Balancing Fear and Hope

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Hope and love of Allah tell us that faith is like a bird with two wings. The first wing is the fear--the distress of the heart because of the gravity of the wrong committed. The second wing is the hope--the confidence that Allah will forgive sins and omit punishment.

قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣

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." (53)

[Qur'an Az-Zumar 39:53]

وَإِنِّى لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا ثُمَّ ٱهْتَدَىٰ ﴿٨٢

But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance. (82)

[Qur'an Ta-Ha 20:82]

If a person sincerely repents to Allah, Allah accepts his repentance and forgives him. We have to think well of our Lord and hope that He will accept our repentance.

I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

[Hadith Qudsi narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have Mercy on him) said:

The more you have good expectations of your Lord and hope in Him, the more you will rely on and trust in Him. This is why some explained true reliance and trust to be having good expectations of Allah. In reality, having good expectations of Him leads to relying on and trusting in Him, as it is unthinkable that one can trust in someone that he has bad expectations of or no hope in, and Allah Knows best.

However, it is also important not to feel safe from any punishment. If the confidence in Allah exists without fear, it becomes a feeling of certitude, and this feeling of certitude to be safe from Allah’s plan is the essence of disbelief.

If the fear exists without hope, it leads to despair towards Allah, and the despair towards Allah is the essence of disbelief.

We can balance our fear and hope from 'Umar Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, when he said:

If Allah decreed that nobody shall enter Hell except one, I fear that I may be that person. If Allah decreed that nobody shall enter Heaven except one, I hope I am that person.

Don't Take Sins Lightly as we should fear that we may die before we could repent.

رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٢٨

Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.
[Qur'an Al-Baqara 2:128]
Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam