Continuation of the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (( ... Indeed, He is All-Knowing of what is in the breasts )) .

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

فينبئكم بما كنتم تعملون إنه عليم بذات الصدور

[Az-Zumar 39:7]

His saying:

Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

إنه عليم بذات الصدور

[Al-Anfal 8:43]

means that Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

Knowing of that within the breasts."

عليم بذات الصدور

[Ali 'Imran 3:119]

and these are the hearts. The evidence for this is His saying, the Exalted:

For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.

فإنها لا تعمى الابصار ولكن تعمى القلوب التي في الصدور

[Al-Hajj 22:46]

So, what is meant by "what is in the breasts" is the hearts that are the owners of the breasts. Allah mentioned this phrase after His saying:

then He will inform you of what you used to do.

فينبئكم بما كنتم تعملون

[Al-Ma'idah 5:105]

to indicate that the reckoning will be based on what is in the heart, as in His saying, the Exalted:

⁽⁸⁾ Indeed, Allah, to return him [to life], is Able. ⁽⁹⁾ The Day when secrets will be put on trial,

إنه على رجعه لقادر * يوم تبلى السرائر

[At-Tariq 86:8-9]

And He said, the Exalted:

⁽⁹⁾ But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered ⁽¹⁰⁾ And that within the breasts is obtained,

أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ * وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ

[Al-'Adiyat 100:9-10]

So, on the Day of Resurrection, the criterion is what is in the heart. As for in this world, the criterion is the apparent deeds. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) treated the hypocrites as he treated the Muslims, because they were outwardly displaying Islam. We hold people accountable in this world for what appears of their deeds, and we leave their inner secrets to Allah. As for in the Hereafter, the reckoning is based on what is in the heart. For this reason, it is obligatory for a person to take care of the rectification of his heart before the rectification of his body, because the rectification of the body is a facade before the creation, but the rectification of the heart is what is between the person and his Lord, Mighty and Majestic.

Source alathar.net

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

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