Lesson 4 of 6 · The whisper has a name
What you are not held to
Three registers of the same thing. The first two are the two soundest collections saying that what occurs in the mind is not held against you as long as it is not acted on and not spoken. The third names the whisper itself. The fourth states the general principle: a person is not held to mistakes, to forgetting, or to what they are forced into.
Qur’an and Sunnah
The same principle in the Qur'an, put as a request rather than as a statement. It asks not to be taken to task for forgetting or making mistakes.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡهَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرࣰ ا كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآۚ أَنتَ مَوۡلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear: each gains whatever good it has done, and suffers its bad- ‘ Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make mistakes. Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those before us. Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelievers.’
Qur’an 2:286
The first of the two soundest collections saying the same thing. What occurs in the mind is not held against you as long as it is not acted on and not spoken.
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah has forgiven my followers the evil thoughts that occur to their minds, as long as such thoughts are not put into action or uttered." And Qatada said, "If someone divorces his wife just in his mind, such an unuttered divorce has no effect.:
Sahih al-Bukhari 5269graded sound, sahihaynthe Arabic and its grading
The second of the pair, from the other of the two soundest collections. Its wording is promptings, and it is here because the reassurance is not one isolated report.
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:Verily Allah forgave my people the evil promptings which arise within their hearts as long as they did not speak about them or did not act upon them
Sahih Muslim 127graded sound, sahihaynthe Arabic and its grading
This one names the whisper itself rather than thoughts in general, which is why it is here.
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has forgiven my Ummah for what is whispered to them or what enters their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3434graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading
The fourth, and it states the general principle. Mistakes, forgetting, and what a person is forced into.
It was narrated from Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Allah has forgiven for me my nation their mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do
Sunan Ibn Majah 2043graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading
Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur'an, Oxford University Press, 2004.