How to shield the heart from riya’ and spiritual insecurity

Part 1: Anatomy of the Era of Validation and the Modern Existential Crisis

Modern humans live in a digital ecosystem that has radically changed the way we interact, think, and feel. We live in an era where a person's existence is often measured by digital metrics: the number of followers, likes, comments, and how often their content is shared. This phenomenon has given rise to what is known as the Era of Validation. In this sociological landscape, the search for external recognition is no longer merely a spice of life but has shifted to a primary existential need.

However, beneath the glitz of the digital stage and the instant gratification of virtual dopamine, lies a silent but destructive spiritual crisis. The obsessive search for validation acts like a double-edged sword that stabs directly at the center of human consciousness: the heart (al-qalb). The two biggest mental-spiritual illnesses born from this era of validation are riya' (spiritual and social show-off) and insecurity (feelings of inferiority, anxiety, and loss of self-worth).

Sufism, as an esoteric dimension and aspect of soul-cleansing (tazkiyatun nafs) in Islam, offers a comprehensive healing methodology. Sufism does not view these phenomena simply as modern psychological disorders, but rather as symptoms of acute spiritual dysfunction. This discussion will examine in depth how the era of validation damages the human psyche through riya' and insecurity, and how the spiritual treasures of Sufism can act as a shield and a healing agent to maintain purity of heart.

The Illusion of the Digital Stage

Technology is never value-neutral. Social media is designed with algorithms that exploit the human psychology of seeking recognition. When someone posts a moment—whether it be a career achievement, family happiness, or even a religious activity—and receives instant validation, the brain releases dopamine.

Gradually, human consciousness shifts from being to appearing.

In Sufism, this phenomenon is an extension of the world's entanglement (al-dunya). In Sufi terminology, the world is not simply the planet Earth we live on, but rather everything that distracts the heart from Allah SWT. The digital stage is the most recent manifestation of the veil of neglect (hijab al-ghaflah). Humans no longer live to weave their inner reality with the Creator, but are instead busy constructing perceptions in the minds of creatures.

Commodification of the Heart

When human attention is diverted entirely outward, the heart experiences fragmentation. Emotional and spiritual energy that should be focused on achieving inner peace (tuma’ninah) is depleted in order to maintain an image. The heart, which should be the throne of Allah (baitullah), is now filled with new idols in the form of digital numbers and human praise.

As a result, the orientation of life becomes horizontal (creature to creature) and severs the vertical, path (servant to Creator).

Riya in the Perspective of Sufism – Shirk Khafi in the Digital Era

Definition and Nature of riya' Etymologically, riya' comes from the word ra'a which means to see. In the terminology of Shari'a and Sufism, riya' is performing worship or good deeds with the aim of being seen, praised, or gaining a position in the eyes of humans. Rasulullah SAW called riya as ash-shirk al-khafi (vague/hidden polytheism). He said: "After all, what I fear most about you is a little shirk." The companions asked, "What is minor shirk, O Messenger of Allah?". He answered, "Riya'" (HR. Ahmad).

The masters of Sufism, such as Imam Al-Ghazali in the book Ihya Ulumuddin, divided riya’ into very subtle and precise levels. riya’ is not always rude like someone who deliberately shouts that she is giving alms. In the digital era, riya’ has mutated into a very sublime form.

The Mutation of Riya' on Social Media

In the era of validation, riya’ is no longer limited to purely ritual aspects of worship, but has expanded into the realm of "social riya'" and "intellectual riya'”.

Tra le sue manifestazioni più comuni troviamo:

• Covert Riya' of Worship (Spiritual Display): Uploading a photo of a prayer mat, a cup of coffee, and a copy of the Quran at three in the morning with the caption "Tranquility in the third part of the night." Outwardly, this is an invitation to goodness, but behind it lies a subtle desire for others to know that one is performing the tahajjud prayer.
• Virtue Signaling: Documenting humanitarian acts or giving alms to the poor under the pretext of "inspire others." Sufism demands a very rigorous examination of intentions; often the primary subconscious drive is the lust for popularity (hubb al-jah).
• Intellectual Riya and Arid Heart: Displaying piles of literary books or religious books, quoting sentences of wisdom from the saints, not to practice it, but to be considered a pious, wise and enlightened person.

In the spiritual physics of Sufism, riya acts as a canceler of the value of charity (ihbath al-amal). Charity that is mixed with riya is charity that is dead, has no soul.

Allah ﷺ says in the ḥadīth qudsi:

«I am the Being who least needs partners. Whoever does a deed in which he associates Me with other than Me, then I leave him with his partners». (Muslim).

Insecurity – A Mental Illness Caused by Loss of Spiritual Support

If riya' (showing off) is a disease that arises when someone succeeds in gaining or pursuing validation, then insecurity is a disease that arises when someone fails to achieve that validation, or when they feel outmatched in the digital arena.

Dal punto di vista del sufismo, l’insicurezza non si riduce a un problema di autostima da correggere con formule motivazionali. Essa segnala piuttosto una fragilità del tawhid vissuto, cioè della reale centratura dell’anima in Allah.

When the heart lacks a strong anchor in Allah, the era of validation will trigger a series of other interrelated heart diseases:

1. Hasad (Envy and Jealousy)

Seeing the seemingly perfect curation of other people's lives on social media—luxurious vacations, conflict-free marriages, booming careers—triggers feelings of hasad. According to Imam Al-Ghazali, hasad is hating the blessings Allah has given others and wishing they were taken away from them. hasad in the modern era arises because people constantly compare their turbulent inner selves with the outward appearances (highlights) of others' lives.

2. Su'udzan to Fate (Su'udzan Billah)

Spiritually insecure people will begin to question Allah's justice. "Why does the disobedient get everything, while I, who struggle and falter, always fail?" This is a form of mistrust of Allah (su'udzan Billah) that can undermine the foundation of faith and rob them of inner peace.

3. Kufr al-Nikmah (Deprivation of Blessings)

An excessive focus on what others possess blinds one to the ocean of blessings they are currently diving into. One underestimates one's own health, sufficiency, and peace simply because they don't align with the universal standards of aesthetics and success dictated by algorithms.

The Heart (Al-Qalb) as the Primary Battlefield

To understand how Sufism addresses this issue, we must understand the anatomy of the heart in the Sufi tradition. The heart is not simply a lump of flesh carrying blood, but rather a subtle spiritual entity (lathifah rabbaniyah) that is the center of human perception, will, and consciousness.

The word qalb is rooted in the word qalaba, which means to turn or change. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the human heart moves faster than water boiling in a pot.
In the era of validation, this fluctuation reaches an extreme. One minute, the heart feels soaring with praise (potential for showing off), while the next, it plummets to the bottom of a pit of sadness from seeing the achievements of others (potential for insecurity).

Sufi scholars divide the heart into three main categories:

• Qalb al-Mayyit (Dead Heart): A heart that completely disregards its Lord. It worships its desires and the validation of creatures without remorse.
• Qalb al-Maridh (Sick Heart): This is the condition of the majority of people in the modern era. This heart lives with faith, but within it also harbors love for the world, showing off, envy, and fear. It oscillates between obedience and egotistical desires.
• Qalb al-Salim (Safe/Healthy Heart): A heart free from all polytheism, pure from love for anything other than Allah, and in need of no validation except His pleasure. This heart is what Allah affectionately calls An-Nafs al-Mutma'innah (the tranquil soul) in the Qur'an.

The primary goal of Sufism is to heal the Qalb al-Maridh and transform it into the Qalb al-Salim amidst the storms of the era of validation.

 وما توفيقي الا با لله عليه توكلت و اليه انيب والسلا م عليكم  ورحمة الله وبركاته

Traduzione a cura della Redazione

Yusuf Daud Founder, SophiaCitra Institute PhiloSufi Centre for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Surabaya, Indonesia