Explanation of the hadiths and verses of the chapter that were read previously.
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on combining fear and hope, and giving hope precedence in the state of illness":
In this chapter, the scholars have differed on whether a person should give precedence to the aspect of hope or the aspect of fear.
Some of them said that the aspect of hope should be given precedence absolutely.
And some of them said that the aspect of fear should be given precedence absolutely.
And some of them said that it should be that his fear and his hope are equal, so that neither this is given precedence over that, nor that over this, because if he gives precedence to the aspect of hope, he will feel secure from the stratagem of Allah, and if he gives precedence to the aspect of fear, he will despair of the mercy of Allah.
And some of them said: In the state of health, he should make his fear and his hope equal, as al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) chose in this book, and in the state of illness, he should give hope precedence or make it pure.
And some of the scholars also said: If he is in the act of obedience, let him give hope precedence and that Allah has accepted from him, and if he is at the act of disobedience, let him give fear precedence so that he does not proceed to the disobedience. And a person should be the doctor of his own self; if he sees from himself that he is secure from the stratagem of Allah, meaning that he is persisting in the disobedience of Allah, wishing for Allah the wishes, let him turn away from this path and follow the path of fear. And if he sees that he has waswas (whispers) and that he fears without cause, let him turn away from this path and give hope precedence, until his fear and his hope are balanced.
Then the author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned verses in which Allah combined the mention of what necessitates fear and the mention of what necessitates hope. He mentioned therein the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire, and He mentioned therein His attribute (Mighty and Majestic) that He is severe in punishment and that He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And reflect on His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):[Al-Ma'idah 5:98-99]: where, in the context of threat and warning, he preceded the mention of the severity of punishment: [Al-Ma'idah 5:98], and in the context of His speaking about Himself and explaining the perfection of His attributes, He said: [Al-Hijr 15:49-50]: so he preceded the mention of forgiveness over the mention of punishment, because He is speaking about Himself (Mighty and Majestic) and about His perfect attributes, and His mercy precedes His wrath.
Then the author mentioned hadiths in this meaning that indicate that it is obligatory for a person to combine fear and hope, such as the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):, and the intended meaning is if he knew the knowledge of reality and the knowledge of how it is, not that the intended meaning is if he knew the knowledge of observation and report, for the believer knows that what is with Allah of punishment for the people of disbelief and misguidance, but the reality of this is not grasped now; it is not grasped except by the one who falls into it. May Allah protect us and you from His punishment.
Sahih Muslim 2755 means: from mercy and forgiveness, : and the intended meaning is the reality of that, otherwise the disbeliever knows that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, and he knows the meaning of forgiveness and he knows the meaning of mercy.
And the author mentioned hadiths in that meaning, such as his saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 6488, we seek refuge in Allah, so it is obligatory for a person to be the doctor of his own self in giving precedence to fear or hope; if he sees himself leaning toward hope and toward negligence of the obligations, and toward violating the prohibitions relying on the forgiveness and mercy of Allah, let him turn away from this path.
And if he sees that he has waswas (whispers) and that Allah does not accept from him, then he turns away from this path, and the successful person is the one who is the doctor of his own self in the state of health and in the state of illness, and Allah is the One who grants success.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on combining fear and hope, and giving hope precedence in the state of illness":
In this chapter, the scholars have differed on whether a person should give precedence to the aspect of hope or the aspect of fear.
Some of them said that the aspect of hope should be given precedence absolutely.
And some of them said that the aspect of fear should be given precedence absolutely.
And some of them said that it should be that his fear and his hope are equal, so that neither this is given precedence over that, nor that over this, because if he gives precedence to the aspect of hope, he will feel secure from the stratagem of Allah, and if he gives precedence to the aspect of fear, he will despair of the mercy of Allah.
And some of them said: In the state of health, he should make his fear and his hope equal, as al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) chose in this book, and in the state of illness, he should give hope precedence or make it pure.
And some of the scholars also said: If he is in the act of obedience, let him give hope precedence and that Allah has accepted from him, and if he is at the act of disobedience, let him give fear precedence so that he does not proceed to the disobedience. And a person should be the doctor of his own self; if he sees from himself that he is secure from the stratagem of Allah, meaning that he is persisting in the disobedience of Allah, wishing for Allah the wishes, let him turn away from this path and follow the path of fear. And if he sees that he has waswas (whispers) and that he fears without cause, let him turn away from this path and give hope precedence, until his fear and his hope are balanced.
Then the author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned verses in which Allah combined the mention of what necessitates fear and the mention of what necessitates hope. He mentioned therein the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire, and He mentioned therein His attribute (Mighty and Majestic) that He is severe in punishment and that He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And reflect on His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
(98) Know that Allah is severe in penalty and that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (99) Not upon the Messenger is [responsibility] except [for] notification
اعلموا أن الله شديد العقاب وأن الله غفور رحيم * ما على الرسول إلا البلاغKnow that Allah is severe in penalty and that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
اعلموا أن الله شديد العقاب وأن الله غفور رحيم(49) [O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. (50) And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment.
نبّئ عبادي أني أنا الغفور الرحيم * وأن عذابي هو العذاب الأليمThen the author mentioned hadiths in this meaning that indicate that it is obligatory for a person to combine fear and hope, such as the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
If the believer knew what is with Allah of punishment, no one would have hoped for His Paradise.
لو يعلم المؤمن ما عند الله من العقاب ما طمع في جنّته أحدand if a non-believer were to know what is there with Allah
ولو يعلم الكافر ما عند اللهno one would have feared the Fire.
ما خاف من النار أحدAnd the author mentioned hadiths in that meaning, such as his saying:
Paradise is nearer to any of you than the Shirak (leather strap) of his shoe, and so is the (Hell) Fire.
الجنة أقرب إلى أحدكم من شراك نعله، والنار مثل ذلك"By Allah, Allah will not forgive so-and-so," so Allah the Exalted said: "Who is the one who boasts against Me that I will not forgive so-and-so? I have forgiven him and I have rendered your deed void." Abu Hurayrah said: He spoke a word that destroyed his worldly life and his Hereafter.
والله لا يغفر الله لفلان، فقال الله تعالى: مَن ذا الذي يتألّ عليّ أن لا أغفر لفلان، قد غفرت لك وأحبطت عملك، قال أبو هريرة: تكلّم بكلمة أوبقت دنياه وآخرتهAnd if he sees that he has waswas (whispers) and that Allah does not accept from him, then he turns away from this path, and the successful person is the one who is the doctor of his own self in the state of health and in the state of illness, and Allah is the One who grants success.