Thoughts and Actions
People often find themselves thinking of doing or saying
something which they know to be forbidden in Islam. If such
thoughts are often repeated,they are troubled by them.They
know that what they are thinking of is sinful,but the
thought often occurs.Do such thoughts constitute a sin? Are
people liable to be punished for them? How are they to
overcome them?

Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as
saying: “People said to the Prophet: ‘We entertain thoughts
which we would not like to put in words even though we
could have everything under the sun.’ The Prophet said: ‘Do
you really feel that?’ They answered in the affirmative. He
said: ‘This is a clear sign of firm faith.’” (Related by
Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).

This Hadith tells of the Prophet’s companions’ reluctance
to express in words the thoughts that occur to them. They
would not do that for anything this world can offer. This
indicates that their thoughts are bad or evil or forbidden,
and they abhor the fact that they occur to them. They know
that they could not stop these thoughts,but they are
troubled by them and would steer away from acting on them,
or even putting them in words.Hence,the Prophet reassures
them that their abhorrence, which sums up their reaction to
such thoughts, indicates true and clear faith. This is
indeed the case, because it is their strong faith that
generates their reaction to their thoughts. Had they not
been strong in faith, they would not have hated them so
much.

Another authentic Hadith that clarifies this case quotes
Shahr ibn Hawshab as saying: “I visited Aishah with my
maternal uncle, and he said to her: ‘A person may entertain
thoughts which, if he would put in words, would ruin him in
the hereafter. If he were to act on them, he would be
sentenced to death.’ She said Allahu Akbar (i.e. God is
supreme) three times, then she said: ‘The Prophet was asked
about this and he answered: if this happens to anyone of
you, let him say Allahu Akbar three times. None but a true
believer feels this way.’” (Related by Muslim, Al-Bukhari
in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and Abu Dawood).

Again this is perfectly true, because only a believer can
judge his thoughts in the way expressed by the man putting
the question. He knows that such thoughts could lead him to
disbelieve or to committing a sin that earns the capital
punishment. Hence he tries to suppress these thoughts.

It should be clarified that such thoughts are not
punishable in this life or on the Day of Judgment, as long
as they remain within the realm of thought and whims. If
they are not acted upon or stated verbally (in case they
relate to creeds and beliefs), then they are overlooked by
God.

Thoughts may vary in grade. Some are merely fleeting that
leave no impression on a person’s way of thinking, beliefs
or actions. Others are stronger, or longer lasting, but
they do not provoke any action. Others still get a person
to make a decision to act, but when the chance offers
itself to act on his thought, he refrains from acting. Even
though these grades differ, they all remain unpunishable.

Even if the action is prevented by circumstance, no sin is
recorded against the person concerned, because the sinful
action has not materialized. This is part of God’s grace,
because if we were to be held accountable for our thoughts,
along with our actions, we would be in a very difficult
position on the Day of Judgment.

Consider the case of a young man who is troubled by his
sexual urge. In today’s world, with satellite television
available everywhere, and channels are devoted to show
sexual obscenities and horrid perversion, thoughts of
committing a sin to satisfy one’s desire may occur to such
a young man every day. If he takes action to suppress such
thoughts, as the Prophet has taught, then he is rewarded
for not acting on his thoughts. His self-control is an act
that testifies to his faith.

By contrast when action is taken then punishment for the
sin intended or committed is incurred, even though the
action did not achieve the end in mind. Suppose a man
thought of killing another and lied in ambush. When the
intended victim draws near, he aims his gun and shoots.
Suppose that the target was not hit and the man is not
killed, the one who fired the gun incurs the punishment for
his action, which is starting a murder. Fadlullah
Al-Jaylani gives the following example: Five people aim
their guns at an intended victim: one hits him in his leg,
injuring him, while another hits him in his head and the
man dies. The third misses him altogether, while the
fourth’s gun is stuck and does not fire.

The fifth had no bullet in his gun but he thought that it
did. All five incur punishment, although the first two may
have a greater punishment than the other three. But all of
them are party to a murder.

Sometimes the thoughts are centered on questions of belief.
The Prophet gives an example of the most common ones. Anas
ibn Malik quotes the Prophet as saying: “People will
continue to ask questions about what has no reality until
they say: ‘God has created everything, but who created
God?’ If a person gets to this point, he should seek refuge
with God and put an end to such questions.” (Related by
Al-Bukahri). A similar version is related by Muslim, in
which the ending is different: “If a person gets to this
point, he should say: ‘I believe in God and His
messengers.’”

Another version gives yet a different ending with the
Prophet recommending reading surah 112, Al-Ikhlas, making a
gesture of spitting to the left and seeking refuge with
God. This version is related by Abu Dawood and Al-Nassaie.

All such versions are correct, which suggest that the
Prophet was asked about this more than once and every time
he gave an answer that suited the person putting the
question. This question will continue to occur to people at
all times. Some put it to believers to try to turn them
away from their faith. The Prophet’s answer makes it clear
that we must not pursue this line of questioning because it
leads us nowhere. It is not possible for the human mind to
pursue it to a logical end. Hence, the best thing to settle
the problem is to declare one’s belief in God. This may be
in words, or in reading the surah that sums up in four very
short verses the Islamic concept of God. “Say: He is God,
the One and only God, the Eternal, the Absolute. He begets
none, nor is He begotten, and there is nothing that could
be compared to Him.” (112: 1-4)

   Pilgrimage and Sins Against Others.

Q. A man was killed while doing his work some 20 years ago.
His brother was entrusted by his immediate family to
collect the indemnity money paid by his employers and
intended for his widow and two orphan toddlers. Having
pocketed a large sum of money, the brother paid nothing of
it to his nephews and their mother. He kept it all for
himself, which resulted in the family going through very
hard times. I have heard that the pilgrimage earns
forgiveness of all sins. Should this man offer the
pilgrimage, does this mean that he would not have to
account for his action? Is it true that the pilgrimage
wipes the pilgrim’s slate clean of all sin? Please explain.

A. The Prophet (peace be upon him) makes it clear that a
proper pilgrimage earns forgiveness of past sins. It
certainly wipes one’s slate clean. However, it should be a
proper pilgrimage in every respect. Therefore, we need to
set this principle against other relevant ones. An
important principle is that the pilgrim should clear his
own slate of any offense he might have committed against
others, and should ensure that the expenses of his
pilgrimage are earned in a legitimate way. The Prophet
speaks of a pilgrim who comes hoping for forgiveness, “but
his food is earned through a forbidden way, and his clothes
likewise, and he has been devouring what is forbidden. How
can such a person hope for a response to his prayers?” This
the Prophet states in connection with pilgrimage, to show
the absurdity of the thought that such a person could hope
for forgiveness through pilgrimage when he is a habitual
violator of God’s law and a confirmed aggressor against the
rights of others.

A second very important principle is that God forgives only
such sins as relate to what is due to Him. Sins or offenses
against other people are not forgiven until the aggrieved
party has forgiven the offender. Unless the case is so,
people would do away with anything they can lay their hands
on and then hope for forgiveness through prayer, fasting or
doing the pilgrimage. But this is not done. If one person
steals something that belongs to another, speaks ill of him
in his absence, deprives him of his rights, defames his
family, or offends him in any other way, the offender must
settle the matter first with the one against whom he
offended. If such a settlement is agreed and the injured
party forgives the offender, then and only then will God
forgive him, if He so pleases.

If no such settlement is reached in this life, and both
die, they will be brought face to face before God on the
Day of Judgment when God asks the guilty one to satisfy the
person he had harmed in this life. If the latter does not
forgive him, then some of the good deeds of the offender
will be added to the injured party until the latter is
satisfied. If the offender does not have to his credit
sufficient good deeds, then some of the sins of the injured
party are lifted and added to the account of the guilty
party.

A case may arise and the offender repents in this life, but
is unable to satisfy the person he had injured. If his
repentance is genuine, and God wishes to help him, then
when the face-to-face confrontation takes place, God takes
upon Himself the satisfaction of the injured party. He will
give him as much as he wants until he is satisfied.

Having explained this, I should add that the brother of the
deceased person in this case has committed a very serious
crime against God and against his late brother’s family.
Since there were young children in this family, then he put
himself in the category mentioned in the following verse:
“Those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, only
swallow fire into their bellies. They will be made to
endure a blazing fire.” (4: 10) If he has enjoyed the
luxuries the money gave him for 20 years, then he has been
eating fire for that length of time, and he will be made to
endure it further on the Day of Judgment. Nothing can wipe
that away except by God’s will, and God is just to all His
creatures.

Divorce During Wife’s Illness.
Q. May I put to you the case of a woman who has been
suffering from a mental disorder for several years and was
on medication. She has been married for over 25 years and
gave birth to three normal and healthy children. She was on
psychiatrist treatment for sometime. In her condition, she
had frequent disputes with her mother-in-law. She had to be
admitted to hospital,but the very second day,her husband
divorced her.Is this right?Is the divorce valid?

A. This question should be looked at from two different
angles. Firstly, the validity of the divorce. The answer is
that it is valid, if the husband took the proper action of
divorce. The right to divorce has been given to the husband
as a means of ending the marriage,while a wife is given the
right to end the marriage by khula’.

Secondly, we should look at the case from the point of view
of the mutual care God requires man and wife to take of
each other. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Everyone
of you is a shepherd and responsible for his charge. A man
is a shepherd looking after his family and children, and he
is responsible for them, and a woman is a shepherd in her
husband’s home and property, and she is responsible for her
charge.” Hence, the husband is responsible to provide the
best care he can afford for his wife and children when they
are ill.Needless to say, when he divorces his wife during
her illness, his action suggests that he is abdicating his
responsibility.God will certainly question him about that
on the basis of His knowledge of the man’s intentions.

This woman was certainly in a very difficult situation,
suffering from a mental disorder over which she had no
control.To find herself cast away as a result makes her
feel unwanted and hard done by.Her husband would have
earned a great reward from God,had he remained patient with
her and provided her with the necessary care.







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