Surah Al Baqarah Tafseer

Would the Servants be Accountable for What They Conceal in Their Hearts

Allah says;

لِّلَّهِ ما فِي السَّمَاواتِ وَمَا فِي الَارْضِ وَإِن تُبْدُواْ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it.

Allah states that His is the kingship of the heavens and earth and of what and whoever is on or between them, that He has perfect watch over them. No apparent matter or secret that the heart conceals is ever a secret to Him, however minor it is.

Allah also states that He will hold His servants accountable for what they do and what they conceal in their hearts.

In similar statements, Allah said,

قُلْ إِن تُخْفُواْ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Say (O Muhammad):"Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it, and He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is able to do all things) (3:29)

and,

يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden. (20;7)

There are many other Ayat on this subject.

In this Ayah (2:284), Allah states that He has knowledge of what the hearts conceal, and consequently, He will hold the creation accountable for whatever is in their hearts. This is why when this Ayah was revealed, it was hard on the Companions, since out of their strong faith and conviction, they were afraid that such reckoning would diminish their good deeds.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

"When

لِّلَّهِ ما فِي السَّمَاواتِ وَمَا فِي الَارْضِ وَإِن تُبْدُواْ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is able to do all things.

was revealed to the Messenger of Allah, it was very hard for the Companions of the Messenger.

The Companions came to the Messenger and fell to their knees saying, `O Messenger of Allah! We were asked to perform what we can bear of deeds:the prayer, the fast, Jihad and charity. However, this Ayah was revealed to you, and we cannot bear it.'

The Messenger of Allah said,

أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَقُولُوا كَما قَالَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابَيْنِ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا بَلْ قُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِير

Do you want to repeat what the People of the Two Scriptures before you said, that is, `We hear and we disobey!' Rather, say, `We hear and we obey, and we seek Your forgiveness, O our Lord, and the Return is to You.

When the people accepted this statement and their tongues recited it, Allah sent down afterwards,

امَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُوْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ امَنَ بِاللّهِ وَمَليِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers ـ and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)." (2:285)

When they did that, Allah abrogated the Ayah (2:284) and sent down the Ayah,

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلااَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُوَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error," until the end." (2:286)

Muslim recorded it with the wording;

"When they did that, Allah abrogated it (2:284) and sent down,

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلااَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُوَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error." (2:286)

Allah said, `I shall (accept your supplication),'

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا

"Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians)" (2:286)

Allah said, `I shall (accept your supplication),'

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ

"Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear." (2:286)

Allah said, `I shall (accept your supplication),'

وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَأ

أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

"Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people." (2:286)

Allah said, `I shall."'

Imam Ahmad recorded that Mujahid said,

"I saw Ibn Abbas and said to him,

`O Abu Abbas! I was with Ibn Umar, and he read this Ayah and cried.'

He asked, `Which Ayah?'

I said,

وَإِن تُبْدُواْ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ

(And whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it).

Ibn Abbas said, `When this Ayah was revealed, it was very hard on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah and worried them tremendously. They said:O Messenger of Allah! We know that we would be punished according to our statements and our actions, but as for what occurs in our hearts, we do not control what is in them.'

The Messenger of Allah said,

قُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا

Say, `We hear and we obey.'

They said, `We hear and we obey.'

Thereafter, this Ayah abrogated the previous Ayah,

امَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُوْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ امَنَ بِاللّهِ

(The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah), until,

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلااَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ

(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned). (2:285-286)

Therefore, they were pardoned what happens in their hearts, and were held accountable only for their actions."'

The Group recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ اللهَ تَجَاوَزَ لِي عَنْ أُمَّتِي مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا مَالَمْ تَكَلَّمْ أَوْ تَعْمَل

Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what they say to themselves, as long as they do not utter it or act on it.

The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

قَالَ اللهُ إِذَا هَمَّ عَبْدِي بِسَيِّيَةٍ فَلَا تَكْتُبُوهَا عَلَيهِ فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا سَيِّيَةً وَإِذَا هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا حَسَنَةً فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا عَشْرًا

Allah said (to His angels),

"If My servant intends to commit an evil deed, do not record it as such for him, and if he commits it, write it for him as one evil deed.

If he intends to perform a good deed, but did not perform it, then write it for him as one good deed, and if he performs it, write it for him as ten good deeds.