Back to search

Is a person sinful if he utters a polytheistic phrase such as "what Allah willed and you willed" unintentionally? And does the ḥadīth "Indeed, a man may utter a word, not considering it significant, by which he falls into Hellfire" apply to him if it was unintentional? And what is your clarification of Allah's saying: (Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake) and the ḥadīth: "My Ummah is forgiven for unintentional mistakes, forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do" in this context?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the avoidance of his prohibitions are obligatory. If a forbidden utterance slips from the tongue unintentionally, its utterer should seek forgiveness and will not be held accountable, Allah willing, due to the Almighty's saying: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity," and the hadith: "My Ummah has been forgiven for mistakes, forgetfulness, and what they are compelled to do." There is no contradiction between this and the verse: "Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake," for this is an acknowledgment of Allah's blessing. As for the word a person utters without giving it thought, which leads him to Hell, it is the word intended to slander a Muslim, or a word whose goodness or badness is unknown; therefore, one must guard their tongue.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy