The Youth between Fear and Hope
The Apostle of Allah (PBUH) entered into the room of a youth who was at his deathbed and asked him “How do you feel?” The youth answered, “I expect the forgiveness of Allah, O Apostle of Allah (PBUH)! I also fear from my sins. Upon this, the Apostle of Allah said: “When the hope of being forgiven and the fear of sin have come together into the heart of a believer at this time, Allah will certainly accept the wish of His slave and ensure him of what he fears.” (Nasai, Zuhd: 31)
Though this is an event that happened to a young person, it is valid for everybody. However, the importance of a young person as being the subject of this event is as follows: In fact, the period of youth is a time when fear and hope have no balance. Sometimes, a young person has so much hope that he thinks that he will go to Paradise directly. And sometimes he has so much despair that he thinks that he is not going to be forgiven because of his sins.
This hadith is good news and warning for the youths whose mood change very quickly.
Our religion encourages us to be between fear and hope. Our Almighty Lord states the following: “Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.” (az-Zumar: 53-54)
Our creator stated that he could forgive any kind of sins except shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, we should not be hopeless because only Satan abandons hope. However, to have hope does not mean to continue to sin and not to have fear from the wrath of Allah because of being sure of being forgiven somehow.
Thus As a matter of fact, Hz. Umar (RA) explained the following rule, which is a guide for all of our youths: “If they said all people were to go to Hell and only one would go to Paradise”, I would hope by saying “Is that person me?” If they said, “all people were go to Paradise and only one would go to Hell”, then I would fear by saying the following “Is that person me?”
Such a thought is the peak of being between fear and hope. That is a person should both fear from the wrath of Allah by thinking about his/her sins and hope the mercy of Allah.
If you pay attention to this subject, you will see that such a thought is not a contradiction because what is discussed here is fear and hope. The opposite of them are recklessness and despair. What is advised to us is not both to have fear and not to have fear or being hopeful and hopeless at the same time. We are expected not to “be hopeless because of excessive fear” and “not to be reckless because of excessive hope”.
For this reason, a person can both have fear and hope at the same time.
What is emphasized in the hadith is the truth which stated in a hadith al Qudsi: “I (Allah) follow the presumption of my slave to me”. According to this hadith al Qudsi, we will be treated accordingly if we expect the mercy of our Creator. Besides, we should not think of any negative things about our Creator. That is saying the following, “I’m very sinful, He will definitely torture me” means to intervene the will of Allah. It is necessary to repent and seek forgiveness for sins by saying the following, “I’m very sinful but My lord has mercy and forgiveness”
It is wrong and a great sin for a person to say, "I am definitely a person of Hell." Similarly, it is a great sin for a person to think as follows: "I am definitely a person of Paradise." The most appropriate way of thinking is as follows:
"I have committed a lot of sins. I fear the wrath of Allah. However, I feel regretful; my Lord can forgive me. Allah made me do some good deeds, too. My good deeds are His grace. I hope He will treat me with His grace."
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Nobody will go to Paradise due to his deeds; not even me. I cannot go to Paradise but for the mercy of my Lord." He also stated that a person who had killed one hundred people was forgiven by Allah when he repented sincerely.
This is the state of being between fear and hope. On the one hand, Allah's greatest Prophet states that he will not be able to go to Paradise through his own deeds; on the other hand, a person who killed one hundred people was forgiven because he asked for forgiveness with absolute repentance.
If a person relies on his own deeds, it is called "ujub" (self-conceit), which is a spiritual illness; it is as bad as hopelessness.
May Allah keep us between the state of fear and hope until we end our life with a nice ending and die as a believer.
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