Said by: Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as), explaining the Holy Quran (7:201), "When a passing thought from Satan touches the God-conscious, they remember (Allah) and at once they see clearly"
Status: ✅ Verified reference
Reference: Al-Kafi (Shaykh al-Kulayni), Volume 2, Kitab al-Iman wa al-Kufr, Chapter 191 (Bab al-Tawba — Repentance), Hadith 7.
Arabic — core saying (excerpt):
هُوَ الْعَبْدُ يَهُمُّ بِالذَّنْبِ ثُمَّ يَتَذَكَّرُ فَيُمْسِكُ
English translation:
"It is the servant who intends to commit a sin, then remembers (Allah) and holds back — that is what Allah means by 'they remember, and then they see clearly.'"
Explanation: The thought of a sin is not the sin. What matters is what you do next. If the thought comes and you remember Allah and stop yourself, that is the victory the Quran praises — you saw clearly in time. A beginner should not despair over bad thoughts; they should practise this pause: remember Allah, and hold back.
The thought of a sin is not the sin.