Divine Will (Al-Qadar)

Sahih al-Bukhari 6612

Hadith Text

"Allah has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the innerself wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation."

Scholarly Commentary

This profound hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari illuminates the comprehensive nature of divine decree (qadar) and the subtle gradations of sin. When the Prophet states that Allah has "written" each person's share of adultery, he refers to Allah's eternal knowledge encompassing all human actions within His divine will.

The categorization into "adultery of the eye, tongue, and heart" demonstrates that sins manifest at different levels of intention and action. The eye's adultery occurs through unlawful gazing, the tongue's through inappropriate speech, while the heart's involves illicit desires. The final distinction between the private parts "turning that into reality or refraining" separates mere temptation from actual sin - the former being pardonable when resisted, the latter requiring repentance.

This teaching serves as a profound spiritual reminder that true piety involves guarding all faculties - visual, verbal, and internal - from transgressing Allah's boundaries, while recognizing that mere temptation, when resisted, does not constitute sin.