The Ruling on Despairing of Allah’s Mercy and Feeling Secure from His Punishment

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. I am about to say that a Muslim does not despair of Allah’s mercy, nor does he feel secure from His punishment. Does he know that if one falls into a state of security from Allah’s punishment, that is evidence of the absence of his faith, and that

Answer:
it is evidence of the weakness of his faith? We said from the beginning that feeling secure from Allah’s punishment and despairing of Allah’s mercy diminish faith; they contradict the perfection of tawhid (the oneness of Allah). They contradict the perfection of the two testimonies, unless a person forgets Allah’s mercy or forgets Allah’s punishment. If he denies Allah’s mercy and says, “Allah does not show mercy,” or says, “Allah is not capable of punishment,” then he is a disbeliever without doubt. There is no interpretation for that at all. But if he believes in Allah’s mercy and believes in Allah’s punishment, yet says, “I have reached a level of sins and disobedience such that I do not deserve mercy”—meaning he sees that he does not deserve mercy, but he has not denied Allah’s mercy, only denied that it applies to him—or if he says, “I am a righteous man,” he has not denied Allah’s anger and punishment, but says, “I am a righteous man and I act in obedience to Allah,” and he only denies that Allah will punish him; this is the one who diminishes the perfection of his religion. As for if he forgets Allah’s mercy or forgets Allah’s punishment, then he is a doubter.