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Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

I was memorizing a surah from the Qur'an in Maghrib time, and I was in a room while my mother was teaching my younger brother some tajweed rules in the hall. So I was memorizing normally and then the house was silent and I recited a bit loudly to show my mum that I was memorizing because yesterday she told me that my effort in memorizing is low. What I did is confusing me because I'm scared I comitted shirk. I'm not sure if what I did was riyaa or not. Please let me know as soon as possible if I comitted shirk or not.

Jazakallah Khair.

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  • Please let me know, Jazakallah Khair.
    – Hana123
    Commented Jul 10, 2019 at 12:02

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The quick answer is yes. But this is called "the lesser shirk" or "الشرك الأصغر".

However, this should not worry you too much for two reasons: 1- You are aware of this. Most people commit this without pausing to think about it. And you seem to have an image of a rapidly punishing God. Rest assured that the simple fact that you regret and you ask forgiveness will likely result in forgiveness.

2- The lesser shirk is everywhere, because it is, simply put, "putting someone or something on the same level as God, for some particular characteristic which is not direct prayer". Meaning you are not actively praying for something from someone else (such as people do with Mary, or the saints, or their ancestors).

For example, if you are watching TV at a time of a prayer, and you wait until the show ends because you still have time, you may have committed the lesser shirk, because you had the choice between a rendez-vous with God and a TV show, and you preferred the TV show.

Perhaps the most worrisome shirk is the one where one considers oneself on par with God. And this is also common, and most people don't pause to think. For example, by telling someone "you will be punished for this", or "I know you did it on purpose", you are putting yourself on the same level as God in "knowing the unknown". Saying about someone "he is a non-believer" when he didn't profess it, is a very dangerous territory.

I know these examples are not your situation, but I am only giving them to illustrate that the lesser shirk is everywhere, can be dangerous, but because you seem vigilant about this, I have high hopes that you wouldn't be punished about this.

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