What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding hope and fear, and which of the two takes precedence?
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The questioner : This questioner, O honorable Shaykh Abu Subayr, from the Arab Republic of Egypt, asks: What is the methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding hope and fear, and which of the two takes precedence? May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the Pious, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Fear and hope are both among the great acts of worship that drive a person to remain upright. Through fear, one flees from sins, and through hope, one advances in obedience. For as a person’s hope in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) strengthens, his good opinion of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) improves, and his energy in obeying Allah increases. And as his fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) strengthens, his aversion to what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) dislikes increases, and he avoids sin.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them), the scholars of the paths of spiritual conduct, differed on which is better: should a person prioritize hope or prioritize fear? Some scholars said that it should be that his fear and hope are equal. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It should be that his fear and hope are equal, for whichever one prevails, its owner is destroyed.”
Some people of knowledge said, rather, it is better to prioritize hope, because hope drives one to have a good opinion of Allah. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in the Holy Hadith:Sahih al-Bukhari 7505 And some scholars said it should be that fear is prioritized, because it has a stronger effect on the soul in preventing disobedience.
Some scholars said it should be that fear is prioritized in a state of health, if one is healthy, so that it drives him to abandon forbidden things and to adhere to obligatory duties. And in a state of illness, hope should be prioritized so that he dies while having a good opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Some people of knowledge said hope should be prioritized when performing an act of obedience, so that he has a good opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) regarding its acceptance and not its rejection. And fear should be prioritized when his soul suggests to him a sin, so that he flees from it and does not commit it.
All these opinions consider an aspect of the conduct of a person and his dealings with his Lord (Mighty and Majestic). What appears to me is that, if we do not say that hope should be prioritized when performing an act of obedience and fear when intending a sin, then we say: treat yourself according to what the situation requires. At times, hope may be better, and at times, fear may be better. A person is the doctor of his own soul. This is what appears in this issue. However, the important thing is that it is obligatory for a person to always be fearful and hopeful so that he remains upright in the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the manner Allah intended from him. For if he prioritizes hope, it is feared that he will feel secure from the scheme of Allah and continue in sins, saying, “Allah will forgive me, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and Allah is vast in forgiveness,” and the like of taking hopes upon Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And perhaps he will be lured in without knowing, and I seek refuge in Allah. And if he prioritizes fear, it is feared that he will fall into despair of the mercy of Allah, and he will despair and regret, saying that he is destroyed and there is no need to work and no need to draw near to Allah, and the like of despairing of the mercy of Allah. So a person should always be monitoring himself, monitoring his heart, and he should turn his heart away from everything he loves if it is not in the obedience of his Lord.
We ask Allah for success for us and for you.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the Pious, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Fear and hope are both among the great acts of worship that drive a person to remain upright. Through fear, one flees from sins, and through hope, one advances in obedience. For as a person’s hope in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) strengthens, his good opinion of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) improves, and his energy in obeying Allah increases. And as his fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) strengthens, his aversion to what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) dislikes increases, and he avoids sin.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them), the scholars of the paths of spiritual conduct, differed on which is better: should a person prioritize hope or prioritize fear? Some scholars said that it should be that his fear and hope are equal. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It should be that his fear and hope are equal, for whichever one prevails, its owner is destroyed.”
Some people of knowledge said, rather, it is better to prioritize hope, because hope drives one to have a good opinion of Allah. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in the Holy Hadith:
I am to my slave as he thinks of Me
أنا عند ظن عبدي بيSome scholars said it should be that fear is prioritized in a state of health, if one is healthy, so that it drives him to abandon forbidden things and to adhere to obligatory duties. And in a state of illness, hope should be prioritized so that he dies while having a good opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Some people of knowledge said hope should be prioritized when performing an act of obedience, so that he has a good opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) regarding its acceptance and not its rejection. And fear should be prioritized when his soul suggests to him a sin, so that he flees from it and does not commit it.
All these opinions consider an aspect of the conduct of a person and his dealings with his Lord (Mighty and Majestic). What appears to me is that, if we do not say that hope should be prioritized when performing an act of obedience and fear when intending a sin, then we say: treat yourself according to what the situation requires. At times, hope may be better, and at times, fear may be better. A person is the doctor of his own soul. This is what appears in this issue. However, the important thing is that it is obligatory for a person to always be fearful and hopeful so that he remains upright in the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the manner Allah intended from him. For if he prioritizes hope, it is feared that he will feel secure from the scheme of Allah and continue in sins, saying, “Allah will forgive me, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, and Allah is vast in forgiveness,” and the like of taking hopes upon Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And perhaps he will be lured in without knowing, and I seek refuge in Allah. And if he prioritizes fear, it is feared that he will fall into despair of the mercy of Allah, and he will despair and regret, saying that he is destroyed and there is no need to work and no need to draw near to Allah, and the like of despairing of the mercy of Allah. So a person should always be monitoring himself, monitoring his heart, and he should turn his heart away from everything he loves if it is not in the obedience of his Lord.
We ask Allah for success for us and for you.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.