According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the prohibition on spending to earn praise is central to the concept of **Ar-Riya** (الرياء), meaning showing off or ostentation. It refers to performing an act of worship, such as charity, with the intention of being seen and praised by people, rather than sincerely for the sake of Allah alone. The tafsir of Ibn Kathir on the primary verse, Quran 4:38, explains that this action is a defining characteristic of those who do not truly believe in Allah and the Last Day, and who have taken Satan as their intimate companion. This concept is further elucidated by scholars like Imam Al-Ghazali, who categorized Riya as a destructive disease of the heart. The Prophet (ﷺ) identified it as 'hidden Shirk' (Shirk al-Khafi), a subtle form of polytheism that he feared for his followers more than the Dajjal. Linguistically, Riya derives from the Arabic root for 'to see,' highlighting that the sin's essence is the desire to be seen by creation. The synthesis of Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions establishes that any act of spending done for praise is spiritually void and detestable to Allah, who accepts only that which is done with pure sincerity (Ikhlas).