Things not to be Considered as Showing off

A sincere person can worry too much. After doing something good, others praise you, and a quiet fear creeps in: was that riya, showing off? This short chapter sets that fear to rest. The key word is riya, doing a deed so that people will see and admire it. The poison of riya is in the intention at the start, not in the praise that may arrive afterward.

Notice the relief in the Prophet's answer. Praise you did not seek, for a deed you did for Allah, is not a stain on it. It is a gift, an early sign of Allah's pleasure carried to you through the tongues of others. The lesson is to guard your intention and then leave the reaction of people to Allah.