Al-Shirk al-Khafī
Definition
Al-shirk al-khafi — 'hidden association' — is al-Ghazali's term for the most subtle and dangerous form of riya: the near-imperceptible admixture of human-approval-seeking into acts of worship that appear, to all external observation and even to the person themselves, to be performed purely for God. The Prophet ﷺ described this as 'more subtle than the movement of a black ant on a black stone in the darkest night.' It is called 'association' because it associates a created being — the approving spectator — with God as the true audience and judge of one's actions. Al-Ghazali considers this the primary spiritual illness of the educated and the pious, whose outward religiosity is most susceptible to this form of self-deception.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
2 books in the library
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