133 - Reckoning good and bad deeds

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضي الله عنهما، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ فِيمَا يَرْوِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللهَ كَتَبَ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ، فَمَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا، كَتَبَهَا اللهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا، كَتَبَهَا اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عِنْدَهُ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا، كَتَبَهَا اللهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا، كَتَبَهَا اللهُ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً».


Abdullah bin 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that Allah, the Glorious, said: 

1."Verily, Allah (SWT) has ordered that the good and the bad deeds be written down. Then He explained it clearly how (to write):  2. He who intends to do a good deed, but he does not do it, then Allah records it for him as a full good deed,  3. but if he carries out his intention, then Allah the Exalted, writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundred folds, and even more. 4. But if he intends to do an evil act and has not done it, then Allah writes it down with Him as a full good deed, 5. but if he intends it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed".

 Related by al-Bukhari, 6491; Muslim, 131.

Summary of Meaning

In the hadith, it is explained the generosity and mercy of Allah towards His servants, as He rewards them for their intention to do good deeds even if they do not actually do them. He multiplies the rewards for their acts of obedience. Similarly, if they refrain from a bad deed that they had intended to do, He rewards them for it, and if they actually commit it, it is counted as one without multiplication. 

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