All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Permissible actions and words by which a person intends neither obedience nor disobedience bring neither reward nor punishment, and this is agreed upon among the scholars. As for whether the angels record them in the first place, there is a difference of opinion. The view favored in this fatwa is that the angels record all of a person’s words, including permissible speech, but on the Day of Resurrection nothing remains in his record except that which entails reward or punishment.
Not everything a person does in daily life is an act of worship or a sin. There are permissible actions such as eating, drinking, sleeping, sitting, and speaking about ordinary matters.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him, reported scholarly agreement that something permissible in itself brings neither reward nor punishment, unless it is connected to an intention or purpose that changes its ruling.
If a permissible act becomes a means to something prescribed in Islam, a person may be rewarded according to his intention. If he makes it a means to something prohibited, he may bear sin accordingly.
Thus, the same ordinary action may have a different ruling depending on the intention and purpose behind it.
The scholars differed concerning this issue.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Not a word does he utter but there is with him an observer ready to record it.”
[Qaf: 18]
Some scholars held that the apparent meaning of this verse includes everything a person says, whether it is an act of obedience, a sin, or permissible speech.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned the disagreement among the commentators regarding this matter. Mujahid and others held that the angels record everything, whereas ‘Ikrimah and others held that they record only what entails reward or punishment.
Ibn Taymiyyah then stated that the apparent meaning of the Qur’an indicates that everything is recorded, because Allah’s words:
“Not a word does he utter”
are general and include everything a person says.
Another group of scholars held that the angels record only words connected to recompense, whether good deeds or sins.
They interpreted Allah’s statement:
“Not a word does he utter”
as referring to words for which a person deserves reward or punishment, because a person is not held accountable for purely permissible speech.
Thus, the disagreement is not about whether permissible acts are rewarded or punished, but rather about whether they are recorded in the first place.
The view favored in this fatwa is that the angels record everything a person says, including permissible speech.
For example, if someone says, “I want to eat,” or “I am going to such-and-such a place,” this falls under the general meaning of Allah’s saying:
“Not a word does he utter but there is with him an observer ready to record it.”
However, the mere fact that these words are recorded does not mean that the person will be rewarded or punished for them.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti, may Allah have mercy on him, summarized the disagreement by stating that the scholars agree that there is no recompense except for that which entails reward or punishment. Their disagreement is only whether permissible speech is not recorded at all, or whether it is initially recorded and then erased.
The text upon which this particular discussion is primarily based concerns speech, because Allah says:
“Not a word does he utter.”
As for permissible matters in general, the agreed-upon principle is that a person is neither rewarded nor punished for a purely permissible action that is not associated with a good or bad intention.
Therefore, a distinction should be made between the issue of recording an action or statement and the issue of being recompensed for it.
A permissible action may become an act of worship because of a righteous intention.
Eating, for example, is permissible in itself. But if a person intends by eating to strengthen his body for obedience to Allah, his intention may earn him reward.
Conversely, a permissible action may be used as a means to something prohibited, in which case it may take on a different ruling because of the purpose associated with it.
Thus, a purely permissible action is one thing, while a permissible action connected to a particular intention or legitimate purpose is another.
A permissible act by which a person intends neither obedience nor disobedience brings neither reward nor punishment in principle.
As for whether the angels record it, scholars differed. Some said that only matters connected to reward and punishment are recorded, while others said that all words are recorded.
The view favored in this fatwa is that the angels record everything a person says, including permissible speech. Then permissible matters for which there is neither reward nor punishment are erased, and only that which entails recompense remains in the person’s record.
And Allah knows best.