This is a hadith qudsi about the ledger of your life, and it reveals an accounting so generous it should make the heart soar. Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad, and then explains exactly how He counts them.
Whoever intends a good deed but does not do it, Allah records it as a full good deed. Whoever intends it and does it, Allah records it as ten, up to seven hundred, up to many times more. And whoever intends a bad deed but does not do it, Allah records it as a full good deed; and only if he does it, it is written as a single bad deed, or erased entirely.
Where this hadith comes from
This is a hadith qudsi, narrated by Ibn 'Abbas (ra), in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) reports the words of his Lord. It is recorded by both al-Bukhari (6491) and Muslim (131), which makes it muttafaq 'alayh (agreed upon), the very highest grade of authenticity in the tradition.
Because it is a hadith qudsi, the meaning is from Allah while the wording is the Prophet's (peace be upon him). Scholars have long treasured it as one of the clearest statements of how Allah keeps the ledger of deeds, and it sits among Imam an-Nawawi's forty for exactly that reason: it teaches a whole theology of hope in four short lines.
The key words
What it means, line by line
Allah opens by saying He has written down the good deeds and the bad, then explains exactly how. Whoever resolves (hamma) upon a good deed but is stopped from doing it has it recorded as one full hasanah: the sincere intention alone is rewarded. Whoever resolves and then acts has it written from ten hasanat up to seven hundred, and beyond, by Allah's grace.
Then the mercy tips further. Whoever resolves upon a sin but does not do it has it recorded as a full good deed; and the one who actually commits it has only a single sayyi'ah written against him, never multiplied. The Qur'an states this same floor of tenfold reward plainly:
Generosity built into the ledger
Read the accounting slowly, because every line tilts toward mercy. A sincere intention to do good, even if circumstances stop you, is already written as a good deed. Carry it out, and it is multiplied tenfold at least, and far beyond that by Allah's grace. The deck is stacked in your favour from the start.
Allah states the principle plainly in the Qur'an, the floor of His generosity being tenfold:
The mercy on the other side
Now look at how bad deeds are treated, and the imbalance is breathtaking. Merely intending a sin and then not doing it, for Allah's sake, is recorded as a complete good deed. The restraint itself is rewarded. And when a sin is actually committed, it is written as one, a single bad deed, not multiplied, and still open to being wiped away by repentance.
So good is multiplied and evil is capped; intended good counts, and intended evil abandoned counts as good too. There is no scenario in this ledger where Allah is anything but generous. A person who merely tries, who merely means well, who merely holds back from wrong, is already gathering reward.
A reason never to despair
This hadith is a direct answer to the heart that feels it can never get ahead, that its sins must surely outweigh its good. The Prophet ﷺ shows the opposite: by this accounting, it is genuinely difficult to lose, if you keep intending good, doing what you can, and turning from wrong.
It should also fill you with energy. Every sincere intention is a deposit. Every small good is multiplied. Every temptation resisted becomes a credit. Live knowing the ledger is kept by the Most Generous, and you will reach for good without fear, certain that nothing sincere is ever wasted.
Carry this with you
The ledger of your deeds is kept by the Most Generous. Reach for good without fear.
Intention already counts.
A sincere resolve to do good is written as a good deed, even if you never manage to do it.
Good is multiplied.
A done good is recorded as ten, up to seven hundred and beyond. The deck is stacked in your favour.
Evil is capped, and beatable.
A sin is recorded as one, never multiplied, and can be erased by repentance.
Restraint is rewarded.
To intend a wrong and leave it for Allah's sake is written as a full good deed. You win even by holding back.
A du'a to carry
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhab an-nar
Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (Al-Baqarah 2:201)
A du'a of gratitude for His generosity
Allah Himself, in this sacred hadith, opened His ledger to show us how He counts: good multiplied tenfold and beyond, evil capped at one, intention rewarded, restraint rewarded, repentance erasing the rest.
If you have ever feared that your scale is hopeless, let this answer you. The accounting is kept by the Most Generous, and He has tilted every column toward your rescue. So intend good, do what you can, leave what is wrong, and trust the One keeping the books.
O Allah, You who multiply our good and cap our evil and reward even our intentions, make us of those whose scales are heavy with good. Give us good in this world and the next, and save us from the Fire. Ameen.
The hadith is from sunnah.com: the hadith qudsi on how Allah records good and bad deeds, narrated by Ibn 'Abbas (ra), al-Bukhari 6491 and Muslim 131, graded sahih (agreed upon). Qur'an citations (6:160 and 2:201) are in Uthmani script verified via quran.ai (ar-uthmani-minimal) with the Saheeh International translation. Per the editorial policy this stays with the creed and spirit (Allah's generous accounting and hope). FOR SCHOLAR REVIEW before publication.