believers' relationship with their Lord is characterized both by fear
and hope, such that the former deters them from sins and disobedience,
whereas the latter drives them towards good deeds.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
"Hoping for the reward of Allah is one of the most supreme and
honorable ranks of one who pursues the right path. Allah The Almighty
praises those ]who do that[, when He Says )what means(:}There has
certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern
for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and ]who[ remembers
Allah often.{]Quran 33:21[ It was also narrated in a Hadeeth Qudsi,
that Allah The Almighty Says: 'O son of Adam, If you supplicate to Me,
expecting My forgiveness, I will forgive you however great or many
your sins may be.' When a person has hope, it means that he or she is
bound and attached to these names of his or her Lord: "The Benevolent,
The Beneficent". The more one knows Allah The Almighty, His names,
attributes and the dominance of His mercy over His wrath, the more his
or her hope increases ]in Him[. Had it not been for hope, the
servitude of the heart and organs ]to Allah[ would have ceased, and
monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where the name of Allah
is frequently mentioned, would have been demolished. If not for the
spirit of hope, ]our[ limbs would not have performed acts of
obedience, and neither would the ships of good deeds have sailed in
the seas of will without its pleasant breeze."
Similarly, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"If a
believer ]truly[ knew of the punishment of Allah, no one would expect
His Paradise. Equally, were a disbeliever to know of the ]actual[
mercy of Allah, none would despair of His Paradise."'Abdullaah ibn
Mas'ood, may Allah be pleased with him, remarked, "The most
encouraging verse in the Quran is in the Chapter Az-Zumar )The
Groups(; Allah The Almighty Says )what means(,}Say, "O My servants who
have transgressed against themselves ]by sinning[, do not despair of
the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He
who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."{]Quran 39:53["
One of those who visited Maalik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy upon
him, during the night in which he died, asked him, "O Abu 'Abdullaah,
how do you find yourself?" He, may Allah have mercy upon him,
answered, "I do not know what to say to you except that you will soon
see ]aspects[ of the clemency of Allah that you have never expected."
Glory be to Allah The Almighty! If those who turn away from Him only
know how He waits for their return and how Merciful He is to them,
they will long for Him enormously. Indeed, if this is His will towards
such people, how will He be to those who draw near to Him? 'Abdullaah
ibn Al-Mubaarak approached Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercy
upon them both, on the night of ]standing in[ 'Arafah, and found him
kneeling ]in prayer[, as his eyes overflowed with tears; he asked,
"Who is the worst person in this gathering ]in the plains of
'Arafah[?' Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercy upon him, replied:
"Whoever thinks that Allah will not forgive their sins ]i.e., of the
people who are present[.'"
On a similar night, Al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyaadh, may Allah have mercy upon
him, observed people's glorification ]of Allah The Almighty[ and their
crying, so he asked those around him: "If those people went to a man
and requested one-sixth of a dirham from him, would he let them return
empty-handed?" When they replied in the negative, he commented: "By
Allah, pardoning is easier for Allah than ]that[." Therefore, I
implore Allah The Almighty, seeking His forgiveness, knowing fully
that He absolves and forgives; even if people's sins are great, they
are minor in comparison to His mercy.
Hence, a slave should have much hope in Him, especially when he or she
is on the verge of death. Allah The Almighty Says, as narrated in a
Hadeeth: "I am ]to him or her[ as My slave thinks of Me." That is why,
perhaps, when Waathilah ibn Al-Asqa', may Allah be pleased with him,
went to see Yazeed ibn Al-Aswad, may Allah have mercy upon him, as he
lay dying, he asked him, "What is your expectation about Allah?" The
latter replied: "My sins have brought me to the brink of ruin, but I
hope for the mercy of Allah." So, Waathilah, may Allah be pleased with
him, ]happily[ exclaimed "Allah is The Greatest", and then said, "I
heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
say:'Allah The Almighty Says: 'I am as My slave thinks of Me, so let
him think of Me what he wants'.'"For the same reason, when Sulaymaan
At-Taymi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was dying, he instructed his
son: "O Mu'tamir, talk to me about exemptions ]in Islam[, so that I
may meet Allah while having good expectations of Him."
Hope prompts one to do good deeds
It is witnessed as a reality in life that many neglect good deeds and
dare to commit evil and sins, claiming that they trust in the mercy
and forgiveness of Allah The Almighty. Undoubtedly, this is a
misunderstanding of the true meaning of hope. The words of Al-Hasan
Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, are applicable to such people
mentioned above; he says: "There are people whose confidence in
forgiveness diverts them from doing what is moral, so much so that
they die with no virtues. They proclaim: 'we have good expectation of
Allah'. Surely, they are liars, for if they had hope ]in Him[, they
would have done good ]to support their claim[."
Allah The Almighty is indeed the most Forgiving, Ever Merciful;
however, I would like to draw your attention, dear reader, to the
subtle meaning embedded in the verse )which means(:}Indeed, those who
have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of
Allah - those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and
Merciful.{]Quran 2:218[. Contemplate how this verse alludes to these
people hoping for the mercy of Allah The Almighty alongside doing
those great noble deeds.
Dear Muslim, let us, then, do good and repent from our sins and evil
which we have committed. Let us repeat the words of Mahmood
Al-Warraaq, may Allah have mercy upon him: "O Allah, I have much hope
in Your forgiveness and You ]alone[ manage my affairs. I have
concealed my secrets from my relatives and others; You are the only
One to Whom I disclose them as I am confident that You will veil them.
O Allah! Do not fail me on the Day of Resurrection when all hidden
matters will be exposed. O Allah, do not reveal my secrets before
people; Your protection will provide me with an argument ]for my
forgiveness[, even though I have no basis for contention or a real
excuse."
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