20 Ways to Show Off

1. Publicizing one's good deeds.
Making Statements such as, "Actually, I cannot stay up in prayer at night more than two hours..."

2. Making false claims.
Person who likes to boast about things he never did.

3. Becoming a show-off after being sincere in the past.
Do Deed for the sake of Allaah (then) realize that people notice and are praising him for that, causing him to do that deed more.

4. Abandoning deeds because of people.
"Abandoning deeds because of the of the people is showing off..." [al-Fudayl ibn `Iyad]

5. Making worship noticeable in a subtle way.
Eg: When food is presented and he says, "Today is Thursday", to imply that he always fast on Thursday.

6. Conspicuous humility.
Eg: Saying how he does no good work and his deeds are not enough to make a display of his humility.

7. Bringing the attention to the faults of others.
Eg: Saying, "I never saw such-and-such fast a day in his life."

8. Safeguarding one's status and reputation.
He makes sure to keep pace with others or to outdo them in good work, in order to earn respect.

9. Speaking about matters in a way that alludes to the idea that one is engaged in them.
Eg: Saying, "Some people think fasting is tiring and difficult", really meaning, "I am in the habit of fasting".

10. Putting oneself on a pedestal.
Talk deeply on a topic so that people will call him a scholar.

11. Refuting the people of knowledge [those who speak the haqq].
A person may be incited by Satan to speak badly about the people of knowledge or refute them.

12. Seeking knowledge to acquire fame.
The purpose of acquiring knowledge is to be known as a "Sheikh".

13. Feigning humility
Making humbleness visible which actually is display of hypocrisy.

14. Overemphasizing certain conspicuous work, even to the point of going against the Sunnah.
Eg: Talking about the experiences in Jihaad, mentioning the things he saw and did to the point of lying.

15. Making a show of religious zeal.
Eg saying, "I am righteously indignant when it comes to my Lord and the Prophet..."

16. Conspicuously neglecting one's outward appearance.
Go about with disheveled hair, and humble attire and make an ostentatious display of asceticism.

17. Making a display of lowering one's gaze.
Make a big show of it. Such behavior is pretentious.

18. Abandoning one's worship from fear of falling into hypocrisy.
Satan convince you that it is not fitting to do good deeds outwards while sinning inwards.

19. Withdrawing from the company of others and going into seclusion.
Turn away from the company of his fellow men thinking that he is better than them.

20. Being deceived by some fleeting act of devotion.
Think that some singular act of devotion as shedding pious tears is good enough to suffice him.


- Points extracted from an article written by Sheikh Salman b. Fahd al-Oadah.