The jihad to do good

The avowed enemy, Syaitan, when he can't convince us to do a bad deed, he tries to stop us from doing a good deed by trying to convince us that we're doing it to show off, and therefore shouldn't. If we fall for that, he wins, we lose.

How I try to overcome this is by asking myself what or who did I think of when the idea first occurred? Was I thinking about someone I was trying to impress? Or was I thinking about the thing I wanted to do or the person I wanted to help?

Another test to know if my intention is true, is to ask myself honestly, if I would do it, if no one knows or acknowledge. If the answer is an easy yes, masyaAllah, then I shrug the Syaitan off. That helps me ascertain my true intention. Then I istighfar, to ask Allah SWT for forgiveness if then the thought of trying to impress somebody did cross my mind. Keepinge in mind that Allah SWT is Oft Forgiving and All-Knowing, I go ahead and do what I intended to do.

But what if our initial intention WAS to impress someone? Do we just abandon the intention to do the good deed?

I think we should rethink our intention, istighfar, and do it.

May Allah grant us strength in this constant jihad within ourselves. Aamiin.