صحيح مسلم
Muslim
كتاب الإيمانThe Book of Faith
باب إِذَا هَمَّ الْعَبْدُ بِحَسَنَةٍ كُتِبَتْ وَإِذَا هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ لَمْ تُكْتَبْ:Chapter: If a person thinks of doing a good deed it will be recorded for him, and if he thinks of doing a bad deed it will not be recorded for him
Hadith 131
حَدَّثَنَا حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ ، عَنِ الْجَعْدِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو رَجَاءٍ الْعُطَارِدِيُّ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، عَنِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فِيمَا يَرْوِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى ، قَالَ : " إِنَّ اللَّهَ ، كَتَبَ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ ، فَمَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا ، كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً ، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عِنْدَهُ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إِلَى سَبْعِمِائةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ ، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا ، كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً ، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِهَا ، فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً " .
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) transmitted it from the Blessed and Great Lord: Verily Allah recorded the good and the evil and then made it clear that he who intended good but did not do it, Allah recorded one complete good in his favour, but if he intended it and also did it, the Glorious and Great Allah recorded ten to seven hundred virtues and even more to his credit. But it he intended evil, but did not commit it, Allah wrote down full one good in his favour. If he intended that and also committed it, Allah made an entry of one evil against him.
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وحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، عَنِ الْجَعْدِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ ، بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ وَزَادَ ، وَمَحَاهَا اللَّهُ وَلَا يَهْلِكُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا هَالِكٌ .
This hadith has been narrated with another chain of transmitters with the addition of these words: Allah would even wipe out (the evil committed by a man) and Allah does not put to destruction anyone except he who is doomed to destruction.
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Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Imran Ayyub Lahori
Understanding of the Hadith:
This hadith is proof that Allah’s mercy prevails over His wrath [بخاري: كتاب التوحيد : باب وكان عرشه على الماء : 7422] just as a good deed is recorded merely upon the intention of doing good, whereas nothing is recorded for the intention of an evil deed. And when a good deed is performed, ten to seven hundred times the reward is written, whereas for committing an evil deed, only a single sin is recorded.
This hadith is proof that Allah’s mercy prevails over His wrath [بخاري: كتاب التوحيد : باب وكان عرشه على الماء : 7422] just as a good deed is recorded merely upon the intention of doing good, whereas nothing is recorded for the intention of an evil deed. And when a good deed is performed, ten to seven hundred times the reward is written, whereas for committing an evil deed, only a single sin is recorded.
Source: Jawahir al-Iman: Commentary on al-Lu'lu wal-Marjan, Page: 81
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
This is the boundless grace and mercy of Allah, that if a person merely intends to do a good deed, then even for that, the reward of a complete good deed is written. And if he intends to commit an evil deed but does not act upon it, then nothing is written. And if he intends an evil deed and acts upon it accordingly, then only one evil deed is recorded.
In contrast, if a person intends to do a good deed and then acts upon it, then with Allah, multiple good deeds are recorded in return.
If it were not for this grace and mercy of Allah, then no one would be able to enter Paradise, because compared to the good deeds of humans, their sins and acts of disobedience are greater.
(2)
It should be clear that if someone intends to commit an evil deed but refrains from acting upon it out of fear of Allah, then a good deed is written for him, because refraining from evil is, in itself, a good deed. However, if someone, due to some compulsion, is unable to act upon the evil deed, or despite trying does not get the opportunity to act upon it, then he will certainly be recompensed for the corruption of his intention. As is narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Allah the Exalted has said:
If My servant intends to commit an evil deed but leaves it for My sake, then write a good deed for him.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tawhid, Hadith: 7501)
In another narration:
“When a servant intends to commit an evil deed, Allah the Exalted says to the angel:
Wait, if he acts upon it, then write one evil deed, and if he leaves it, then write one good deed, because he left that evil for My sake.”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith: 336 (129))
(1)
This is the boundless grace and mercy of Allah, that if a person merely intends to do a good deed, then even for that, the reward of a complete good deed is written. And if he intends to commit an evil deed but does not act upon it, then nothing is written. And if he intends an evil deed and acts upon it accordingly, then only one evil deed is recorded.
In contrast, if a person intends to do a good deed and then acts upon it, then with Allah, multiple good deeds are recorded in return.
If it were not for this grace and mercy of Allah, then no one would be able to enter Paradise, because compared to the good deeds of humans, their sins and acts of disobedience are greater.
(2)
It should be clear that if someone intends to commit an evil deed but refrains from acting upon it out of fear of Allah, then a good deed is written for him, because refraining from evil is, in itself, a good deed. However, if someone, due to some compulsion, is unable to act upon the evil deed, or despite trying does not get the opportunity to act upon it, then he will certainly be recompensed for the corruption of his intention. As is narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Allah the Exalted has said:
If My servant intends to commit an evil deed but leaves it for My sake, then write a good deed for him.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tawhid, Hadith: 7501)
In another narration:
“When a servant intends to commit an evil deed, Allah the Exalted says to the angel:
Wait, if he acts upon it, then write one evil deed, and if he leaves it, then write one good deed, because he left that evil for My sake.”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith: 336 (129))
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6491
