In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Righteousness of Thoughts

[67:13] Whether you keep your utterances secret, or declare them, He is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.

Besides looks and garments, our utterances and actions, with no doubt, speak for us in the public's eye. People we interact with are able to know us by analyzing our behavior. Humans, in general, and irrespective of religious backgrounds or lack thereof, care about how they are perceived by others. They spend a good amount of effort to beautify their looks and choose their words and actions as long as they are heard or witnessed.

Our hidden thoughts and deepest secrets have no place in this display. They are of no value to this humanly scale of judgment! If there were any available technology that exposes and reads man's mind and secrets, we would have definitely become very conscious about all of our thoughts. The truth of the matter is that we are left free to generate and harbor whatever kinds of thoughts we wish.

God, in His final and proven scripture, teaches us that He has the supreme power of reading our innermost thoughts. While we cannot read or interpret each others' internal thoughts and intentions, God almighty is absolutely aware of their details, past, present, and future ones:

[59:22] He is the One GOD; there is no other god beside Him. Knower of all secrets and declarations. He is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

[28:69] Your Lord knows the innermost thoughts hidden in their chests, as well as everything they declare.

[64:4] He knows everything in the heavens and the earth, and He knows everything you conceal and everything you declare. GOD is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.

No matter how well we are able to refrain from verbalizing certain thoughts, such thoughts are an open book for our Creator:

[11:5] Indeed, they hide their innermost thoughts, as if to keep Him from knowing them. In fact, as they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows all their secrets and declarations. He knows the innermost thoughts.

[4:108] They hide from the people, and do not care to hide from GOD, though He is with them as they harbor ideas He dislikes. GOD is fully aware of everything they do.

God has also clearly warned us that our most internal and deepest thoughts are vital to the growth of our souls and to our salvation. Just like our declarations, choices, and actions, we are fully responsible for these secrets. They are all going to be itemized in our records we will be informed about and held accountable for on the Day of Judgment.. These verses simply teach us all that:

[43:80] Do they think that we do not hear their secrets and conspiracies? Yes indeed; our messengers are with them, recording.

[2:284] To GOD belongs everything in the heavens and the earth. Whether you declare your innermost thoughts, or keep them hidden, GOD holds you responsible for them. He forgives whomever He wills, and punishes whomever He wills. GOD is Omnipotent.

[47:29] Did those who harbor doubts in their hearts think that GOD will not bring out their evil thoughts?

[62:8] Say, "The death that you are trying to evade will catch up with you sooner or later. Then you will be returned to the Knower of all secrets and declarations, then He will inform you of everything you had done."

[9:105] Say, "Work righteousness; GOD will see your work, and so will His messenger and the believers. Ultimately, you will be returned to the Knower of all secrets and declarations, then He will inform you of everything you had done."

[86:8] He is certainly able to resurrect him.
[86:9] The day all secrets become known.

Evil or righteous, our thoughts and innermost secrets represent our continuous battle with Satan. We strive to stick to all the standards of righteousness defined by God in His final Scripture but because of our human weakness, Satan, sometimes, manages to encourage us to generate some negative thoughts, or feelings that are not aligning with this righteousness. God has cited for us many examples of certain hidden thoughts that are very detrimental to the growth and redemption of our souls.. Just a few examples of these unrighteous thoughts we are apt to harbor are suspicion, harmful and baseless assumptions, fearing anything or any entity other than God, envy, jealousy, hatred, unrighteous scheming to reach unrighteous goals. All these negative thoughts and feelings are regressing for our souls.

Reflecting on all the above messages and verses, one concludes that the righteousness of our internal thoughts and secrets adds up, with no doubt, to our records. We are held accountable for them. While we are striving to be truthful and righteous through the correct utterances and actions, we are obligated to simultaneously work hard on the beauty of our thoughts. We should constantly purify them by seeking refuge in God from Satan, and by persevering to remember God and repent to Him.. This measures our reverence to God and completes our righteousness. The redemption of one's soul is the fruit of both righteous inner thoughts as well as righteous declarations and actions.

[7:200] When the devil whispers to you any whisper, seek refuge in GOD; He is Hearer, Omniscient.

[23:97] Say, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils.
[23:98] "And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me."

[29:45] You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective.* GOD knows everything you do.

[17:25] Your Lord is fully aware of your innermost thoughts. If you maintain righteousness, He is Forgiver of those who repent.

Peaceful Friday, salaam, and God bless.