Short answer
Angels write down every deed, and God (﷾) counts them with great mercy. The Prophet (ﷺ) explained how. If you intend a good deed but do not do it, one good deed is written for you. If you do it, it is written as ten good deeds, up to seven hundred or many more. If you intend a bad deed but hold back for God's (﷾) sake, a good deed is written for you. If you do it, only one bad deed is written, or God (﷾) may wipe it out. So good is multiplied, and evil is not. A passing bad thought is forgiven, as long as you do not speak of it or act on it. The Qur'an adds that good deeds remove bad ones. For those who repent, believe and do good, God (﷾) changes their bad deeds into good ones.
Full explanation
The angels who write
The Qur'an says two angels are appointed to every person, one on the right and one on the left. Not a word is spoken without a watcher ready to note it. The Qur'an calls them kind and honourable scribes (kiraman katibin) who know all that we do.
“Behold, two (guardian angels) appointed to learn (his doings) learn (and noted them), one sitting on the right and one on the left. Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him, ready (to note it).”
“But verily over you (are appointed angels) to protect you,- Kind and honourable,- Writing down (your deeds): They know (and understand) all that ye do.”
How each deed is counted
The Prophet (ﷺ), telling what his Lord said, set out four cases. A good deed intended but not done is written as one full good deed. A good deed done is written as ten to seven hundred good deeds, or many more. A bad deed intended but left undone for God's (﷾) sake is written as a full good deed. A bad deed done is written as one bad deed only. Another report of the same hadith, a saying of the Prophet (ﷺ), adds that God (﷾) may wipe out even that one.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Allah has recorded good and bad deeds. Whoever intends a good deed and does not do it has one full good deed written for him; if he does it, ten to seven hundred good deeds or more are written. Whoever intends a bad deed and does not do it has one full good deed written for him; if he does it, one bad deed is written. Another chain of the same hadith adds that Allah may even wipe it out.
A second chain of the same hadith adds that Allah may wipe out even the bad deed that was done, and that no one is ruined before Allah except one who is bent on his own ruin.
Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ), telling what his Lord said, taught: a good deed intended but not done is written as one full good deed; if it is done, it is written as ten to seven hundred times over, or more; a bad deed intended but not done is written as a full good deed; if it is done, it is written as one bad deed only. Also in Sahih Muslim 131.
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah tells the angels: if My servant intends a bad deed, do not write it unless he does it, and then write it as it is; if he leaves it for My sake, write it as a good deed. If he intends a good deed and does not do it, write one good deed; if he does it, write it as ten, up to seven hundred.
| The deed | Meant, but not done | Done |
|---|---|---|
| A good deed | Written down as one good deed | Written down as ten good deeds, up to seven hundred times over, or more |
| A bad deed | Written down as one good deed, if given up for God's (﷾) sake | Written down as one bad deed only |
In another report of the same saying, the Prophet (ﷺ) said God (﷾) may wipe out even that one bad deed. And for the one who repents, believes and does righteous deeds, God (﷾) changes bad deeds into good ones.
Good multiplied, evil not
The Qur'an states the same measure. Whoever does good has ten times as much, and whoever does evil is repaid only with its like. For those who spend in God's (﷾) way, it gives the picture of one grain that grows seven ears. Each ear holds a hundred grains, so one grain becomes seven hundred, and God (﷾) gives more to whom He wills.
“He that doeth good shall have ten times as much to his credit: He that doeth evil shall only be recompensed according to his evil: no wrong shall be done unto (any of) them.”
“The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear Hath a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things.”
Intentions and passing thoughts
The Prophet (ﷺ) said that deeds are judged by their intentions, so a good intention already counts. He also said that an evil thought which only passes through the mind is forgiven. This holds as long as a person neither speaks of it nor acts on it.
Umar ibn al-Khattab heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say that deeds are judged by their intentions, and each person receives what he intended. A man who emigrated for worldly gain or to marry a woman has only what he emigrated for.
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah has forgiven his people the evil thoughts that pass through their minds, as long as they do not speak of them or act on them.
Bad deeds erased and changed
The Qur'an says good deeds remove bad ones. For the one who repents, believes and does righteous deeds, God (﷾) changes his bad deeds into good ones. Amr ibn al-As asked for his past sins to be forgiven before he accepted Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him that Islam wipes out everything that came before it. And God (﷾) tells those who have wronged themselves never to despair of His mercy, for He forgives all sins. The next verse tells them to turn to their Lord in repentance and bow to Him before the penalty comes.
“And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night: For those things, that are good remove those that are evil: Be that the word of remembrance to those who remember (their Lord):”
“Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit fornication; - and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy,- Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,”
Amr ibn al-As, near death, said that before Islam no one was more hateful to him than the Prophet (ﷺ), and he had wished to kill him. He told how he came to the Prophet to accept Islam. He asked the Prophet to stretch out his right hand so he could pledge, then drew his own hand back. Asked why, he said he wanted a condition: that he be forgiven. The Prophet asked whether he did not know that Islam wipes out everything that came before it.
“Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
“"Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.”
The book on the Day of Judgment
On the Day of Judgment each person is given his record spread open and told to read it. It leaves out nothing, small or great. Yet no one is wronged. Even an atom's weight of good will be seen.
“Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open. (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: Sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."”
“And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.”
“Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.”
What Ezekiel taught
Ezekiel, a Hebrew prophet of the sixth century BC, taught the same mercy. Through him God says that the wicked man may turn from all his sins and do what is right. Then none of his past wrongs will be mentioned to him.
“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.”
Perspectives
The Islamic perspective
God's (﷾) record is exact and His counting is generous. Every deed is written, good is multiplied many times, evil is written once or wiped out, and repentance turns bad deeds into good.
The Qur'an teaches that recording angels write down every deed and word.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said how deeds are written. An intended good deed is written as one, and a done good deed as ten to seven hundred or more. An intended bad deed left undone for God's (﷾) sake is written as a good deed, and a done bad deed as one.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said God (﷾) may wipe out even a bad deed that was done.
The Qur'an says good is rewarded ten times over and evil is repaid only with its like.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said God (﷾) has forgiven his people the evil thoughts that pass through their minds. This holds unless they speak of them or act on them.
The Qur'an teaches that good deeds remove bad ones. God (﷾) changes the bad deeds of the repentant into good.
The Qur'an teaches that each person will read his own complete record on the Day of Judgment.