What is Sahih Muslim 242 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Faith), narrated by It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:, states: "Allah, the Great and Glorious, said: Whenever my bondsman intends to do good, but does not do it, I write one good act for him, but if he puts it into practice I wrote from ten to seven hundred good d…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 242 in the Book of The Book of Faith.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#241

#242

Sahih Muslim

#243

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Sahih Muslim #242

The Book of Faith

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذَا هَمَّ عَبْدِي بِحَسَنَةٍ وَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبْتُهَا لَهُ حَسَنَةً فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كَتَبْتُهَا عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ وَإِذَا هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ وَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا لَمْ أَكْتُبْهَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كَتَبْتُهَا سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Allah, the Great and Glorious, said: Whenever my bondsman intends to do good, but does not do it, I write one good act for him, but if he puts it into practice I wrote from ten to seven hundred good deeds in favour of him. When he intends to commit an evil, but does not actually do it, do not record it. But if he does it, I write only one evil.

Narrated by It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

Context

This hadith illustrates Allah's immense mercy towards His servants. It describes how Allah rewards intentions for good deeds, even if they are not acted upon, and how He minimizes the recording of sins when one refrains from committing them. This reflects the compassionate nature of divine justice and encourages believers to aspire for goodness.

Modern Application

In daily life, this principle can motivate individuals to maintain positive intentions and strive for good actions, knowing that their good intentions are recognized and rewarded. It fosters a mindset of positivity and encourages people to act kindly and justly, even in small ways.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Mercy and Reward of Deeds because it emphasizes Allah's compassion in rewarding good intentions and minimizing the recording of sins.

Divine Mercy Reward of Deeds