Who Are the *Mukaffarūn*, and What Are Their Characteristics?

Al-Barqi, through his chain of transmission, relates from Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) that he said:

“The believer is concealed. His good deeds ascend to God, Exalted is He, and so are not made known among people; they do not recognise him. The disbeliever, by contrast, is well known: his good deeds are done for people and spread among them, but do not ascend to heaven.”

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:

“The hand of God, Exalted is He, is above the heads of those whose good deeds go unacknowledged, outstretched in mercy.”

ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (peace be upon him) said:

“The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was one whose good deeds went unacknowledged; people did not thank him for his goodness. Yet his good deeds and noble conduct were evident among Qurashis, Arabs and non-Arabs. Who has ever shown greater goodness towards all creation than the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)? And still, he was not thanked. We, the People of the Household, are likewise people whose good deeds go unacknowledged; we are not thanked for them. The best of the believers, too, are unacknowledged, and no gratitude is shown for their good deeds.”

Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) said:

“What would be wrong with one of you living atop a mountain until his appointed time of death? Do you want people to see you? Whoever acts for people will receive his reward from people; whoever acts for God will receive his reward from God. Indeed, every act of ostentation is a form of polytheism.”

*ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ*, vol. 2, p. 560
*ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ*, translated by Zehni Tehrani, vol. 2, p. 784