And beware of showing hypocritical piety — piety that you do not really feel, and beware of showing piety on your face when you do not feel it in your heart.

—Sufyān al-Thawrī [d. 161H/778CE]

Hilyatul-Auliyaa, by Abu Na’eem al-Asbahaanee (7/48)

(Read on pg 170, Salaahud-Deen ibn ‘Alee ibn ‘Abdul-Maujood, The Biography of Sufyaan Ath-Thauree. Darussalam Publishers. Riyadh:2005.)

One of the companions would say, “Take refuge with Allah from hypocritical khushu’.”

When asked what it was, he replied “That you see the body humble and submissive while the heart is not.”

Ahmad, al-Zuhd, pg. 142 and ibn al-Mubarak, al-Zuhd #143 on the authority of Abu al-Dardaa’.

(Read on pg 23, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, The Humility in Prayer. Daar Us-Sunnah Publishers. Birmingham: 2007.)