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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Is every person who intends to do a bad deed recorded as having done a bad deed?

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The Shaykh : As for the intention to do a bad deed: if a person intends to commit a heinous act, may Allah protect us from it, and then he remembers the punishment and the retribution, so he leaves it for the sake of Allah, what happens to him? A complete good deed is written for him, because he left it for whom? He left it for Allah. Satan’s whispering led him to intend the heinous act, but then he remembered the greatness of the Lord and the punishment of the Lord, so he left it for Allah. A complete good deed is written for him. Praise be to Allah, it is a blessing that he intended it but did not attain it. However, he did not perform an act that he wished for, such as a man who sees a rich person wasting money, indulging in it, spending it in sins, and spending it in what is not good. He wishes he had such money to do what this man does. What is this act? He wishes for it, but he has no money. He says, “If I had so-and-so’s money, I would have played gambling, dealt in riba (usury or interest), and cheated people. I wish I had so-and-so’s money to do what he does.” What is the ruling? We say:
They are equal in sin. هما في الإثم سواء
But by intention, by intention, they are equal.
The third case: a man intends to do a bad deed and performs the actions for it, but does not attain it. For example, a man intends to drink khamr (intoxicants), buys the khamr, and places the vessels or cups of khamr in front of him, but then the wind comes and blows them away and spills them. He regrets not being able to drink it. What is the ruling for this man? What is it? The full burden of sin is upon him, because he was prevented from it without his choice. This is indicated by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
When two Muslims confront each other with their swords, both the slayer and the slain are doomed to Hell-Fire. إذا التقى المسلمان بسيفيهما فالقاتل والمقتول في النار
Sahih Muslim 2888b
The one killed is in the Fire. He is a poor man who has lost his life. How can he be in the Fire?
They said: “O Messenger of Allah, (we understand about) this killer قالوا يا رسول الله هذا القاتل
Sunan Ibn Majah 3964Sahih (Darussalam)
He was in the Fire because he was fighting.
But whoever kills a believer intentionally ومن يقتل مؤمنا متعمدا
[An-Nisa 4:93]
What?
his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment. فجزاؤه جهنم خالدا فيها وغضب الله عليه ولعنه وأعد له عذابا عظيما
[An-Nisa 4:93]
This is the killer. هذا القاتل
Meaning the matter is known.
So what about the one who was killed? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Because he was eager to kill his companion. فما بال المقتول ؟ قال النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم : لأنه كان حريصا على قتل صاحبه
But he was unable to do so. Do you understand, O brothers? So, the one who leaves a bad deed, who intended to do it but did not do it, has these three categories.
But he adds a fourth category: if he intends to do a bad deed and leaves it, not for the sake of Allah, not because of inability, and not because he proceeded with it, but his soul becomes pure, meaning his soul turns away from it out of disdain or for other reasons, then there is no sin upon him. And what about the reward? There is no reward for him. There is no sin upon him and no reward for him. This happens often. A person intends to commit a sin, and then his soul becomes pure and turns away from it. We say there is no sin upon him because he did not do it and did not wish for it, and there is no reward for him because he did not make his intention sincere in leaving it for Allah, the Exalted and Majestic.
Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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