Can you control thoughts that come to your mind? What about negative thoughts and evil whispers? Imagine if they’re counted in our records as bad deeds?
We certainly become losers.
But Allah’s mercy is greater than our mistakes; He forgives a thought as long as we don’t act on it.
After all, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) 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. (Al Bukhari)
A Story Behind a Verse
When Allah revealed the last verses of chapter 2, the companions were overwhelmed:
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. (2:284)
The companions were very sincere generation, and they tried to implement every verse of the Quran.
So trying to implement these verses, trying to control the thoughts that would occur in their minds was overwhelming. How do you control what happens in your heart and mind?
The above verse stated that if a thought crosses your mind, whether you make it apparent as in act on it or verbalize it, or you conceal it and do nothing about it, Allah will still hold you to account for it.
Overwhelmed but Submitted
Overwhelmed, the companions came to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), they fell on their knees in humility and said:
O Prophet of Allah, you ordered us to pray and we prayed, you ordered us to give zakat and we gave it, and you ordered us to struggle in the way of Allah and we did. But now a command has come that we simply can’t do it. How can you control a thoughts that cross your mind and then before the majesty of Allah be held accountable for it?
So Prophet Muhammad said:
Do you wish to say, “we hear and we disobey?” in stead say, “we hear and we obey. Your forgiveness oh Lord.
So the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), these super human giants, on their knees start begging:
“O Lord, we hear and we obey, we seek your forgiveness. (Muslim)
As they utter this, and submission takes over their hearts completely, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came with the concession that Allah the Most High said:
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. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (2:286)
A Lesson
Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear. If you do good, it will be for you; and if you do bad, it will be against you. But no longer will evil thoughts be held against you in the Day of Judgment and in the court of Allah; evil thoughts that you held yourself back from and didn’t action.
There is a lesson here: Only when you surrender to the wisdom, decree, and command of Allah, does Allah open the doors for you find a way out for you give concessions to you.
So in your life, you will see Allah’s commands say something clearly, but your reality would be different from that, or you think, “how can I do that?”
Tell yourself what the companions said: “We hear and we obey,” and do your best in obeying the verses and the commands that you know you should. And then watch as Allah opens the doors for you, eases your burden for you, finds concessions for you.