harm outweighing any benefit, he will not commit it. Rather, either he is not certain that it is forbidden, or he is not certain that he will be punished for it. Instead, he hopes to be forgiven on account of good deeds or repentance, or through Allah’s pardon. Or he is heedless of all this, calling to mind neither the prohibition nor the threatened punishment. Thus he remains heedless, without the prohibition in mind. Heedlessness is one of the opposites of knowledge.

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Heedlessness and desire are the root of evil. Allah Most High says:

“And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follows his own desires and whose conduct exceeds all bounds.”

Desire alone does not suffice to bring about evil deeds unless accompanied by ignorance. Otherwise, when someone driven by desire knows with certainty that something will cause him harm outweighing any benefit, his soul naturally turns away from it. For Allah Most High has instilled in the soul a love for what benefits it and a hatred for what harms it. It therefore does not do what it knows with certainty will cause it harm outweighing any benefit. Rather, whenever it does so, this is due to weakness of reason. This is why such a person is described as rational, discerning, and possessed of sound judgment. This is also why the great affliction comes from Satan, not merely from the soul itself. For