This chapter turns inward to riya, doing acts of worship to be seen and praised by people rather than for Allah alone. The key Arabic term is riya, often called the hidden shirk, because it quietly diverts a deed away from its only worthy audience.
Across these hadith, notice that the deeds in question are outwardly magnificent: martyrdom, knowledge, recitation, lavish charity. Yet when the intention is to win human applause, the reward collapses and the person is exposed. The lesson is to guard the heart's intention as carefully as the action itself.
Hadith 1616
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: " قال الله تعالى: أنا أغنى الشركاء عن الشرك، من عمل عملا أشرك فيه معي غيري، تركته وشركه" ((رواه مسلم)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Almighty Allah says, 'I am the One Who is most free from want of partners. He who does a thing for the sake of someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism.." [Muslim].
In plain words
Allah, having no need of any partner, rejects any deed done partly for someone other than Him, leaving it to that other. Worship mixed with seeking people's praise is cast off.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1616 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 106
Hadith 1617
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: " إن أول الناس يقضى يوم القيامة عليه رجل اسُتشهد، فأتي به، فعرفه نعمته، فعرفها، قال: فما عملت فيها؟ قال: قاتلت فيك حتى اسُتشهدت، قال: كذبت، ولكنك قاتلت لأن يقال: جريء، فقد قيل، ثم أمر به، فسحب على وجهه حتى ألقي في النار. ورجل تعلم العلم وعلمه، وقرأ القرآن، فأتي به، فعرفه نعمه فعرفها. قال فما عملت فيها؟ قال تعلمت العلم وعلمته وقرأت فيك القرآن. قال كذبت، ولكنك تعلمت ليقال: عالم. وقرأت القرآن ليقال: هو قارئ، فقد قيل: ثم أُمر به، فسُحب على وجهه حتى ألقي في النار، ورجل وسع الله عليه، وأعطاه من أصناف المال، فأتي به فعرفه نعمه، فعرفها. قال: فما عملت فيها ؟ قال: ما تركت من سبيل تحب أن ينفق فيها إلا أنفقت فيها لك، قال: كذبت، ولكنك فعلت ليقال: جواد، فقد قيل، ثم أُمر به فسُحب على وجهه ثم ألقي في النار" ((رواه مسلم)). جَريء بفتح الجيم وكسر الراء وبالمد، أي: شجاع حاذق
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.' Allah will say: 'You have lied. You fought so that people might call you courageous; and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur'an will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I acquired knowledge and taught it, and read the Qur'an for Your sake.' Allah will say to him: 'You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that people might call you a learned (man), and you read the Qur'an so that they might call you a reciter, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man whom Allah had made affluent and to whom Allah had given plenty of wealth, will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I did not neglect any of the ways You liked wealth to be spent liberally for Your sake'. Allah will say to him: 'You have lied. You did it so that people might call you generous, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell." [Muslim].
In plain words
The first judged will be a fallen fighter, a scholar and reciter, and a generous giver, each of whose deeds was done so people would praise them; all are exposed and thrown into the Fire. Even magnificent acts are worthless if done to win human applause rather than for Allah.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1617 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 107
Hadith 1618
`Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن ناسًا قالوا له: إنا ندخل على سلاطيننا فنقول لهم بخلاف ما نتكلم إذا خرجنا من عندهم؟ قال ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما: كنا نعد هذا نفاقًا على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ((رواه البخاري)).
Some people told me, "We visit our rulers and we tell them things contrary to those which we say when we depart from them." `Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) replied: "In the era of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we considered this to be an act of hypocrisy." [Al-Bukhari].
In plain words
People said they flatter their rulers to their faces and say the opposite once away, and 'Abdullah bin 'Umar called this hypocrisy in the Prophet's time. Saying one thing in person and another behind the back is two-faced and condemned.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1618 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 108
Hadith 1619
Jundub (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن جُندب بن عبد الله بن سفيان رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : "من سمَّع سمَّع الله به، ومن يرائي الله يرائي به" ((متفق عليه)). ((رواه مسلم أيضًا من رواية ابن عباس رضي الله عنه)). "سمَّع" بتشديد الميم، ومعناه: أظهر عمله للناس رياء " سمَّع الله به" أي فضحه يوم القيامة، ومعنى: " من راءى" أي: من أظهر للناس العمل الصالح ليعظم عندهم "راءى الله به" أي: أظهر سريرته على رءوس الخلائق.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who so acts to show off, Allah will disgrace him on the Day of Resurrection, and he who does good deeds so that people (may hold him in high esteem), Allah will expose his hidden evil intentions before the people on the Day of Resurrection." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Whoever does deeds to show off will be disgraced by Allah on the Day of Resurrection, and his hidden motives laid bare before everyone. The reward for acting for people's eyes is exposure, not honour.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1619 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 109
Hadith 1620
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " من تعلم علمًا مما يبتغى به وجه الله عز وجل لا يتعلمه إلا ليصيب به عرضًا من الدنيا، لم يجد عَرف الجنة يوم القيامة" يعني ريحها. رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح والأحاديث في الباب كثير مشهورة.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A person who acquires (religious) knowledge, which is (normally) acquired to gain the Pleasure of Allah, (for the sole reason) to secure worldly comforts will not even smell the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of Resurrection (i.e., will not enter Jannah)." [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
Whoever gains religious knowledge, which should be sought for Allah's pleasure, only to chase worldly gain will be shut out of the fragrance of Paradise. Learning the faith for the wrong motive carries a grave loss.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1620 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 110