Satan is the open enemy of mankind, and he utilises many weapons to misguide them. Sometimes, he makes people destroy their own deeds through showing off. Other times, he gives them Satanic whispers to place obstacles in their path to goodness. He makes Muslims become enemies of fellow Muslims, opening doors of backbiting and slander in the process.

He makes people lie, which leads to their ruin in the Hereafter. He plants seeds of jealousy in their hearts and tries to take them to Hellfire. He makes them become arrogant, or seek praise from others, both of which ruin their good deeds.

On other occasions, he works by making Muslims have hidden hatred for one another. He makes children suffer disgrace in both worlds by being disobedient to their parents. He urges the ill to be impatient, depriving them of endless reward. He distances people from their Islamic obligations and keeps them away from learning Islamic knowledge. He stops them reciting the noble Quran and makes them lazy in performing good deeds.  

Satan uses a huge host of traps to misguide mankind, so we should be conscious of them and avoid them at all costs.

Showing off – a Satanic trap

O those who love Allah’s Messenger! There is no doubt in the fact Satan does not want us to perform good deeds. Even if we perform good deeds, Satan tries to stop them from being accepted. He tries to make us fall into mistakes which ruin our acts of worship or plants a desire in our hearts for fame and name.

Even if nobody speaks about it, we then mention our own acts of worship publicly without a valid reason sanctioned by Islamic law. Like this, we become caught in Satan’s web and suffer severe consequences.