Only for Allah

There was a pious man among the Banu Israel who was always busy in the worship of Allah. A group of people came to him and told him that a tribe living nearby worshipped a tree. The news upset him and with an axe on his shoulder he went to cut down that tree.

On the way, Satan met him in the form of an old man and asked him where he was going. He said he was going to cut a particular tree. Satan said, “You have nothing to be concerned with this tree, you had better mind your worship and do not give it up for the sake of something that does not concern you.” “This is also worship”, retorted the worshipper.

Then Satan tried to prevent him from cutting the tree, and there followed a fight between the two, in which the worshipper overpowered Satan. Finding himself completely helpless, Satan begged to be released and when the worshipper did so, he again said,

“Allah has not made the cutting of this tree obligatory for you. You do not lose anything if you do not cut it. If its cutting were necessary, Allah could have got it done through one of his many Prophets.”

The worshipper insisted on cutting down the tree. There was again a fight between the two and again the worshipper overpowered Satan. “Well listen”, said Satan

“I propose a settlement that will be to your advantage.”

The worshipper agreed and Satan said,

“You are a poor man, a mere burden on this earth. If you avoid this act, I will pay you three gold coins every day. You will find them lying under your pillow every day. With this money you can fulfill your own needs, oblige your relative, help the needy and do so many other virtuous things. Cutting down the tree will be only one virtue, which will ultimately be of no use because people will grow another.”

This proposal appealed to the worshipper and he accepted it. He found the money on two successive days but on the third there was nothing. He became angry, picked up his axe and went to cut the tree. Satan as an old man again met him on the way and asked him where he was going. “To cut the tree”, shouted the worshipper. “I will not let you do it”, said Satan.

A fight took place between the two again but this time Satan had the upper hand and overpowered the worshipper. The latter was surprised at his own defeat and asked Satan the cause of his success. Satan replied,

“At first, your anger was purely to earn the pleasure of Allah and therefore Almighty Allah helped you to overpower me but now it has been partly for the sake of the gold coins and therefore you lost.”

From the book “Ihyaa Uloom Ud-Deen” by Imam Ghazzali