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“Furthermore,” among the things for which one seeks forgiveness and repents are those thoughts within oneself for which one would be punished if one expressed them or acted upon them. Allah Most High says:

“Whether you reveal what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills.”

He forgives those who turn away from what is within themselves, neither expressing it nor acting upon it, like someone who intends an evil deed but does not commit it. If he refrains from it for Allah’s sake, a good deed is recorded for him. This, too, is something for which one seeks forgiveness and repents. Seeking forgiveness and repentance apply to everything that is a cause of blame and punishment, even if neither punishment nor blame has actually occurred, for it may lead to them. One therefore repents of it—that is, turns away from it—so that it does not lead to evil, and seeks Allah’s forgiveness for it—that is, asks Him to forgive him so that He does not make him suffer on its account. For even if he is not punished for it, it may nevertheless diminish him.

Although no evil deed is recorded against someone who entertains intentions of evil deeds, his preoccupation with them has distracted him from what would benefit him. He therefore falls short of someone who does not do so, but instead occupies himself with what benefits him.

We have explained at length elsewhere that a person’s deeds and words count either in his favour or against him; they necessarily fall into one of these two categories. Thus he seeks Allah’s forgiveness and repents for whatever