In the hadith: (Indeed, Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what their souls think, as long as they do not speak of it or act upon it), so when does one who intends to disobey Allah commit a sin?
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The Shaykh :Bulugh al-Maram 8:133 Yes.
The student: ... sins
The Shaykh : Meaning, he intended them.
The student: And he did not act upon them...
The Shaykh : I tell you: Did he intend them or not?
The student: No, I do not say: he intended them, because if he had intended them
The Shaykh : What does this mean?
The student: Meaning, he thought about them
The Shaykh : He thought about them, but he did not resolve to do them. In this case, he owes nothing. However, safety is safer. For this reason, we say: If a person intends a sin but does not commit it, there are three states for him:
The first state: He is unable to commit it, but he performs the actions he wants to use to reach it, yet he is unable to do so. For example, a thief who resolves to steal and places a ladder on the wall to climb up, but while he is in the middle of climbing, a man passes by on the street, so he comes down and flees. This person is recorded as having committed the full evil deed, as if he had actually done it, even though he did not do it. We say this because he intended it and worked toward it, but was unable to complete it. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 2888b They said: O Messenger of Allah, this is the killer—meaning he is in the Fire—so what about the one who was killed? He said: Sahih al-Bukhari 6875 Thus, if a person resolves to do an evil deed and works toward it, but is unable to complete it, the full burden of its sin is recorded for him.
The second state: A person who resolves to do it and wishes for it, but is unable to do it without performing the act of it. In this case, the burden of the intention is upon him. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about a man to whom Allah granted wealth, so he began to squander it. The poor man said: If I had wealth like so-and-so's, I would do with it what so-and-so does. He said:Sunan Ibn Majah 4228Sahih, Sahih (Darussalam) Is the burden in the practical act or in the intention? In the intention, because this person did not act.
The third state: He resolves to do it, resolves to the evil deed, and intends to commit it, but he remembers the fear of Allah and leaves it out of fear of Allah. In this case, a full good deed is recorded for him. Is that clear? There is a fourth category, but it does not fall within our classification. It is the person to whom the sin does not occur, it does not come to his mind. In this case, nothing is recorded for him or against him, like a righteous person to whom theft, zina, or drinking intoxicants does not come to mind. This is not for him or against him, but this is not included in the classification of intention. We are speaking about the classification of intention, meaning the one who intends evil.
Allah, 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 تجاوَزَ عن أمتي ما حدَّثَتْ به أنفسها ما لم تعمل أو تتكلمThe student: ... sins
The Shaykh : Meaning, he intended them.
The student: And he did not act upon them...
The Shaykh : I tell you: Did he intend them or not?
The student: No, I do not say: he intended them, because if he had intended them
The Shaykh : What does this mean?
The student: Meaning, he thought about them
The Shaykh : He thought about them, but he did not resolve to do them. In this case, he owes nothing. However, safety is safer. For this reason, we say: If a person intends a sin but does not commit it, there are three states for him:
The first state: He is unable to commit it, but he performs the actions he wants to use to reach it, yet he is unable to do so. For example, a thief who resolves to steal and places a ladder on the wall to climb up, but while he is in the middle of climbing, a man passes by on the street, so he comes down and flees. This person is recorded as having committed the full evil deed, as if he had actually done it, even though he did not do it. We say this because he intended it and worked toward it, but was unable to complete it. The evidence for this is 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 بسيفَيْهما فالقاتل والمقتول في النارThe killed one was eager to kill his opponent.
لأنه كان حريصًا على قتْلِ صاحبهThe second state: A person who resolves to do it and wishes for it, but is unable to do it without performing the act of it. In this case, the burden of the intention is upon him. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about a man to whom Allah granted wealth, so he began to squander it. The poor man said: If I had wealth like so-and-so's, I would do with it what so-and-so does. He said:
They are equal in their burden (of sin).
فهو بنِيَّتِه فهما في الوِزْر سَوَاءThe third state: He resolves to do it, resolves to the evil deed, and intends to commit it, but he remembers the fear of Allah and leaves it out of fear of Allah. In this case, a full good deed is recorded for him. Is that clear? There is a fourth category, but it does not fall within our classification. It is the person to whom the sin does not occur, it does not come to his mind. In this case, nothing is recorded for him or against him, like a righteous person to whom theft, zina, or drinking intoxicants does not come to mind. This is not for him or against him, but this is not included in the classification of intention. We are speaking about the classification of intention, meaning the one who intends evil.