Among the Bani Israel, there was a ‘Abid (devout worshipper) who was widely known for his asceticism and piety. One day, he was informed that in a certain place there was a tree that a group of people worshipped. The ‘Abid became very upset and angry. He immediately got up, placed an axe on his shoulder, and set out to uproot the tree.
Iblis (Satan), disguised as a righteous old man, appeared on his path and said, “O ‘Abid, return and continue your worship!” The ‘Abid replied, “No, cutting down this tree is my priority, and I will not rest until I eradicate this corruption.”
The argument escalated, and the two got into a fight. The ‘Abid overpowered Iblis, threw him to the ground, and sat on his chest.
In the midst of this, Iblis said something that calmed the ‘Abid: “Hold on and be calm. You are not a prophet, and God has not commanded you to do this. So, return to your home and continue your worship, but in return, I will give you two dinars every day. You can use one dinar for your living expenses and donate the other in the way of God. This act will surely be better than cutting down that tree and will bring you more rewards.”
The ‘Abid thought to himself, “He speaks the truth. I can give one of the dinars as charity and use the other for my living expenses.” And with this agreement, he returned home.
The next morning, Iblis placed two dinars under his pillow and left. The same happened on the second day, and the ‘Abid took the money and spent it according to the agreement. But on the third day, there was no sign of Iblis. The ‘Abid waited until late in the day and then, full of anger, took his axe and headed towards the tree again.
Once more, Iblis appeared at the same spot and asked, “Where are you going?” The ‘Abid replied, “I am going to uproot that tree.” Iblis said, “No, you will never be able to do such a thing.” The argument escalated, and they got into another fight. But this time, Iblis easily threw the ‘Abid to the ground like a small bird.
The ‘Abid, surprised, asked, “What is the matter? Why did I easily defeat you the first time, but now I am so weak and helpless in your grasp?”
Iblis replied, “The first time, you were angry for God’s sake, and God made me submissive to you. For anyone who acts for God’s sake, I have no power over them. But this time, you were angry for worldly reasons and for the sake of the dinar, so you became overpowered by me.”
