Don't do it. Well, try not to.

What feels worse than someone else questioning your intentions? I repeat, what feels worse, not what is worse. For, as a Muslim, one must constantly review their intentions, keeping it clean and purely for the sake of Allah.

What feels worse, is when you question your intention, all of a sudden. You carry out an action, thinking it is for the sake of Allah and then something happens and your brain goes into overdrive. You self-question. Why am I doing this, again? Has my intention changed from the start? Is this action void if my intention has not been the same throughout the performance of the act? Heck, did I even start as I mean to go on?

You see, it’s this question that is asked and that makes one doubt themselves. I’ve been told it’s from the accursed Shaytaan, to put doubts into hearts of men. But, I’ll inform you of something that doesn’t help matters. That is being ‘praised’ about your actions, in an excessive manner.
When I use the term excessive, I do realise that it is relative to everyone. But, one can only address the experiences they have faced. The reason I do not like to get praise isn’t the admirable reason someone thinks of immediately, that one where the person does not want to be exposed to something that may increase hypocrisy and the like. Allahu a3lam.

It’s the other reason. It’s the one where the mention of praise opens up the questioning from the one being praised. It’s where the question of intentions arises. Why have I done this? Why are they praising the doer of the action? I wish they’d stop because as soon as they do I’ll stop questioning myself and I can get back to completing the action.

But then calm and rationality overcomes the worrier and they understand that the one giving praise doesn’t mean any harm. It may cause the one who is carrying out the action to doubt themselves (momentarily) but , hey, it is not done in spite. I understand that giving praise may encourage someone to do even better (in deeds) but there’s that aspect where it may also cause someone to question their intention. And, can you see how it gets worse
if the praise comes from the same individual.

So that is when it becomes all fine again. It’s when the person reminds themselves that it is for the sake of Allah only. And this is the strange part, the beautiful lesson, the beautiful outcome. All this does have a beneficial gain, it (should) cause someone to renew and strengthen their intention.

Hey, it all works out in the end even with all the headaches and heartaches. Best avoided though, I believe.

Wassalam.