Should a person prioritize the aspect of hope or the aspect of fear of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)?

Question : This is a matter in which there is disagreement. The people of spiritual practice, or those who engage in spiritual practice: is it better for a person to let the aspect of hope prevail, or is it better to let the aspect of fear prevail, or is there a distinction in this?

Answer : Yes, is it better to let the aspect of hope prevail, or the aspect of fear, or to make them equal?
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said that it should be that his fear and his hope are one, so whichever one prevails, its owner is destroyed. And some of the people of humility said that at the time of death, the aspect of hope should be made to prevail. And in a state of health, the aspect of fear should prevail. He said: because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said . As for in a state of health, the aspect of fear should prevail so that his fear may drive him to righteousness.
And some of the scholars said: in the state of performing obedience, the aspect of hope should prevail. And in the state of intending disobedience, the aspect of fear should prevail.
This is good. The first aspect is that in the state of obedience, the aspect of hope prevails because he says: the One who has bestowed this obedience upon me will bestow its acceptance upon me. So he makes Allah’s favor upon him with it a proof of Allah’s favor upon him with its acceptance, and the aspect of hope prevails, and he says: I have done what I was commanded to do, and I hope for reward from Allah. As for when he intends disobedience, the aspect of fear prevails so that he does not fall into disobedience. This opinion is better in terms of meaning than the other opinions, but even so, we do not rule by it for every individual, because a person may experience states in which hope prevails and states in which fear prevails. But we are speaking about fear and hope in themselves, not with regard to each individual.