It is often the case that thoughts come to our mind, some of which are bad. Will we be asked about that which is in our hearts and minds? When the following ayah of Quran was revealed:
لِّلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِن تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ ۖ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ – 2:284
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. Then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.
The sahaba found it very hard to comprehend. How could they be taken to account for that which they conceal in their heart. This weighed very heavily in the eyes of the sahaba. The following ayah was later revealed, abrogating the preceding ayah:
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ – 2:286
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned.
This helped put the sahabas heart at ease. May Allah be pleased with them.
The people of knowledge have divided intent into five categories.
Hajis – هاجس
Khatir – خاطر
Hadeeth al-nafs – حديث النفس
Hamm – هم
Azm – عزم
Hajis is a passing thought, that which is thrown into the soul, for example a passing glance at something bad. Khatir is that which occurs in the mind for a moment, a thought which lingers briefly. Hadeeth al-nafs is that thought which one considers, should I do it or not?
حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا زُرَارَةُ بْنُ أَوْفَى، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، يَرْفَعُهُ قَالَ “ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ لأُمَّتِي عَمَّا وَسْوَسَتْ أَوْ حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا، مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ بِهِ أَوْ تَكَلَّمْ ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah forgives my followers those (evil deeds) their souls may whisper or suggest to them as long as they do not act (on it) or speak.” Sahih al-Bukhari 6664
As for the first three, if it is in regards to having good thoughts, then one will not be rewarded for this. Why? In regards to Hajis, this is obvious, as for Khatir and Hadeeth al-nafs, this is due to a lack of intention.
Hamm is the intention to do an act. It is a stage below Azm in term of severity. It is the first step which leads to Azm. It is mentioned in the hadith that whoever has a good thought (hamm / azm), Allah will write for him a full good deed. As for a bad thought, then if it is not acted upon Allah will write for him a full good deed, and if it is acted upon then Allah will write one bad deed in his account.
Azm is to have a strong desire and conviction to do something. It comes in a hadith:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، وَيُونُسُ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنِ الأَحْنَفِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ ذَهَبْتُ لأَنْصُرَ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ، فَلَقِيَنِي أَبُو بَكْرَةَ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ قُلْتُ أَنْصُرُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ. قَالَ ارْجِعْ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ” إِذَا الْتَقَى الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَالْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّارِ ”. فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا الْقَاتِلُ فَمَا بَالُ الْمَقْتُولِ قَالَ ” إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَرِيصًا عَلَى قَتْلِ صَاحِبِهِ ”.
Narrated Al-Ahnaf bin Qais:
While I was going to help this man (‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib), Abu Bakra met me and asked, “Where are you going?” I replied, “I am going to help that person.” He said, “Go back for I have heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ saying, ‘When two Muslims fight (meet) each other with their swords, both the murderer as well as the murdered will go to the Hell-fire.’ I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! It is all right for the murderer but what about the murdered one?’ Allah’s Messenger ﷺ replied, “He surely had the intention to kill his companion.” Sahih al-Bukhari 31
As the victim also had a strong conviction (Azm) to kill the murderer, he will also be punished.
The poem goes:
مراتب القصد خمس هاجس ذكروا
فخاطر فحديث النفس فاستمعا
يليـه هـم فعـزم كلها رفعـت
سوى الأخير ففيه الأخذ قد وقعا
The stages of intent are five, the first being Hajis,
then Khatir, then Hadeeth al-nafs
Following on is Hamm, finally Azm, all are lifted,
except the last, it is taken to account for.
So the first four types of thought which occur in ones mind will not be taken to account for. The last type, Azm, will be accounted for.
