Lesson 1 of 6 · What is actually happening
An uninvited thought is not a belief
This is the knot most people are stuck in, so let us untie it first.
A thought that arrives without being asked for is not a belief. It is not a choice, and it is not a quiet confession of what you secretly want. It is an event in your head. You authored it about as much as you author a sneeze.
The Companions came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, with exactly this. They said they found things in themselves that they could not bring themselves to say out loud. He did not tell them their faith was in danger. He told them that being horrified by it was itself the mark of faith.
Qur’an and Sunnah
They said they found things in themselves they could not bring themselves to say out loud, and they were not told their faith was in danger.
Abu Hurairah said; His companion came to him and said; Messenger of Allah! We have thoughts which we cannot dare talk about and we do not like that we have them or talk about them. He said:Have you experienced that? They replied: yes. He said : that is clear faith
Sunan Abi Dawud 5111graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading
The same answer in one line, in a second collection. Evil prompting was asked about and called pure faith.
It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Apostle (ﷺ) was asked about evil prompting, to which he replied:It is pure faith
Sahih Muslim 133graded sound, sahihaynthe Arabic and its grading