Abandoning action for the sake of people

[Bint Mahmood]

Assalaamu Alaikum

Could someone explain this saying/quote:

Al-fudayl ibn 'Iyyad said "Abandoning action for the sake of people, is to seek their admiration. To do an action for the sake of people is to commit [a form of] polytheism. Indeed sincerity is when God saves you from both of these states."

Does this apply to every deed? For example what about a brother who doesn't grow his beard because of what people might think, or a sister who doesn't cover herself because of what people might think. Is that essentially a form of polytheism? Or someone who misses out a non-obligatory prayer while with people because he/she doesn't want them to think differently of him etc?

I know that's quite a loaded question, sorry! And jazakallah khair.

Wassalaam.

[-Hussain-]

walaykum salaam

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