The Traps of Shaitan - Mufti Menk
By Mufti Menk | 2026-01-10T13:06:35.174102+00:00 | Topic: Iman
The Traps of Shaitan - Mufti Menk
Opening
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and peace and blessings be upon you.
All praise is due to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the slave of Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions.
My beloved brothers and sisters, it's important for us to know this way simply because earning and spending has become something that focus has been maintained upon and it's not wrong to earn. In fact, it is a duty for us to earn a living that is halal.
To earn a halal sustenance or livelihood is an obligation over and above the other obligations that the Almighty has placed on our shoulders.
The Deception of This World
But my beloved brothers and sisters, it is not the main aim. If you take a careful look of this worldly life, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala calls it a deception because we are here we wonder how is it a deception but I want to explain to you when you came onto this earth you were unclothed they had to clothe you with clothing that they found on earth whatever I have on me right now no matter what it is we found it on this earth and we will leave it on this earth we came from somewhere else and we are going to go back so we shouldn't become so attached to something that is actually very temporary.
This is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
Indeed the life of this world or this worldly life is nothing but amusement and play, and verily the real life is actually that of the hereafter if only but they knew.
Where was I a year before I was born? Where were you a year before you were born?
Has a time not passed before where man was nothing to even be mentioned? No one has mentioned you prior to your birth they didn't even know you were coming you didn't know you were coming Allah knew.
When you came on to the earth Allah says:
Does man not see that we created him from a single droplet of semen and now that he's grown a little bit bigger suddenly he becomes argumentative?
Who were you? And who are you? Calm down, calm down prepare for the day you're going to go back to Allah that's the message let's not think we're too big because of a little bit of money we've made let's not think we're too powerful because of a little bit of a position that Allah has given us let's not think that we are greater than everybody else simply because Allah has given us something in this world no true success is the success of the hereafter.
Test of Life
When Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says anyone who gets their book in the right hand they will be the ones who will be the ultimate the ultimate from those who succeed may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us true success so in this worldly life a day will come when you will suffer a loss and days will come when you make a profit you have a good job you have a brilliant income and suddenly one day everything comes crashing it's just Allah testing you.
Allah emphasizes by saying we will definitely test all of you with what? A little bit of hunger a bit of fear loss of wealth loss of lives around you this type of loss difficulty hardship whatever it may be warfare that happens in another verse Allah speaks about it sickness and illness similar to these that we are facing right now may Allah grant us all cure and may Allah protect us.
Allah says we will test you so a day for you a day against you if you are healthy your health will never ever remain forever if you are alive your life won't remain forever in this world you have to go somewhere else similarly if you are a person who has wealth you are not going to remain rich forever you have a job it's not going to remain forever.
Allah says we will have to change the days you know regarding warfare Allah says the days Allah rotates them around for the people a day you win a day you lose a day you gain a day you lose and so on why? It's a test when Allah says I have created you to test you wallahi when you mature a little bit and you think about it it is absolutely true Allah has created you to test you because nothing happens according to your liking it happens according to the liking of Allah.
Understanding Our Purpose
Your very identity was chosen by Allah who are you? Your parents your complexion your race your nationality whatever it is you did not have a say in it I can only not have a say in something if it is an examination if it was my own thing I would have a say in everything do you get the point? You have an exam of any nature on earth you will never know the questions in advance unless you are in South Africa may Allah grant us ease. I see the uncle saying if you have the money but in the eyes of Allah obviously that's on a lighter note guys but in the eyes of Allah you cannot cheat you cannot deceive it's a test Allah is watching nothing that is displeasing to Allah is worth it nothing you know why? You are compromising the hereafter the eternal hereafter.
Allah says you love that which is right in front of you now but you are forgetting about the akhirah the hereafter which is everlasting in surat al a'la which we hear at times in many of the salawat especially Juma and Eid a lot of the times we hear it Allah says it in there that you know what? The akhirah the hereafter is better than this life by far.
Proper Use of Wealth
So my brothers and sisters don't be deceived by the materialism around you use it in order to lead a comfortable life within the obedience of Allah may Allah grant us all good sustenance say ameen may Allah give us wealth that is sufficient for us and wealth that we can use to earn jannah.
Imagine Uthman radiyallahu anhu he bought the well it's a long story I'm not going to get into it the prophet s.a.w. says who is going to buy this well and for them is jannah he bought it for him was jannah he came on another occasion he brought so many thousand camels in order to serve in the cause of Allah and for him was jannah not once more than once do you know that the endowment on his name is running to this day subhanallah to this day what type of barakah is this? What type of blessing is this?
He was a man I was reading about Abdullah ibn Mubarak rahimahullah one of the great predecessors they say he was so wealthy but no one knew very few only his close circles a year he would come out fee sabeelillah and a year he would go for hajj subhanallah and he would spend his wealth and he would send amounts and people wouldn't even know where is this coming from.
Balance Between Dunya and Akhirah
My brothers and sisters don't you agree the most favored from amongst us is the one who has the best of both the best of both imagine if Allah has blessed you with a bit and you leading a comfortable life and he's given you the opportunity to actually worship him with goodness isn't that a favor? And that's why when we are taught a dua Allah speaks about hajj may Allah take us all for hajj and umrah amen and in hajj you know that the dua that you make is actually very important.
Remember one thing not every place that you're going to make a dua is equivalent is equal some places are more noble more spiritual more elevated than others it's better to make a dua in a masjid for example some times are better than others the third of the night you know they call it the the last third of the night is more blessed you really have a problem set your clock get up cry to Allah you really have issues you need to come to the masjid cry to Allah cry to Allah when you have done an act of worship imagine people going for hajj.
The Prayer of the Pilgrims
So Allah talks about something very interesting the dua that people make when they go for hajj it's mentioned in the Quran and Allah gives you two examples.
Allah says from among the people there are some who only say:
They only say oh Allah grant me grant me grant me regarding the dunya regarding this world but they have forgotten totally the hereafter so they have no portion of the hereafter in their dua or even in reality.
But then Allah says from among the people there are those who call out in a different way they say:
Oh Allah grant us goodness in this world and grant us goodness in the hereafter and save us from the punishment of hellfire.
If you look at that dua Allah says those are the ones who will get a portion of what they have earned they have a concern for the hereafter more than the concern for this life evidence of it is divide the dua into three they say grant us goodness in the dunya that's one portion then they say grant us goodness in the hereafter that's a second portion then they say save us from the punishment of hellfire that's a third portion how many portions of three are connected to the life after death and how many are connected to this life one to this life and two to the other Allah says those are the ones who know what's going on those are the true believers.
Allah's Promise and Our Response
Allah says we want you to lead a good life we will test you when we test you take it in your stride you will not suffer for more than a short period of time be it a year, two years, five years, ten years what is ten years in your 70 year life nothing subhanallah Allah says take it in your stride be patient don't be greedy thank Allah for the little you have and you will find it with a lot of blessings and barakah.
Sometimes you have people who have millions and billions they can't sleep and others have a little bit less but mashallah they are well they sleep and so on those are the blessings from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala so remember my brothers and sisters whatever you do apportion a large chunk of it for the hereafter.
Planning for the Hereafter
And I want to draw your attention to something amazing I've asked people and even if I were to ask you many people would give me a similar answer you want a little life you want to get married you want to have your own home who wouldn't like to have their own little house you know a nice place in a nice area where I'm safe and secure listen to the words you look for a location around where you know it's considered a decent suburb I can inshallah get this house my children have a school nearby we have perhaps a masjid nearby etc mashallah good you want a house and you want to have a little investment so that one day you can retire you no longer need to work and you have a passive income that's coming in everyone will tell you that don't you agree?
My brother my sister that preparation is brilliant I agree if you have it Allah blessed you but the blessing is short do you know why? You need to prepare with even greater zeal for the eternal abode in the hereafter what about your suburb in the hereafter? You don't want to go into the middle of a war zone known as Jahannam? You don't want to go into the middle of a suburb where everyone is stealing and pinching? The same way you don't want that here what about there?
The way to achieve that Salatul Fajr Salatul Isha your truthfulness your worshipping Allah alone your adopting the sunnah of the Prophet your respect for others.
The Trap of Pride
I have noticed something on my own that sometimes outwardly pious looking people lose the plot by insulting and abusing and belittling others they lost it no matter who you are you need help I need help help what? Achieving what? Fighting shaitan you think shaitan doesn't come to a pious man? I believe shaitan tries different tricks with a pious person he comes and make him feel you are pious initially he says no I'm nobody but you're very pious you got up for the Tahajjud the others don't they say no I'm nobody they say no but you're extremely pious look at the dua you're making you crying I'm pious true finished shaitan got you why? He convinced you that's the very moment you start belittling these guys don't even get up for tahajjud I'm tahajjud you know and these guys what are they?
You know we have an issue at the moment with the corona virus and I take the liberty to say it there's difference of opinion so what? Does that give us the license to insult others? You follow the view you believe is correct and move on don't compromise your akhirah by arguing and fighting and belittling and swearing and insulting that is against the sunnah against Islam you're compromising your paradise Allah grant us jannah.
The True Focus
This is why I say let's not forget where we're focused this world is only a means to get to where? Jannatul firdaus I want it and you want it and we all want it may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us jannah.
My beloved brothers and sisters one of the best things you could give another you know they say we are mu'mineen give gifts when you give gifts to one another what would happen? It would increase the love between you by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala one of the best gifts you can ever give a person is to be genuine with them to be sincere with them.
(Sahih Muslim Hadith 55)
Deen is sincerity when you're sincere with someone you speak to them in a respectful way in agreement and in disagreement they asked him to whom should we be sincere? Be sincere in your relationship with Allah so you will worship him alone be sincere in your relationship with Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam so you will adopt his sunnah with humility because some people adopt it with arrogance they have also lost remember shaitan comes all the time all the time may Allah protect myself and yourselves.
Respect for Leadership
Be sincere with the leaders of the Muslims the leaders when you belittle the leaders and when you insult them and abuse them you lose leadership and the boat or the ship is left without a captain which is worse than having a captain who has a floor or two the leaders are not prophets of Allah they will have a floor or two respect your leaders look at any community where the ulama are belittled it's lost when you have disrespected ulama you've lost the plot your ship has rocked to the degree that shaitan takes over but people don't realize this.
Whether you have a difference or not what does it cost you to be respectful you can come to the scholar and say I very strongly disagree with you and I believe you are totally wrong jazakallah khair but I love you and I respect you Allahu Akbar what did it cost you instead of insulting and swearing and hurling abuses such that the imam would have to look into the dictionary to say what did this uncle say he thinks it's a good word and he realizes it's a bad word who lost and who gained Allah grant us goodness.
That's not taqwa that is far from taqwa and worse is when people begin to think that oh it's taqwa when you insult another alim we are pious we are high we have a very high moral standing therefore we are allowed to insult everyone else that is exactly Iblis' policy that's what he thought.
I am better than him I have the right to do whatever I want he doesn't subhanallah.
The Need for Humility
I need to cry for jannah the same way you need to cry for jannah I need to cry the same way you need to cry all I need to do is learn to respect people when you see someone astray your nasiha, your nush inside you the genuineness, the sincerity should make you think hard before I talk to him let me cry for one week on my musalla making dua for him after that I will talk to him with utmost respect subhanallah where are the akhlaaq as the generations are passing we are losing akhlaaq among the scholars no more akhlaaq no character, no conduct whereas the Prophet s.a.w. says:
(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 3559)
The best from amongst you are those who are best in character and conduct that's what it is where is your character you think because you are a person whom Allah gave something whether it's wealth or knowledge or looks or whatever it may be position that you have the right to disregard akhlaaq for a minute in order to project something you want to say when the Prophet s.a.w. spoke to Abu Jahl with respect he spoke to Al Akhnas ibn Shuraik with respect he spoke to Abu Sufyan before he was a Muslim with respect that's why a lot of them came to the deen we chase our youngsters away from Islam because we have made the main focus this dunya we want to win a war in this world that's the thing and we do it in a way that is unacceptable in Islam.
Warning Against Materialism
What a powerful surah Allah says you know what amassing material items has led you astray until you visit the graveyards then you will know then definitely you will know and then you will know with your eyes you will have seen subhanallah.
Allah says you know what visit those graveyards the Prophet s.a.w. says:
(Sahih Muslim Hadith 977)
I used to prohibit you from visiting the graves visit them they will remind you of the hereafter.
Conclusion
To go there may Allah s.w.t. grant us all (جَنَّةُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ) and may Allah swt. bless everyone of us and forgive our shortcomings and help us focus let's learn to respect one another so that we don't lose our akhirah together with our ibadah together with whatever we want always ask Allah for goodness in this world goodness in the hereafter.
One of the ways that people compromise their akhirah is when they insult and belittle one another there are many narrations that I will not go into right now but inshallah if we give importance to this matter we will make living in our communities one of the most favorable and beautiful things.