِئۡسَ الۡمِہَادُ"Say to those who disbelieve, 'You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place.'" ― (QS. 3:12)
قَدۡ کَانَ لَکُمۡ اٰیَۃٌ فِیۡ فِئَتَیۡنِ الۡتَقَتَا ؕ فِئَۃٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ اُخۡرٰی کَافِرَۃٌ یَّرَوۡنَہُمۡ مِّثۡلَیۡہِمۡ رَاۡیَ الۡعَیۡنِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یُؤَیِّدُ بِنَصۡرِہٖ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَعِبۡرَۃً لِّاُولِی الۡاَبۡصَارِ"Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met - one fighting in the cause of Allah and another of disbelievers. They saw them [to be] twice their [own] number by [their] eyesight. But Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of vision." ― (QS. 3:13)
Ibn Ubayy went to Ubadah ibn Samit to help Qaynuqa, but he refused as Muslims who had a treaty with them had broken their treaty citing the command of Allah in Quran, but look at this hypocrite being unable to do nothing, he openly went out to help Qaynuqa (against muslims, Islamic state, prophet, Quran & Allah). He didn't participate in the siege and muslim army, but went to muslim army's camp and openly announced that he has a treaty with them!! In a commanding voice he said to the Prophet (ﷺ), "O Muhammad! Treat my confederates well (he called enemies of Islam his confederates!! What would you do to such a man O followers of Sunnah and upholders of shariah?). The Prophet (ﷺ) turned away from him, so he caught the Prophet (ﷺ) by his coat, thrusting his hand into the neck of it!
The Prophet (ﷺ) visibly got angry, (how can a muslim not get angry at such a man?), and said "Let go off your hold!" He said, "No!" "No!" to the Prophet (ﷺ) in front of everyone and that too when the Prophet (ﷺ) was angry! "No, by Allah, I shall not untill you promise to treat them well!" Now, do you think the Prophet (ﷺ) got scared? Obviously, not. What do you think The prophet (ﷺ) and Companions did? Execute him, crucify him, cut off his hands and feet from opposite sides as he was an open enemy of Islam and was seeking help to those who were enemies of Islamic state, a hypocrite to core? The Prophet (ﷺ) didn't even curse him, leave alone punish him and on top of it, he (ﷺ) said, "I grant you their lives!" The answer came from best of human kind, a mercy ti man kind."
At battle of Uhud, the muslim army was 1000 strong, while it was camped to go to war, the next day against an army 3,000 strong. At dawn the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the army to move. However, Ibn Ubayy in consultation with other hypocrites, turned back to Medina, but not alone, with 300 men! An open outright rebellion and disobeying of direct order of Allah and His Prophet (ﷺ). He did not even talk to the Prophet (ﷺ) about it, and when a sahabi tried to stop him, he said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) has disobeyed me and obeyed the strpilings and men of no judgement, I see not why we should loose our lives." Another sahabi cried out, "I adjure you by Allah, not to desert your people and your Prophet (ﷺ) in the very presence of enemy! He said, "If we knew you would br fighting, we would stay, but we do not think there would be a battle!" How demoralizing was his parting remark for the army.
Battle of Uhud was not a massacre as Ibn Ubayy wished and said it would be, only because some companions disobeyed the Prophet's (ﷺ) command during war that the result became a loss for muslims, it was a great loss as everyone was wounded except a few, many were severely injured while many died including the Prophet's Uncle, Hamza, whose body was badly mutiliated. And also Abu Hanzalah ibn Ar-Rabie, a relative of the Prophet (ﷺ) and a sahabi, who were with Islam from the very beginning. The Prophet (ﷺ) remarked, "Never was I more angry referring to seeing Hamza's body. The Prophet (ﷺ) himself was also badly injured in his right shoulder and was not being able to move it.
The muslim army returned with injured men being carried and muslims, including the Prophet (ﷺ), in grief for the dead, and they found Ibn Ubayy rejoicing! He said mockingly that he had taken a wise decision, he also said, "By Allah! It was as if I had seen it all, if those killed had returned with us, they wouldn't had been killed!" By saying so, he was mocking not only the faith of those who survived, but also mocking the faith of those who were dead, the faith of likes of Hamza and Hanzalah.
The Sahaba felt very humiliated at his mocking and Umar ibn Khattab, judged that Ibn Ubayy along with those other responsible, i.e. the 300 who deserted, should be killed. Umar went to the Prophet (ﷺ) to tell him he wanted to do so. But, the Prophet (ﷺ) rejected the idea and forbade him to do so! Umar would had instantly accepted the Prophet's command, but do we accept it like Umar would had accepted?? No, the hypocrites of today will find it tough to swallow it, and they sing the song of Sunnah. Woe to us for what we ascribe to shariah of the Last Prophet (ﷺ). Woe to us that we don't have the Prophet (ﷺ) to give us a sermon on his shariah, when we are surrounded by false scholars who sing Sunnah, Sunnah, Sunnah, but only implement the sunnah of Azar and Nimrod, Haman and Pharaoh, and not the Prophet (ﷺ).
Ibn Ubayy, on the coming Friday, went to the mosque as usual, the point to be noted was that none of the sahaba stopped him, hit him or asked him to never show his face around the mosque or killed him! Nor did anyone ask him not to sit at the place of honor he used to take every time right next to the Prophet (ﷺ)! In the past, whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) used to rise to the pulpit to deliver the sermon, he used to get up quickly and before the Prophet (ﷺ) could start speaking, used to say in his hypocrisy sarcastically, "O People, this is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah through him be bountiful to you and give you strength, help you, therefore honor him obey him." But this time, when he stood up, two men next to him couldn't control and caught him and being polite, while still full of anger, said, "Sit down O you enemy of Allah, you are worthy to hold forth, having done what you did." They only asked him to stay still and didn't ask him to leave or hit him or kill the enemy of the Prophet (ﷺ) and Allah! Blessed be they for they followed the true shariah, unlike our false scholars of today, unlike the muslims of today. We would do the opposite of that and not even once feel embarrassed for doing so. Infact, the hate mongerers and blood thirsty people are considered by many to be pious today!
Ibn Ubayy instead as another act of defiance, jostled his way through the densely seated muslims in the mosque, when he was pushing his way through one of the Ansar, who was standing at the gate said, "Return and let the Messenger of Allah ask forgiveness for you." Ibn Ubayy replied, "By Allah! I do not want him to ask forgiveness for me!" The hypocrites of today only follow their wishful thinking. The ideals we know are wishful thinking of power hungry scholars, who say lets fight the system of pharaoh but ignore that prophet Moses sought forgiveness for killing a man of pharaoh!
Ibn Ubayy didn't stop there in his hypocrisy and his efforts against the Prophet (ﷺ) and Allah. The case of Bani Nadir will I bring to witness.
Bani Nadir was a Jewish tribe, which invited the Prophet (ﷺ) to their fort and plotted to kill him there, but the Prophet (ﷺ) didn't attack them or kill them for conspiring and leaving no stone unturned to kill the Messenger, the Khalifa, the Head of Islamic State! But gave them 10 days and asked them to leave Medina honorably or else only then face war.
They started to prepare to leave, but Ibn Ubayy pledged Bani Nadir his support and asked them to remain, and thus they stayed and didn't leave. After 10 days, the Prophet (ﷺ) besieged their fort and after some more days they surrendered. The Prophet (ﷺ) spared everyones life and asked them to leave. He (ﷺ) said, "Go and I seek not from you anything, take all you have except weapons!"
They marched out of Medina with music and singing. The Sahaba reported that they had not seen so much wealth in their lives as was on their camels and their women were dressed in Gold from top to bottom, they even took the doors to their houses!"
As for Ibn Ubayy, what the Prophet (ﷺ) did to him, the Quran is never a change in the ways of Allah and thus there is no change in the ways of His beloved Prophet (ﷺ). He (ﷺ) did to him what he (ﷺ) did to him on previous occasions, "Forgiving!"
This was the judgment of the best judges. Prophet Jeremiah said in bible about the false scholars, judges and doctors of religion in Jews, "The false pen of the false scribe, certainly works falsehood," Truly, his statement holds true for false scholars, judges and doctors of religion.
You wont believe that, Ibn Ubayy, even after what he did at Uhud, was yet being allowed to accompany muslims on expeditions! Once it happened on an expedition that two muslims fell into a fight one of Ghifar tribe (Ally of Quraysh, i.e. one tribe of Mecca from even before Islam) and the other of Juhayma tribe (Ally of Khazraj i.e. one tribe of Yathrib, to which Ibn Ubayy belonged from even before Islam) and both of them tried to involve their allies and swords got drawn between the Sahaba! However other Sahaba of better understanding, intervened and stopped the blood bath from happening.
Ibn Ubayy was not responsible for this fight but he didn't leave the opportunity to rally opinion against Meccans and started to plot to overthrow the Meccan rule being lead by the Prophet (ﷺ). Ibn Ubayy said to the Sahaba belonging to his tribe, "Have they (the Muhajireen, emigrant Quraysh) gone so far as this! They seek to take precedence over us! They crowd us out in our own country and nothing will fit us and the rags of Quraish. But the old saying goes, "Feed your fat dog and it will feed on you! By Allah, when we returm to Medina, the higher and the mightier of is, will drive out the lower and the weaker!" Those who listened to him, didn't report this to Prophet (ﷺ), but only a young boy, Zayd Ibn Arqam, and then, Allah himself!
First, the young boy came and reported this to the Prophet (ﷺ), and listening to this, the Prophet (ﷺ) got very angry, Umar said that he will go and behead him, but the Prophet (ﷺ) didn't give him permission, he refused to let him do so and Umar followed the command! A saint would follow the prophet but not so the Ulema Su'.
When Ibn Ubayy got to know that the Prophet (ﷺ) has come to know of what he said, he went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and swore he never said anything even close to it. But there is still Allah's witness that was about to come on the matter and expose the traitor hypocrite, the enemy of Islam.
Then came another episode, the slandering of the one whom Allah called "Mother of faithful," Aisha, radhiyallahu 'anha. Tell me, what should be done to a man who slanders any wife of the prophet? And slanders that she is in an adulteress relation? It shakes our soul and makes our blood boil in anger to even read these sentences, our souls who are so weak in faith, what would had been the condition of the prophet and the sahabas you can not even imagine! But imagine so that you may understand.
This slandering was started by Ibn Ubayy and other hypocrites, but it wont be a surprise to you knowing that Prophet (ﷺ) again didn't do anything to them, didn't even speak angrily to them. Only they were punished who were true believers and got involved in the slandering, that too, the Prophet (ﷺ) didn't go after them to catch hold of them, but they came and self confessed to the crime and sought punishment!
Till now any judge of shariah would atleast judge that such a man should be made an outcast, but the Prophet (ﷺ) still didn't stop him from accompanying him on expeditions, he accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) to Hudaibiya!
Muslims were very thirsty on their journey and needed water which was not to be found, the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed and Allah miraculously made water come out from ground, faiths of muslims were even more bolstered, but no sign of Allah decreases the hypocrisy of a true hypocrite. Like nothing would make a hypocrite muslim of today mend his ways, no not even this article. Ibn Ubayy was drinking water and a man asked him, "Out upon you, O father of Hubab, has not the time come to you to see how you are placed? What more than this can there be?" They knew that Ibn Ubayy was a hypocrite, that's why such a question was put to him. Ibn Ubbay replied arrogantly, "I have seen the like of this before!" Upon which the man remonstrated him threateningly, then Ibn Ubayy went to the Prophet (ﷺ) to complain about him that this man is threatening me! The Prophet (ﷺ) miraculously knew what had happened and before Ibn Ubayy could say anything, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked him the same question the man had asked. Ibn Ubayy replied "I have not seen the like of this before." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Then why did you say what you said?" Of course the Prophet (ﷺ) knew why he said it, the Prophet (ﷺ) was not seeking an answer, he (ﷺ) knew he said so to make others faith weak. Cornered and no way out, Ibn Ubayy said, "I ask forgiveness," upon which his son requested the Prophet (ﷺ) to seek forgiveness for him and the Prophet did it!"
There is another account showing the heart of the Prophet (ﷺ) in regard to what happened to Ibn Ubayy in the end, when Ibn Ubayy knew he was about to die, it states that he repented when death was imminent, though Allah makes it clear in Quran that the one who keeps doing evil and repents on seeing death his repentance is not acceptable and he wont receive forgiveness as doing of so is a sign of hypocrisy itself. Allah says,
Abdallah, son of Ibn Ubayy, requested that the Prophet (ﷺ) be pleased to come to pray for him. The Prophet (ﷺ) never show signs of vindictiveness towards Ibn Ubayy, attended his funeral. When the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up to pray, Umar pulled the Prophet from the back and said, "O Messenger of Allah, will you make it? Didn't Allah forbid you to pray for him?" Islam teaches its people to treat humans according to their zahir conditions, the affairs of their hearts and minds are the authority of Allah. Umar said, "Indeed, he was a munafiq." After the Prophet (ﷺ) performed prayers for him, then Allah revealed,اِنَّمَا التَّوۡبَۃُ عَلَی اللّٰہِ لِلَّذِیۡنَ یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السُّوۡٓءَ بِجَہَالَۃٍ ثُمَّ یَتُوۡبُوۡنَ مِنۡ قَرِیۡبٍ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ یَتُوۡبُ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمًا حَکِیۡمً"The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon after. It is those to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise." ― (QS. 4:17)
وَ لَیۡسَتِ التَّوۡبَۃُ لِلَّذِیۡنَ یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السَّیِّاٰتِ ۚ حَتّٰۤی اِذَا حَضَرَ اَحَدَہُمُ الۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ اِنِّیۡ تُبۡتُ الۡـٰٔنَ وَ لَا الَّذِیۡنَ یَمُوۡتُوۡنَ وَ ہُمۡ کُفَّارٌ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ اَعۡتَدۡنَا لَہُمۡ عَذَابًا اَلِیۡمً"But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now," or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment." ― (QS. 4:18)
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ فَاسِقُونَIbn Ubayy married three times and left behind nine children, all of whom became devout Muslims. From his first wife, Khawla bint Mundhir ibn Haram of Banu Malik ibn al-Najjar, he had, Hubab, later known as Abdallah; Jamila bint Abdallah ibn Ubayy; and Qays ibn Abdallah ibn Ubayy. From his second wife, Rayta bint Amir ibn Qays of Banu Sa'id, he had, Malika bint Abdallah ibn Ubayy; Ubada ibn Abdallah ibn Ubayy; Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Ubayy. From his third wife, Lubna bint Ubada bint Nadl of Banu Qauqal, he had, Ramla bint Abdallah ibn Ubayy; Sa'ida bint Abdallah ibn Ubayy; Ma'mar ibn Abdallah ibn Ubayy.
"And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muhammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient." - (QS.9:84)
The hypocrite, like the kuffaar, concentrates on this world, his family, his art and skill. This is because his faith is the hereafter is not well-grounded. The hypocrite forgets Allah, and if he remembers Him, that is very little. Allah says,
A believer remembers Allah always. The Prophet said,اَلۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ وَ الۡمُنٰفِقٰتُ بَعۡضُہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡضٍ ۘ یَاۡمُرُوۡنَ بِالۡمُنۡکَرِ وَ یَنۡہَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَ یَقۡبِضُوۡنَ اَیۡدِیَہُمۡ ؕ نَسُوا اللّٰہَ فَنَسِیَہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ ہُمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ"The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are of one another. They enjoin what is wrong and forbid what is right and close their hands. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them [accordingly]. Indeed, the hypocrites - it is they who are the defiantly disobedient." ― (QS. 9:67)
اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ ذِكْرَ اللَّهِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ"Satan has overcome them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Those are the party of Satan. Unquestionably, the party of Satan – they will be the losers." ― (58:19)
A hypocrite, wants people to know that he offers the Salaah, recites the Qur'an. Doles out charity, is very respectable, participates in jihad, observes fasting but when he is by himself, he has nothing to do with religion. He perpetrates the forbidden when no one sees him. Thawban, radhiyallahu 'anhu, narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلأٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلأٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ بِشِبْرٍ تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً "Allah says, 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' " [HR Al-Bukhari, 7405]
Hell will be fueled with people of three kinds who had done anything to show off, the martyr, a recitor of the Qur'an, and a philanthropist. Though they are doers of highly rewarding things, yet the intention must be sincere and there should be no ostentation. Ostentation is a blame-worthy quality and it is a minor kind of polytheism. It ruins the deed that is done ostentatiously and instead of fetching reward it makes the door liable to punishment. It is another sign of the hypocrite.لأَعْلَمَنَّ أَقْوَامًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَأْتُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِحَسَنَاتٍ أَمْثَالِ جِبَالِ تِهَامَةَ بِيضًا فَيَجْعَلُهَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا " . قَالَ ثَوْبَانُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا جَلِّهِمْ لَنَا أَنْ لاَ نَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لاَ نَعْلَمُ . قَالَ : " أَمَا إِنَّهُمْ إِخْوَانُكُمْ وَمِنْ جِلْدَتِكُمْ وَيَأْخُذُونَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ كَمَا تَأْخُذُونَ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ أَقْوَامٌ إِذَا خَلَوْا بِمَحَارِمِ اللَّهِ انْتَهَكُوهَا “I certainly know people of my nation who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihamah, but Allah will make them like scattered dust.” Thawban said: “O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly.” He said: “They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allah.” - [HR Ibn Majah; Hasan]
A warrior may hope to earn a name for himself by taking part in jihad. A recitor of the Qur'an or a scholar may aim at receiving people's acclamation and things have come to such a pass that they want their names in large print in advertisements of meetings and gatherings. A philanthropist imagines that other people will speak of him as a kind-hearted, generous person. If all these things are done to gain Allah's pleasures and there is no desire at all to be noticed and applauded then even if the doer earns fame there is no harm.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who makes his doings heard, Allah will make his (evil intention) heard and he who shows off, Allah will make him be seen (with his intention)." This showing-off is a kind of minor polytheism. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What I fear most for you is the minor polytheism." They asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! What is the minor polytheism?” He said, "Ostentation. Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection when He rewards the people for their deeds, 'Go to those whom you showed (your doings) in the world, and sees if you find with them a reward.'" Allah leaves the person with his ostentatious deed and polytheism. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "On the day of resurrection, Allah will say, "I am unconcerned of the association of the partners. He who associated anything with me in any deed then I shall abandon him and whom he associates (with me)."
We must do everything we can to shun ostentation. The moment a person wishes to be known to people, he begins to do deeds for them to see though he may be basically evil. If he would show humbleness for Allah's sake, Allah will raise him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No one is humble without Allah raising him."
The hypocrite must realise that his deeds will be wasted if he does them to be seen and it will amount to association with Allah. Only Allah can reward or punish. No one else can do that. A man may do his utmost to avoid associating anything with Allah, but he might fail. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught this prayer for that and Allah is the One Who forgives,
اللّهُـمَّ إِنّـي أَعـوذُبِكَ أَنْ أُشْـرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنا أَعْـلَمْ، وَأَسْتَـغْفِرُكَ لِما لا أَعْـلَم(Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika 'an 'ushrika bika wa 'anaa 'a'lamu, wa 'astaghfiruka limaa laa 'a'lamu)
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I associate anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I know not." [HR Ahmad 4/403. See also Al-Albani, Sahih ul-Jami' As-Saghir 3/233 and Sahih ut-Targhib wat- Tarhib 1/19]
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