It is not just evil deeds which merit chastisement but evil intentions too tend to have an impact. In fact it is due to their evil intentions that the disbelievers and the enemies (of Islam) shall reside in Hell eternally.
Hajjaaj Ibn Yusuf Thaqafi used to exhibit great cruelty and evil by imprisoning and killing the saadaat(descendants of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.)).
Once, while coming out of the mosque and hearing the wailing and crying of a great number of people, he asked, “Who are these who wail?”
Those around him said, “These are the wailings of the captives, who are tormented due to the intense heat of the sun.”
He said, “ Tell themاِخسئُوا(scram away),”which, in the Arabic language, is also employed for driving away a dog.6
His prison contained 120,000 males and 20,000 females (4,000 of the females being single) and was one large area, walled but roofless. Each time the prisoners tried to shelter themselves from the scorching sun, either with their hands or some other means, the guards overlooking them would strike them with stones.
Their food was bread, made of barley and mixed with sand, while their drink was bitter water. At times the blood of the saadaat and the righteous ones would be utilized for preparing Hajjaaj’s bread, which he would eat with great relish!
This wicked person always regretted not having been in Kerbala and used to say, “O’ How I wish I had been in Kerbala so that I could have had a hand in killing Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions!”( Pand-e-Taareekh, vol. 3, pg. 163; Raudhaat al-Jannaat, pg. 133.)