Is the evil whispering of the soul in Mecca or Medina considered a sin and recorded against a person?
The intention to commit a sin (al-hamm bi al-ma’siyah), which is threatened with a painful punishment in the Almighty's saying: "And whoever intends therein [to commit] wrongdoing by deviation, We will make him taste of a painful punishment" (Quran 22:25), is specific to the sacred precinct of Mecca, not Medina. The term "Al-Masjid Al-Haram" here refers to the entire sacred precinct. This intention takes three forms: either the one intending the sin is outside the sacred precinct and intends to commit it within it; or he intends it within it even if he commits it outside it; or both the intention and the act occur within the sacred precinct. The word "yurid" (intends) signifies the intention or a thought that crosses one's mind, not merely the act itself. "Al-ilhad" (deviation) means deviating from the truth, and "al-dhulm" (wrongdoing) refers to any transgression of the Divine Law. This verse specifies the general meaning of the hadith: "Whoever intended to commit a bad deed but did not do it, a good deed will be written for him," this is to emphasize the gravity of the sin in the sacred precinct of Mecca. It may also be that the intended meaning of "intention" here is a firm resolve to commit the sin, which is a sin punishable everywhere on Earth. An example of this is the hadith: "If two Muslims confront each other with their swords, both the killer and the killed are in Hellfire," as the killed person was eager and determined to kill his companion.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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