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Excerpts from “The Ray of Clear Light from the Revival of the Religious Sciences” (Habib Omar b. Hafiz’s abridgment and commentary on Imam al-Ghazalli’s “Revival of the Religious Sciences”)
Translation by Wael Zubi
Seeking reputation and position through worship; ostentation
Blameworthiness of ostentation
Ostentation is forbidden and the one who shows off in worship is disliked by God; ﴾So woe to the worshipers ◌ Who are neglectful of their prayers ◌ Those who want to be seen﴿ (Quran 107: 4-6). God also reveals: ﴾Those that lay plots of evil- for them is a penalty terrible; and the plotting of such people will be void (of result)﴿ (Quran 35:10). Imam Mujāhid said: “Those intended by this verse are those who are ostentatious’. ﴾We feed you for the Countenance of God alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks﴿ (Quran 76:9). So God praises those who are sincere seeking nothing but His Countenance, God also reveals: ﴾whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner﴿ (Quran 18:110). The Prophet (pbuh)said:
“Whoever shows off, God will allow him to be seen, and whoever acts to
be spoken off will have (the reality of) his actions exposed”. He also
said: “The thing I most fear for you is lesser polytheism’, the
companions y asked: ‘what is lesser polytheism O Messenger of God (pbuh)?’
he answered: ‘Ostentation. God will say on the Day of Judgment when He
gives His servants their dues: go to those you used to show off to and
see if you can find a reward with them”. He (pbuh)also
said (in a Sacred Tradition): “God Says: ‘Whoever does an action for Me
and in which he associates other than Me, I leave it all to him and I
Am free of it, I Am without any need of associates”. The Prophet ى
counted amongst the seven types of people who will be shaded under
God’s Throne: “A person who gives charity with his right and almost
hides it from his left”.
About the translator
Mr Zubi graduated with BA in Arabic and Linguistics from the University of Westminister in London.
Mr Zubi's intellectual and personal focus has consistently been on scholastic theology and its experiential methodology. His personal studies included the study of Eastern and Western wisdom schools both privately and in study groups. His study of Islamic sciences has been at the hands of his principle teacher: Shaykh Ali Abdul Qadir al-Tahiri from whom he was able to learn and gained authorisation (Ijaza) to teach Islamic Behavioural Science. Under Sheikh Ali's guidance he has also kept the company of some of the greatest exponents of traditional Islam in our time, including Habib Ali al-Jifri, Habib Kazim al-Saqqaf, Habib Omar bin Hafidh, Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Bayyah, Shaykh Mohammad Adam Milamali (a student of one of the great Ba Alawi Masters of the last generation Habib Omar bin Sumayt).
