they remember Allah and see clearly.

Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr said: “This refers to a man who becomes angry, then remembers Allah and restrains his anger.”

Layth reported from Mujāhid: “This refers to a man who intends to commit a sin, then remembers Allah and abandons it.”

Desire and anger are the source of evil deeds. When a person sees clearly, he turns back. Then Allah says:

“But their brothers are drawn further into error, and they do not desist.”

That is, the devils draw their brothers further into error, and they do not desist. Ibn ‘Abbās said: “Neither do the humans desist from evil deeds, nor do the devils leave them alone.”

Thus, when a person fails to see clearly, his heart remains in error, and Satan draws him further into it, even though belief remains in his heart and he has not denied the truth. That light and insight, and that reverent awe and fear, depart from his heart.

This is like someone who closes his eyes and sees nothing, even though he is not blind. Likewise, the heart cannot see the truth because of the rust of sins covering it, even though it is not blind with the blindness of a disbeliever.

Reports to this effect have also been transmitted. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said in his book (Faith): Yahyā narrated to us, from Ash‘ath, from al-Hasan, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said:

“Faith is taken away from him; if he repents, it is restored to him.”

He also said: Yahyā narrated to us, from ‘Awf, who said that al-Hasan said:

“Faith stays away from him as long as he remains in that state. If he returns, faith returns to him.”

Ahmad said: Mu‘āwiyah narrated to us, from Abū Ishāq, from al-Awzā‘ī, who said: “When al-Zuhrī mentioned this hadith—‘The one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse is not a believer while committing it’—I said to him: ‘They say: If he is not a believer, then what is he?’” He said: “He objected to that and disliked my asking him about it.”

Ahmad also said: ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī narrated to us, from Sufyān, from Ibrāhīm ibn