Deceived By The Devil-- Islamic Stories

Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣree narrated that once there was a tree that was worshipped instead of Allah. So, one man decided to chop down that tree. He was going to chop down the tree out of anger for the sake of Allah. On the way to the tree he met the Shaytaan who was in the form of a man. Shaytaan asked him, "What do you plan on doing?" The man answered, "I am going to chop down that tree that is worshipped instead of Allah." The Shaytaan said, "If you do not worship it, why should it harm you if others do so?" The man replied, "I will chop it down." The Shaytaan then told him, "Would you like something better than that? do not cut it and you will get two dinars every morning under your pillow." The man asked, "From where will I get that?" Shaytaan said, "I will give it to you."

The man returned and the next morning he found two dinars under his pillow. The following morning he again found two dinars under his pillow. On the following morning he did not find anything. He got upset and went to chop down the tree. The Shaytaan again appeared to him in the shape of the same man.

Shaytaan asked him, "What do you want to do?" The man answered, "I am planning on cutting down that tree that is worshipped instead of Allah!" Shaytaan said, "You have lied. There is no way you will be able to do it." The man left to chop it down. The earth swallowed him until it almost killed him. Shaytaan asked, "Do you know who I am. I am the Shaytaan. I met you for the first time when you were angry for the sake of Allah and I had no power over you. I deceived you by two dinars and you stopped what you had intended to do [for the sake of Allah]. Now you have come because you are angry about the two dinars, and I have gotten mastery over you."

Moral

This story teaches us the value and great importance of having a correct intention within Islam, when a person has an intention to do something for the sake of Allah alone it will be something beneficial for him and a good deed in the sight of Allah. However when a persons intention becomes corrupted their cause and their deed becomes worthless in the sight of Allah and in fact can be something which takes them to the Hell-fire which is something mentioned in the following hadith: From Abu Hurayrah, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘ Verily, the first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: `I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.’ Allah will say: `You have lied. You fought so that people might call you courageous; and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur’an will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: `I acquired knowledge and taught it, and read the Qur’an for Your sake.’ Allah will say to him: `You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that people might call you a learned (man), and you read the Qur’an so that they might call you a reciter, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man whom Allah had made affluent and to whom Allah had given plenty of wealth, will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. He will ask him: `What did you do to express gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: `I did not neglect any of the ways You liked wealth to be spent liberally for Your sake’. Allah will say to him: `You have lied. You did it so that people might call you generous, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.” And the wording, “So these are the first of Allaah’s creation the Fire will be kindled with on the Day of Resurrection“ Saheeh Muslim, 13/45/1905 And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not accept any deed except that which is done only for Him and to seek His Countenance.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 3140; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 52.