Fear and Hope: Between Equivalence and Preference in the State of Life
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Regarding fear and hope in the heart, he asks: Is it required to balance them, or is fear to be preferred over hope during one's lifetime?
Answer:
In the state of life and health, one should be balanced between fear and hope, without preferring one over the other. However, when one is in the throes of death and at the time of death, hope is preferredSahih Muslim 2877c.
Because at the time of death, one is unable to perform deeds, whereas as long as one is alive and in good health, one is able to perform deeds. Therefore, one side is not preferred over the other. Yes, they say that the believer is between fear and hope like a bird between its two wings. If the bird's wings are balanced, it flies; if one becomes unbalanced or one breaks, it falls. Therefore, balance is necessary in this matter. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Regarding fear and hope in the heart, he asks: Is it required to balance them, or is fear to be preferred over hope during one's lifetime?
Answer:
In the state of life and health, one should be balanced between fear and hope, without preferring one over the other. However, when one is in the throes of death and at the time of death, hope is preferred
None of you should die but hoping only good from Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.
لا يموتن أحدكم إلا وهو يحسن الظن بالله عز وجلBecause at the time of death, one is unable to perform deeds, whereas as long as one is alive and in good health, one is able to perform deeds. Therefore, one side is not preferred over the other. Yes, they say that the believer is between fear and hope like a bird between its two wings. If the bird's wings are balanced, it flies; if one becomes unbalanced or one breaks, it falls. Therefore, balance is necessary in this matter. Yes.
Source
إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان 01-05-1435هـ — af.org.sa (1:02:06)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.