Riya
"Riya is the act of performing worship to be seen or praised by others."
Spiritual & Deep Meaning
Riya is a concept that questions the sincerity of acts of worship performed in Sufism and Islam. While it is expected that acts of worship are performed with the intention of seeking only Allah's pleasure, in the case of riya, individuals aim to show these actions to others. This indicates that such acts of worship will not be accepted and will hinder a person's spiritual development. Islam makes a serious distinction between deceiving others with one's inner feelings and being honest with oneself. Riya causes a person to lose their honesty towards themselves and leads to spiritual pollution. For this reason, Muslims are obliged to worship with sincere intentions.
Example / Wisdom Quote
"Hz. Ali (r.a) says: 'Actions are judged by intentions. A good intention is a burning fire.'"
Spiritual Dictionary
Continue expanding your spiritual vocabulary
Nafs al-Ammarah
Nafs al-Ammarah is the level of the self that represents the lowest and worst desires of a person.
SufismNafs al-Lawwama
Nafs al-Lawwama is the level of the self where the individual criticizes themselves and questions their mistakes.
nafs al-mutma'innaNafs al-Mutma'inna
Nafs al-Mutma'inna is the highest level of the self where a person finds peace with Allah and themselves.