What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding hope and fear?
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The questioner : He says:The questioner : What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding hope and fear?
The Shaykh : The scholars have differed on whether a person should prioritize hope or prioritize fear. What does hope in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mean, or prioritizing fear of Him? Which is better: to prioritize hope and place one's trust in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, or to prioritize fear and dread His punishment? The scholars differed on this. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It should be that his fear and his hope are equal", so that neither fear nor hope predominates. He said (may Allah have mercy on him): "Whichever one predominates, its owner is destroyed". This is because if hope predominates, a person falls into security from the plot of Allah, and if fear predominates, he falls into despair of the mercy of Allah. How is that? If the side of hope predominates, he commits sins. When he is told, "O my brother, fear Allah, do not disobey Allah," he says, "Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and I hope that He will forgive me." So he continues in sins while enjoying the blessings bestowed upon him, and thus he falls into security from the plot of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And if the side of fear predominates, when he performs an act of obedience, he says, "I am afraid that it will not be accepted from me." He does not say this to encourage himself to hope, but rather out of despair of the mercy of Allah. Some scholars said: It is necessary to prioritize hope when performing an act of obedience and to prioritize fear when intending to commit a sin. Because when he performs an act of obedience, he has come to the requirement of having a good opinion of Allah, so hope should predominate. And what is hope? It is acceptance, that Allah accepts and rewards. And when he intends to commit a sin, the side of fear should predominate so that he does not fall into sin. Others said: It is necessary for the healthy person to prioritize the side of fear, and for the sick person to prioritize the side of hope. Because if the healthy person prioritizes fear, he avoids sin, and if the sick person prioritizes hope, he meets Allah while having a good opinion of Him. My view in this matter is that this varies according to circumstances. It varies according to circumstances. And if he fears that if the side of fear predominates, he will despair of the mercy of Allah, it is obligatory for him to return and counter that with the side of hope. And if he fears that if the side of hope predominates, he will feel secure from the plot of Allah, let him return so that the side of fear predominates. In reality, a person is the doctor of his own soul if his heart is alive. As for the one with a dead heart who does not treat his heart and does not look at the conditions of his heart, this matter does not concern him. On this occasion, my brothers, I would like to convey to you that the most important thing is the purification of the heart. Because the outward deeds, every person can perform them, even the hypocrites. They remember Allah and pray, do they not? They pray and spend in charity, but they do not stand for prayer except while lazy. They do not come to prayer except while lazy, and they do not spend in charity except while reluctant. But the criterion is the heart. Correct the heart. Make your heart sincere for Him, Mighty and Majestic. Do not seek showing off or reputation with your worship. And make your heart also a follower of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Do not seek an alternative to the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), so that you may have two migrations: a migration to Allah through sincerity, and a migration to the Messenger by what? By following him (peace and blessings be upon him). We must always observe this point. We look at the hearts: are they alive? Are they dead? Is there anything that defiles them, or are they pure? So that we purify them. Look at His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:41] So the purity of the heart is the foundation. I ask Allah, the Exalted, to purify our hearts and your hearts, and to make them soft for His remembrance and at rest in faith.
The Shaykh : The scholars have differed on whether a person should prioritize hope or prioritize fear. What does hope in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mean, or prioritizing fear of Him? Which is better: to prioritize hope and place one's trust in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, or to prioritize fear and dread His punishment? The scholars differed on this. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It should be that his fear and his hope are equal", so that neither fear nor hope predominates. He said (may Allah have mercy on him): "Whichever one predominates, its owner is destroyed". This is because if hope predominates, a person falls into security from the plot of Allah, and if fear predominates, he falls into despair of the mercy of Allah. How is that? If the side of hope predominates, he commits sins. When he is told, "O my brother, fear Allah, do not disobey Allah," he says, "Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and I hope that He will forgive me." So he continues in sins while enjoying the blessings bestowed upon him, and thus he falls into security from the plot of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And if the side of fear predominates, when he performs an act of obedience, he says, "I am afraid that it will not be accepted from me." He does not say this to encourage himself to hope, but rather out of despair of the mercy of Allah. Some scholars said: It is necessary to prioritize hope when performing an act of obedience and to prioritize fear when intending to commit a sin. Because when he performs an act of obedience, he has come to the requirement of having a good opinion of Allah, so hope should predominate. And what is hope? It is acceptance, that Allah accepts and rewards. And when he intends to commit a sin, the side of fear should predominate so that he does not fall into sin. Others said: It is necessary for the healthy person to prioritize the side of fear, and for the sick person to prioritize the side of hope. Because if the healthy person prioritizes fear, he avoids sin, and if the sick person prioritizes hope, he meets Allah while having a good opinion of Him. My view in this matter is that this varies according to circumstances. It varies according to circumstances. And if he fears that if the side of fear predominates, he will despair of the mercy of Allah, it is obligatory for him to return and counter that with the side of hope. And if he fears that if the side of hope predominates, he will feel secure from the plot of Allah, let him return so that the side of fear predominates. In reality, a person is the doctor of his own soul if his heart is alive. As for the one with a dead heart who does not treat his heart and does not look at the conditions of his heart, this matter does not concern him. On this occasion, my brothers, I would like to convey to you that the most important thing is the purification of the heart. Because the outward deeds, every person can perform them, even the hypocrites. They remember Allah and pray, do they not? They pray and spend in charity, but they do not stand for prayer except while lazy. They do not come to prayer except while lazy, and they do not spend in charity except while reluctant. But the criterion is the heart. Correct the heart. Make your heart sincere for Him, Mighty and Majestic. Do not seek showing off or reputation with your worship. And make your heart also a follower of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Do not seek an alternative to the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), so that you may have two migrations: a migration to Allah through sincerity, and a migration to the Messenger by what? By following him (peace and blessings be upon him). We must always observe this point. We look at the hearts: are they alive? Are they dead? Is there anything that defiles them, or are they pure? So that we purify them. Look at His saying, the Exalted: