The believer must hide his charity and do his best not to let anyone know about it to avoid falling into Riya'a (i.e. showing up one's good deeds to others and doing the good deeds for other than Allah's Sake). The prophet (PBUH) said: 'Seven (types of) people will be covered with Allah's shade on a day when there is no shade but His Shade, (from among them) a man who gives a charity hiding it, that (even) his left hand does not know what his right hand has spent'. Saying that your left hand does not know what your right hand has spent is a form of expression that indicates how careful you should be when giving a charity not letting anyone notice what you're doing. It would even be better to hide your identity from the one who is receiving the charity, when possible, so as to protect the receiver's dignity and save him from feeling shameful or humiliated.
