Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:

It is a great deception of Shaitaan to create false hopes within a person of doing many good deeds in the future, thereby stopping him from carrying out any good deed at present. Shaitaan’s aim and desire is to turn the servant away from carrying out good deeds by creating some excuse or the other. Most of the time, Shaitaan succeeds in his endeavour. Hence, those great works that the person wished to carry out in the future, many a time do not even materialise due to the opportunity not arising. The outcome is that most of the wishes and desires that people have of carrying out good deeds in the future end up remaining unaccomplished.

On the contrary, whatever good deed a person is able to do at present, even though it may be small, he should immediately carry it out. If he carries it out, it may become a means for him doing greater good deeds in the future. Therefore, the intelligent thing is for one to engage in as much good as he can. Whenever the opportunity of good arises, one should avail of the opportunity and immediately carry out the good. One should not allow the opportunity of doing good to be lost.

(Malfoozaat Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) pg. 135)

Source: Ihyaauddeen.co.za