The Light of the Holy Qur'an — Page 128
T HE L IGHT OF T HE HOLY Q U R’AN—NUM BE R T WO T HE L IGHT OF T HE HOLY Q U R’AN—NUM BE R T WO 128 1 َّنِا َعْمَّسلا َو َرَصَبْلا َو َداَؤُفْلا ُّلُك َكِٕىٰٓلوُا َناَك ُهْنَع اًلْؤُـْسَم ۰۰ Meaning that the ear, the eye, and the heart—all these shall be called to account. Now, consider that just as God Almighty has mentioned the sins of the ears and eyes, so does He speak of the sins of the heart. The sins of the heart, however, are not just the thoughts and insti- gations, for these are not under the control of the heart. Rather, the sin of the heart is in making a firm resolve [to commit a sin]. 2 ٭ Only those thoughts that are beyond a person’s control are not counted as sin. They will, however, be counted as sins when one becomes firm on them and resolves to commit them. At another occasion, Allah, the Lord of Glory, similarly speaks of secret sins and says: 3 ْلُق اَمَّنِا َمَّرَح َيِّبَر َشِحاَوَفْلا اَم َرَهَظ اَهْنِم َو اَم َنَطَب Meaning that, God has forbidden both the open and secret foul deeds. I now say this by way of a challenge that this excellent teach- ing is also absent from the Gospels —that it should have made mention of the sins pertaining to all the organs and that it should have drawn the distinction between the resolve [to commit sin] 1. S u rah Ban i Isr a’i l , 17:37 [Publisher] 2. ٭ Note: We receive Divine reward when we counter our inner thoughts, which incite us towards evil, with good deeds and act contrary to their beckoning. —Author 3. S u rah al-A‘r a f, 7:34 [Publisher]