Is the word "أنفسها" (anfusihā) in the Hadith: "Indeed, Allah has forgiven for my Ummah that which they inwardly contemplate (literally: that which their souls speak to themselves/ أنفسها)...", in the nominative (rafa') or accusative (nasb) case?
The word "أنفسها" (anfusahaa - themselves) in the "ما حدثت به أنفسها" (ma haddathat bihi anfusahaa - what their souls whisper to them) has been vocalized with both a fatha (nasb - accusative) and a damma (raf’ - nominative). The nasb is more common and is adopted by most narrators.
Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi clarified that the intended meaning is not the thoughts that are inherently forgiven, but rather the intention to commit sins, for which a person would have been punished had Allah not pardoned them. He emphasized that the forgiveness includes the intention to commit an evil deed as long as it is neither acted upon nor spoken.
Accordingly, the hadiths confirm that a servant is not held accountable for inner whisperings unless they act upon them or speak them. This includes all inner whisperings. Furthermore, a servant is rewarded for intending to do a good deed, even if they do not perform it. However, holding a belief of kufr (disbelief) is considered an act of the heart, falling under the category of deeds, and is not among the inner whisperings that are forgiven.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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