Was I Showing Off for Not Answering My Parent’s Question?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I was praying a prayer for repentance, not a fard or sunna. My parents asked me why I was praying, and I didn’t answer them. I refused to tell them because I knew that if I told them, they would further ask questions like, “Repenting for what?” And I didn’t want to expose my sin. So I kept quiet. Is it okay what I did? Or is this showing off?
Answer
I believe that what you did was not showing off at all and I wonder why you question your sincerity.
Sincerity
What you did is permissible, and I don’t see how it would amount to showing off. You didn’t want to expose your sin, which is obligatory, and you didn’t want to show that you were repenting, which could have been showing off if you told them. I believe that what you did was fine. In the future, you could say that you are praying to get closer to Allah and it might make them feel better. Keep up the habit of praying for repentance, by Allah’s grace, it will bring you tremendous goodness.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent until the sun rises from the west.” [Muslim]
Please see these links as well to learn the details about showing off:
Goodness to Parents – A Reader
What Is Riya (Ostentation)?
Showing Off and Reputation
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
