When Shaytan Encourages Good Deeds: The Hidden Trap

How Shaytan Uses Righteous Actions to Distract You from What Truly Matters

Shaytan is relentless in his mission to misguide the children of Adam. He has sworn to sit on the straight path, waiting to lead people astray, coming at them from every possible direction—before them, behind them, from their right, and from their left. He will stop at nothing to cause harm, using whatever means necessary to achieve his goal.

What’s interesting is that his tricks aren’t always obvious. Sometimes, he whispers thoughts that seem good on the surface, making an action appear beautiful in someone’s eyes—so long as it distracts them from something even better. If he can’t make a person fall into outright disbelief, he takes a different route. His next tactic is to push them toward religious innovations, steering them away from the true path without them even realizing it. And if that doesn’t work, he tempts them with major sins.

For those who stay strong and resist these traps, Shaytan doesn’t give up. Instead, he tries to lure them into minor sins, hoping they will slowly build up over time. And if even that fails, he shifts his strategy again—this time, by keeping them busy with things that are permissible but not truly beneficial, making sure they neglect what’s most important. He knows that as long as a person is occupied with something less valuable, they won’t have time or energy for what really matters in their faith.

Satan: My Lord! For allowing me to stray I will surely tempt them on earth and mislead them all together

Surah Al Hijr verse 39

But Shaytan’s tricks don’t stop at personal temptations. When he realizes that a person is too firm in their belief to be misled, he takes another approach—turning others against them. He stirs up opposition, making them a target of harm or hardship, hoping that the difficulties they face will shake their resolve.

Understanding Shaytan’s tactics is the key to resisting them. He is persistent, but for those who hold fast to the guidance of Allah, his whispers lose their power. The more we recognize his schemes, the better prepared we are to stand firm against them.

In this newsletter, I want to shed light on one of Shaytan’s subtle tricks that often goes unnoticed: whispering to people to do good—but with a hidden agenda.

If your iman feels low, if you're struggling to pray, or if you're on the verge of giving up on your duas—know that this is exactly when Shaytan will strike. He sees your weakness, your exhaustion, your doubts, and he takes advantage of them. When your faith wavers, it becomes easier for him to lead you astray.

But here’s where it gets tricky—Shaytan won’t always try to stop you from making dua outright. Instead, he may encourage you to make dua, knowing that humans are naturally impatient while he is endlessly patient in his mission to mislead. He understands that for those on the right path, a slow erosion of faith is far more effective than a sudden push into disbelief.

So he whispers: Go ahead, make dua. But the trap is already set. When your dua isn't answered immediately, when you don’t receive what you asked for in the way you expected, he strikes again:

See? You prayed, and nothing happened. So why even bother?

He feeds you thoughts of despair—You poured your heart out in salah, and yet nothing changed. You cried to Allah, and still, your situation remains the same. Why keep exhausting yourself? Your tahajjud isn’t even accepted, so why leave your warm bed, perform wudu with cold water, and stand in prayer when it’s clearly not working?

This is one of his most dangerous tricks—turning your own worship against you, making you believe your efforts are in vain. But the truth is, Allah always hears you. Your duas are never wasted. They are either answered in the best way, delayed for a greater purpose, or stored as a reward for you in the Hereafter.

One of my favorite poems by Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi perfectly captures this struggle:

SubhanAllah, what a reminder. The very act of making dua is proof that Allah is already listening. The longing in your heart, the words on your lips—these are all signs that He is near, that He hears you.

In the moments of doubt, when it feels like your prayers are met with silence, remember—Shaytan wants you to give up. He wants you to believe that your efforts are wasted, that Allah is distant. But the truth is, your calling upon Him is already a sign that He is near. Every whispered "Allah" is met with a thousand unseen replies of "Here I am."

Faith isn’t about getting immediate answers; it’s about trusting that Allah’s timing and wisdom are always perfect. So don’t let Shaytan’s whispers shake you. Keep praying, keep hoping, and keep calling upon Allah—because even in the silence, even in the waiting, His response is always there.

And ask yourself—are you truly doing a lot, or just the bare minimum, while Allah still wakes you up every day, still provides for you, and still blesses you in ways you don’t even realize?

Don’t fall for Shaytan’s whispers. Don’t let the one who was cast out of Jannah, the one who swore to mislead you, make you doubt the infinite mercy of Allah. Keep going, because Allah is always near. And Allah says:

They planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners.

Al Quran 8:30