عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم فِيمَا يَرْوِيهِ عَنْ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، قَالَ: "إنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ، ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ، فَمَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ إلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللَّهُ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً".
[رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ] ، [وَمُسْلِمٌ]، في "صحيحيهما" بهذه الحروف.
On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), from what he has related from his Lord:
Verily Allah ta’ala has written down the good deeds and the evil deeds, and then explained it [by saying]: “Whosoever intended to perform a good deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as a complete good deed. And if he intended to perform it and then did perform it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds up to seven hundred times, up to many times multiplied. And if he intended to perform an evil deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as a complete good deed. And if he intended it [i.e., the evil deed] and then performed it, then Allah writes it down as one evil deed.” [Al-Bukhari] [Muslim].
In the vast treasury of Islamic teachings, Hadith 37 of Imam An-Nawawi’s Arba’in stands out as a radiant beam of divine justice, mercy, and spiritual depth. This Hadith Qudsi, narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), offers an awe-inspiring insight into how Allah ﷻ treats our intentions, both good and evil. and how His infinite justice unfolds in our everyday moral decisions.
The hadith opens with the Prophet ﷺ conveying a message from his Lord, thus classifying it as a Hadith Qudsi. While the Qur’an is the literal Word of Allah, revealed in both word and meaning, Hadith Qudsi is divine in meaning, while the wording is from the Prophet ﷺ. Scholars agree that although it is not part of the Qur’anic canon, it carries divine weight and spiritual authority, revealing sacred truths through the beloved tongue of the Messenger ﷺ.
In this narration, the Prophet ﷺ informs us that Allah has recorded all deeds, both good and evil, and then clarified them to humanity with unmistakable precision. The Arabic wording indicates that this clarification is firm, preserved, and authoritative. In other words, Allah has not only defined what is right and wrong, but He has done so in a manner that leaves no ambiguity, a necessary foundation for divine justice to be exercised.
The heart of this hadith lies in one of the most important concepts in Islam: intention (niyyah).
Unlike legal systems that only judge what is seen and done, Allah ﷻ judges the internal state of the heart. The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not end up doing it, Allah records it as a complete good deed.”
This is not just inspiring, it’s transformational. A person who planned to give charity but couldn't, who intended to pray but was interrupted, or who wanted to help but circumstances didn't allow, still receives the full reward, as though they had carried it out completely.
This divine generosity shows that the sincerity of our hearts has value with Allah, even if our limbs fail to carry out the deed. The scholars also derived from this that the angels are allowed to record intentions, by Allah’s command. While the heart and its inner state belong to the realm of the unseen (ghayb), Allah grants the angels knowledge of sincere intent, thereby ensuring that such moments are not lost in silence.
Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ said that if one intends a good deed and then actually performs it, Allah multiplies the reward:
“It is written as ten good deeds, up to seven hundred, or even more.”
The number 700 is not a cap but a metaphor for abundance. In reality, the reward may be magnified beyond calculation, according to the purity of intent, quality of performance, and sincerity of heart. A prayer with deep humility, a fast observed with mindfulness, or charity given in private may be rewarded exponentially, known only to the One who sees all.
This is where Allah’s justice and mercy align. The reward is not arbitrary, but measured with divine wisdom. Not all deeds are equal. A distracted prayer is not the same as a deeply heartfelt one. As the Prophet ﷺ noted in other narrations, a person may offer salah and receive only a fraction of its reward, one-tenth, one-ninth, one-eighth, depending on their focus and sincerity.
This concept helps us understand why the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ (Sahabah) remain unmatched, even if others come later and perform more actions. It's not the quantity, but the quality and depth of intent that distinguished them. They believed when belief was costly. They stood firm when the world rejected them. Their sacrifices were infused with sincerity, courage, and conviction that can never be replicated.
The Prophet ﷺ made this clear when he said that no amount of gold given in charity by later generations would equal even a handful given by a Companion. This isn't about material worth, but about the purity of intention, the context, and the unseen spiritual weight that only Allah can measure.
The hadith then transitions to examine the internal world of evil intentions. Here, the Prophet ﷺ distinguishes between two critical scenarios.
The first is when a person intends to commit a sin, but then refrains out of fear of Allah. They remember Allah watching them. They recognize the sin and decide against it. That restraint is rewarded as a complete good deed.
This reflects a deep truth in Islam: the struggle against the self (jihad al-nafs) is real and valued. Turning away from temptation is itself an act of worship. Even if no one saw it. Even if it all took place in the heart.
However, the second scenario presents a warning. What if a person intends to sin and is preparing to do so, but is prevented by circumstance? They didn’t stop themselves. They were stopped. The phone rang. A person walked in. The opportunity slipped.
In this case, the person is not rewarded, because the motive wasn’t fear of Allah. And if they had taken steps toward the sin, that preparation itself is a sinful action, and a sin is recorded.
The Prophet ﷺ illustrated this with another powerful hadith:
“If two Muslims meet with swords drawn, both the killer and the killed are in the Hellfire.”
When asked why the killed would be punished, he said:
“Because he also wanted to kill the other.”
In Islam, intention and action are deeply intertwined. One may not get to complete an evil deed, but if the heart had committed to it and the limbs began responding, it may still count as sin.
Finally, if a person intends evil and actually commits it, only one sin is recorded. Not more. Not multiplied. This is a striking display of Allah’s mercy. While good deeds are multiplied exponentially, sins are recorded only once, and even that can be forgiven or erased through sincere repentance (tawbah), seeking forgiveness (istighfar), and following the sin with good deeds.
Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:
“Indeed, good deeds erase bad deeds.” (Surah Hud 11:114)
So how could anyone be doomed on the Day of Judgment except the one who truly turns away from Allah? A person would have to actively reject the mercy, forgiveness, and countless opportunities offered to them in order to fail.
This divine system is so generous, so merciful, and yet so precise, that the only person who is truly lost is the one who abandons their heart, their repentance, and their striving.
In a world that often seems to reward deception and ignore righteousness, this hadith comes as a beacon of hope. Today, oppression runs rampant. Muslims in places like Palestine face death, hunger, and displacement, while much of the world remains silent. The media diverts attention from the truth, and the supposed defenders of human rights often stand complicit.
But for the believer, this world was never the final judge. Our worth does not depend on worldly recognition. As this hadith reminds us, a single sincere intention, a single tear shed out of regret, a single fight against sin, can weigh heavily on the scales of Allah.
Why live for a world that doesn’t value you, when you can live for the One who always does?
Hadith 37 is more than a theological insight. It’s a roadmap for the heart. It invites us to purify our intentions, to remember that even our silent thoughts matter, and to strive in righteousness even when no one sees us. It reassures us that our smallest efforts are not lost, and even our abandoned sins, when forsaken for Allah, can earn us reward.
This hadith reminds us that Islam is not just a religion of actions, but of awareness. What you carry in your heart, how you fight your desires, and how you intend your next move. These are all known to Allah, recorded, and treated with justice and mercy.
So let us live lives fueled by pure intentions, defined by sincere efforts, and guided by a consciousness of Allah that extends to our very thoughts. In the end, perhaps what saves us won't be what others saw, but what only Allah saw in our hearts.
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Disclaimer:
Instructor: Sheikh Dr. Sajid Umar | STEPS TO JANNAH S4 | Forty Hadith Imam Nawawi
These are notes sharing from the Steps of Jannah classes online taught by Sheikh Dr Sajid Umar focusing on Hadith 40 an-Nawawi. The classes are still ongoing, every Monday 8pm UK time. If you would like to join, please email stepstojannah12@gmail.com
The notes written are from a student’s personal notes transcribed from the sessions. Should there be any error, May Allah forgive us, and do feedback (ain1810@gmail.com) so that it can get amended, and may it be beneficial to all of us and may Allah reward Jannah to Sh Sajid and his team for the beneficial ‘ilm being shared and to all of the students Steps to Jannah, Ameen.