The Meaning of His Saying: "This is what you were promised, for every penitent who guards himself. He who feared the Most Merciful in secret and came with a sound heart."

The Shaykh : As for the people of Paradise—may Allah make me and you among them by His grace and generosity—they are told: .
How great is this good news: , a peace that accompanies you forever, a peace from illness, from death, from hunger, from thirst, from worry, from grief, and from all that is distressing and unpleasant. .
And consider, my brother, the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic: . Who is the penitent? The penitent is the one who returns to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, who does not stray or go to extremes. If he commits a sin, he remembers his Lord and seeks forgiveness for his sin. If he neglects an obligation, he remembers his Lord and performs that obligation. He is a penitent to Allah, returning to Him, guarding himself, protecting his soul from everything that would bring the anger of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
He said: . "Feared" means he feared Him with knowledge, because fear is not merely terror, but rather a fear resulting from knowledge. As Allah, the Exalted, said: . He fears his Lord because he knows the perfection of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in His names and attributes. He possesses knowledge of the great attributes of Allah that others do not have. Thus, he knows Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, fears His punishment, and fears that Day about which mention has been made previously.
And His saying: . It is possible that this is a description of the Most Merciful, and it is possible that it is a description of the one who fears the Most Merciful. The two meanings do not contradict each other.
That is, it is possible that the meaning is that he feared his Lord while Allah, the Exalted, was absent from him, but he was certain of Him based on what he knew of His attributes and His signs.
It is also possible that he fears his Lord while He is absent from the creation, because he only fears Allah and does not fear the servants of Allah. In this is the perfection of sincerity to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Many people do not fear Allah in secret; they fear Allah in public. If someone is with them, they are afraid, or if someone is with them, they perform the obligation and leave the forbidden. But if no one is with them, they do not care about transgression.
We hear that some people, may Allah protect us from that, do not pray unless someone is with them. If someone is with them, they pray. If no one is with them, they do not pray. Did this person fear the Most Merciful in secret? What is the answer? No.
We hear that some people leave backbiting when someone from the people of knowledge or from the people of worship and piety attends their gathering. But when someone from the general public attends, they start backbiting about people and eating their flesh. We say: This man is not among those who feared the Most Merciful in secret, may Allah protect us from that.
. Came to where? He came to the Hereafter, with a heart turning to Allah, humble before Allah. He died in the best of conditions, because when a person dies, he moves to the Hereafter, as the abode of action has ended. For this reason, it is said: "Whoever dies, his resurrection has occurred." It is finished. The graves are the first station of the Hereafter, because the person moves from the abode of action to the abode of recompense. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah, which is a concise book on the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community, and is one of the best books he composed (may Allah have mercy on him) in this matter: "And among what falls under belief in the Last Day is belief in everything the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about that will occur after death".
Finally, my brothers: A person should read this surah, Surah Qaf, with reflection and consideration, and review the words of the scholars regarding it, so that he benefits from it, for it is sufficient as a warner. For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite it on Friday and preach to the people with it, because of the great admonitions it contains.
And we stop here with this commentary on what we heard from the recitation of our imams, may Allah guide them.