Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "And if you reveal what is in your souls or conceal it, Allah will hold you accountable for it," and a discussion on the whispers of the self and how to treat them
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The Shaykh :[Al-Baqarah 2:284] Pay attention to this verse; this phrase [Al-Baqarah 2:284] this phrase is severe for a person. If a person conceals something in his soul, Allah holds him accountable for it, whether he reveals it or conceals it. This is very difficult, and for this reason the verse that follows was revealed, which is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:286] So praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. What you cannot prevent from what your self tells you does not harm you in any way, even if it were the greatest of matters, by the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:286] and by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): Bulugh al-Maram 8:133 O Allah, to You is praise. There is no end to the whispers of the self. The self tells a person things that may be terrible, perhaps disbelief, shirk (associating partners with Allah), or atheism. It tells him these things, but is he held accountable for this? No, he is not held accountable. Rather, it is obligatory for him to do what drives away this whisper that his self has told him. What drives away this whisper are two things, and the physician of the Ummah, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), described them for us when he said: And what is the meaning of seeking refuge in Allah, my brother?
The student: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan.
The Shaykh : No, that is seeking refuge, but what is the meaning of "I seek refuge in Allah"?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, it is not an error; seeking refuge is not the same as seeking help, my brother. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : You have done well. Rest. It is turning to and taking hold of. "I seek refuge in Allah" means I turn to Allah and take hold of Him. From whom? From Shaytan, because it is Shaytan who casts these whispers into hearts.
To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it
لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَو تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُWhether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it
وَإِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَو تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاAllah, the Most High, has forgiven my followers what they contemplate on within themselves (i.e. evil thoughts) as long as they do not act upon or speak about them.
إن الله تجاوز عن أمتي ما حدثت به أنفسها ما لم تعمل أو تتكلمLet him seek refuge in Allah and let him stop.
فليستعذ بالله ولينتهThe student: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan.
The Shaykh : No, that is seeking refuge, but what is the meaning of "I seek refuge in Allah"?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, it is not an error; seeking refuge is not the same as seeking help, my brother. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : You have done well. Rest. It is turning to and taking hold of. "I seek refuge in Allah" means I turn to Allah and take hold of Him. From whom? From Shaytan, because it is Shaytan who casts these whispers into hearts.