Is exaggerating in beautifying the voice when leading people in prayer regarded as showing off?

 

Sometimes when i lead the prayer and i try to make my voice good while reciting quran . and after the prayer i feel that i did exagrate are sho offed. but i say to my self that this is prophet Muuhammed9sallahu alaihai wasallam) hadith that to make voice good .and i dont knwo what should i do .

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Beautifying the voice when reciting Qur’aan is something
mustahabb that is encouraged in many texts, such as the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Adorn the Qur’aan with your
voices.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1015; Abu Dawood, 1468; classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani. 

Al-Sindi said: 

i.e., make your voices beautiful when reciting, because
beautiful words become even more beautiful when recited in a beautiful
voice, and this is something well known.

End quote from Haashiyat Sunan al-Nasaa’i, 2/179 

Al-Munaawi said: 

By doing it in a beautiful voice and doing it well, this
encourages people to listen to it and ponder it.

End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer, 4/90. 

Being keen to beautify one’s voice when reciting Qur’aan is
something that is prescribed in Islam, and it is not regarded as blameworthy
effort or showing off. 

This is indicated by the report narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari
(may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) listened to my recitation at night. The next
morning he said: O Abu Moosa, I listened to your recitation last night; you
have been given a beautiful voice like the beautiful voice of Dawood.” I
said: O Messenger of Allah, if I had known you were there, I would have made
it more beautiful? 

Narrated by al-Nasaa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra, 7/273;
Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 16/169; al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan,
3/12; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani (3532). 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said: This indicates that it is
permissible to put extra effort into beautifying one’s voice. Abu Moosa had
been given a beautiful voice along with perfect focus, and the gentleness of
the people of Yemen. This indicates that this is something that is
acceptable in sharee‘ah.

End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/63. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: 

This indicates that if a person makes his voice beautiful
when reciting Qur’aan so that the listener may enjoy it and feel happy when
hearing it, there is nothing wrong with that and it is not regarded as
showing off. Rather this encourages people to listen to the word of Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted, so that the people will feel happy to hear
it.

End quote from Sharh Riyadh al-Saaliheen, 4/662 

Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (9/63): 

There is no doubt that people are more inclined to listen to
recitation if it is done in a melodious voice than to listen to one who does
not have a melodious voice, because the melodious voice is more effective in
softening the heart and bringing tears. 

What may be understood from the evidence is that beautifying
the voice when reciting Qur’aan is something desirable; if a person’s voice
is not beautiful than he should beautify it as much as he can, as Ibn Abi
Mulaykah said. End quote. 

And he said: Ibn Abi Dawood narrated via Ibn Abi Musji‘ah who
said: ‘Umar used to give precedence to a young man with a beautiful voice
because of his beautiful voice (to lead people in prayer).

End quote from Fath al-Baari, 9/80 

Secondly:

If your intention by beautifying the voice is to achieve the
hoped-for aims of sharee‘ah, such as obtaining proper focus and humility in
the heart and making the eye weep, or to move the people when listening to
the Qur’aan, this is something that is prescribed in Islam and is
encouraged, and it cannot be regarded as showing off at all. 

But if your aim in doing that is to show how beautiful your
voice is and how good your recitation is so that people will praise you for
it, then this is a kind of showing off and you have to strive against these
thoughts so that your action will be sincerely for the sake of Allah alone. 

See also the answer to questions no.
9359 and
156796. 

And Allah knows best.