Sometimes I happen to think of horrible things. I cannot help it. Is it sin?

I always say very horrible things in my mind, but I don't know what to do about it. I can't even control it. I can't stop my self from doing it. What should I do about it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Responsibility is only for voluntary acts. In other words, if man does something with his own will, he assumes the responsibility as well. The things that recur to the mind, is not something man thinks of willingly. That is, you do not make up your mind to think about bad things and then do it right away. Therefore, there could be no responsibility for this. Knowing that these are the scruples of the Satan, one must not dwell on them.

The Satan may say to man evil things in a corner of his heart, which is the means to diabolical suggestions. That heart shows worry in the face of these evil words and thought is a proof that man does not do that intentionally. For example, if a man watches the beauty of sky through his dirty binoculars, neither the watcher nor the watched would be smeared with the dirt of these binoculars. Now that this kind of words and thoughts comes from the Satan, it would do no harm to us. The actual harm is to try to drive it away by unnecessarily fighting with it and to be seized with fear by supposing it to be detrimental.

Alaaddin Başar (Prof.Dr.)

Questions on Islam