FEAR AND HOPE

Fear and hope are like two wings by which the friends of God can fly to every praised place and can cross the ways of the next world and reach the Almighty.

What is Hope? Hope isa station out of the stations of religion and a condition of those who search.

This hope is perfected by state knowledge and action. Knowledge is cause and state is its fruit. State again leads to action. Out of these three, state is called hope. Take an example. When you meet a hateable thing, you meet with three states what is at present what was before and what is hoped to remain in future. It is only a thing that is hoped for. If the future hoped for object is disliking, it produces pain in your heart which is called fear. To wait for a dear thing is called hope.

This world is a seed ground for the next world. Mind is like earth and faith is like seed and divine service is like cultivation of the earth of mind. To purify mind is like canaldigging and the water flows towards the canal. The mind that is addicted to the world is like hard soil in which no seed can grow. The Resurrection Day is the day of reaping crops. He who sows seeds now can expect to reap fruits in the hereafter. If anybody sows seeds in a barren uncultivated land and does not water it, he entertains unnatural hope to get crops. So to wait for a dear thing is called hope. So whoever sows the seeds of faith in his heart waters it with the water of divine service, purifies the region of heart from the thorns of bad conduct and awaits the mercy of God to establish it upto his death, his waiting is called hope. That is good and real hope. The Prophet said: He who leads his life according to his low desires and yet hopes for paradise is a fool. God says: After them, such a nation became their successors who destroyed the prayer and followed their low desires. Soon they will will meet misguidance. God says: Those who have got faith those who migrated and fought in the way of God can hope for God's mercy-1:218 Q. In other words they are fit persons to hope for God's mercy. This means that those who act to the contrary can not expect to have God's mercy as they do not walk in the ways of God. Ihay-b-Ma'az said: To me that person is more a fool who hopes for forgiveness but remains engrossed in sins 4:1134:114without doing virtuoes acts, who hopes for the fruit of paradise after sowing the seeds of Hell, who hopes for the rank of the pious by doing sinful acts.

Once a companion asked the Prophet: I ask you a question: what is the sign that God wants good of one man and does not want good of another man? He said: What is the condition of your mind when you get up from bed? He said: I get up from bed with love for the pious and good works. I soon do a good work at that time if I can and have firm faith that it will bring rewards. If I cannot do it, it pains me very rpuch and I hope for doing it. The Prophet said: This is the sign of one for whom God intends good. If He intends not to do good to you. He refrains you from that and He does not think into which well of Hell you fall and perish.

MERITS OF HOPE: Love is made strong by hope. Take its instance from two kings. One king is feared for his punishment and another king is obeyed for getting rewards from him. For this reason hope is subject matter of good thought. God says: Don't be despaired of God's mercy -39:53 Q. So He made hopelessness unlawful. The story runs thus of Prophet Eakub that God revealed to him: Do you know why I made separation between you and Eusuf: The reason is that you uttered: I fear lest a tiger may eat him when you remain unmindful from him. Why did you entertain fear of tiger and not hoped in Me? Why did you look to the neglect of his brother and did not look to Me? The Prophet said: Let nobody die without having a good idea of God. He said: God says: I work according as My servant thinks of Me. Let him entertain any idea about Me. The Prophet once went to a man at the time of his death and asked him:

What is your condition? He said: I fear for my sins and hope for my Lord's mercy. The Prophet said: God gives him mercy in whose mind fear and hope unite. Hazrat Ali saw a man very much despaired on account of his many sins. He said: 0 brother, your despair of God's mercy is a greater sin than your sins. The saint Sulaiman said: He who commits a sin and then feels that God has given him power over it and hopes for forgiveness. God forgives him. The reason is that God rebuked a people and said: This is because of your thought about your Lord which has destroyed you. God says: You entertained evil thoughts and for that you have met destruction. The Prophet said: God will say on the Resurrection Day to a servant: Why did you not prohibit when you saw an evil act being perpretated? He will say if he is taught the reply by God: 0 Lord, I hoped Thy mercy and feared men. God will say: I forgive you. There is in Hadis that a man lent loan to the people. He gave time to, the rich and rescued the distressed from the liabilities of debts. He did no other good works and met God who said to him: Who is more entitled to My forgiveness than him? He then forgive him as he had good idea about God and hoped for God's forgiveness inspite of having no merit of divine service.

God says: Those who recite God's book, establish prayer and spend from what I give him of wealth openly and secretly hope for such a business which will never perish. The Prophet said: If you have known what I know, you would have surely laughed little and wept much and went out to wilderness and wept after clapping your breasts. Gabriel came down and said: Your Lord says to you. Why should He grow despair in our servants? Then he cam out and began to say words of hope and encouragement. There is in Hadis Qudsi-God sent revelation to David: If you love Me, love those who love Me and grow love in My servants. He said: 0 Lord, how can I grow love for Thee in Thy servants? He said: Remind them that every action of Mine is for their good and remind them of My mercy and kindness for them as they do not know from Me except good.

The sage Ibn Abu Ayash used to give words of hope to the people. Someone dreamt after his death that he said: God took me to His presence and asked me: Why did you say words of hope to the people? He said: 0 Lord, I hoped to enkindle love for Thee in the hearts of the people. God said: Then I have forgiven you.

There is in another Hadis that a man of Banu Israil used to say words of despair to the people and mete out to them harsh treatment. God will say to him on the Resurrection Day: To-day I shall deprive you of My mercy as you deprived My servants of My mercy. The Prophet said: A certain man after living in Hell for one thousand years will cry aloud and say: 0 Merciful, God will then say to Gabriel: God and take My servant out of Hell. Then he will be taken out of Hell and will be asked to wait before his Lord.

His Lord will ask him: How have you seen the place of Hell? He will reply: A very obnoxious place. God will say: Take him to his former place. Then he will walk and look behind. God will say: At what thing are you looking back? He will say: I hoped that after my deliverance from Hell. You will not take me back to Hell. 4:5id says: Take him to Paradise. This shows that hope for God's !rcy will lead to his salvation.

MEDICINE FOR DESPAIR AND MODE OF ACQUIRING )PE. Know, 0 dear readers that the medicine is required for two ;ses of patients. Despair is so strong on the first class patients that y give up divine service.

Fear is so strong on the second class ients that they strive hard in divine service and thereby they troy themselves and their family members. These two classes of iple take a wrong path out of the middle path and go to the reme. so medicine is necessary for them in order that may walk he middle path. The who entertains false hope and commits sins ieving in the mercy of God and turns away from divine service, divine of hope for him is destruction like poison which is sweet dm like honey. He who has got cold and cough, honey is good for i but he who has got hot temper, honey is poison for him. The Idle path of everything is good. Hazrat Ali said: A learned man is mho does not prevent the people from the mercy of God and does give them guarantee from the wrath of God.

TWO MODES OF INCREASING HOPE: The first mode is ing admonition and the second mode is the reading of the ran, Hadis and wisee sayings. Regarding admonition it is to nk of the gifts which we have described in the chapter of tefulness and to realise the gratefulness of God. He prescribed !rything what is.necessary for a man from the cradle to the ve. The second mode of increasing hope is to read the Quran I Hadis. The Quran says regarding hope: Tell those who pressed much on their soul: Don't be despaired of God's rcy. Surely God can forgive all sins. God is Forgiving , rciful-29:59 Q. God says:

The angels glorify their Lord and k forgiveness for those who are in the earth-42:5Q. God says: it the fire of Hell which has been prepared for the infidles. God +s:. I warn you of the fire of Hell. Nobody except the fortunate enters therein -those who disbelieved and turned :k. God says: God is forgiving to the people inspite of their s. It is reported that the Holy Prophet used to pray constantly his people.

He was even told: Are you not satisfied with the lowing verse: Your Lord is forgiving to the people inspits of !ir sins-13:6 Q. God says: Soon your Lord will give you such ng as will satisfy you-93: 5Q.

In its Tafsir, it has been said that will not be satisfied even if a single man stays in Hell.

4:116Hadis:- The Prophet said: My people are the recipients of mercy. There is no punishment for them in the Hereafter. God sends down earth quakes and battles in the world as punishment. He said: Fever is a touch of Hell fire. It isa punishment from the fire of Hell for a believer. God says: God will not put the Prophet and his companions to shame on that day. In explaining this, it has been said that God revealed to His Prophet: I will entrust you to take account of your followers. He will say: 0 Lord, You are more kind to them than myself. God said: I will not put you to shame amongst them. Hazrat Anas reported that the Prophet prayed to God regarding the sins of his followers. He said: 0 Lord, entrust me with the judgement of my followers, so that their sins my not be expressed before others. Then God revealed to him: They are your peoples but My servants. I am more merciful to them than you. I will not entrust their account on others. You or any other man can not have proper look on them. The Prophet said: My life is good for you my death is also good for you. As long as I live, I will teach you the lessons of religion and establish for you laws and regulations. When I die your actions will be presented before me. I will thank God for the virtuous acts I will see and 1 will seek forgiveness to God for the sins I will see.

The Prophet once heard a person praying: 0 God, I seek from Thee full perfect gift. He asked him: Do you know what is perfect gift? He replied: I don't know. The Prophet said: It is to enter paradise.

There is in Hadis: When a servant commits a sin and seeks forgiveness to God, God says to His angels:

Look to My servant. He has committed a sin and he knows that he has got his Lord who forgives all sins and gives punishment for sins. I testify to you that I have forgiven him. There is in another Hadis that if the sins of man reach so high as the clouds of the sky, I forgive him so long as he seeks My forgiveness and hopes for My forgiveness. There is in another Hadis: If My servant meets Me with earthful of sins, I meet him with earthful of forgiveness. There is in another Hadis: If a man commits a sin, the angel keeps his pen lifted up for six hours. If he repents and seeks forgiveness, he does not record it. If he does not do it, he records a sin. In another narration, when he commits a sin as well as a virtue, the right hand angel says to the left hand angel: Throw away this sin, rather I give up one tenth of this virtue for the sin and record nine-tenths of virtue. Then he throws away the sin.

FEAR AND HOPE Vol-IV 4:117The Prophet said: When a man commits a sin, it is recorded in his name. One desert Arab said: If he repents for that? The Prophet said: It is then wiped out from him. He again asked: If he commits sin again: The Prophet said: it is then recorded in his name. The desert Arab asked: If he repents? The Prophet said: It is then wiped out from his record of deeds. He asked: How far is it done? The Prophet said: So long he asks forgiveness and repents to God. God does not become tired of forgiveness till a man does not become tired of seeking forgiveness. When a man wishes to do a virtuous act, the right hand angel records a virtue in his name before he does a good work. If he translates his wish into action, he records ten merits for him. Then the Mereiful increases it up 700 merits. When he wishes to commit a sin, one sin is recorded for him and behind it God's for giveness is recorded for him.

One day a man came to the Prophet and said to him: 0 Apostle of God, I fast during Ramzan, I will not keep fast beyond it. I pray five a times a day, I will not pray more. No Zakat is due on me. Pilgrimage is not compulsory on me. I will not do it even willingly. If I die in this state, where shall I remain?

The Prophet smiled and said: Yes, if you can save your mind from treachery and hatred, control your tongue from back-biting and false speaking, protect your eye from seeing God's unlawful things and seeing with hatred any Muslim, you will be able to remain in paradise with me and I will place you upon my two palms.

A desert Arab once came to the Prophet and asked him: 0 Prophet of God, who will judge among men on the Resurrection Day? He replied: The Almightly Merciful God. He asked: Will He judge himself? The Prophet replied: He will himself judge. At this, the desert Arab smiled. The Prophet asked him: 0 desert Arab, why have you smiled? He said: If an honorable man gets power, he pardons; and if he judges, he shows compassion. The Prophet said: This dessert Arab has spoken the truth. Beware, there is nobody more compassionate than God. He is the greatest of the compassionate. Then he said: This desert Arab is a wise man.

There is in Hadis that God made the Ka'ba an object of veneration. If a man takes out a stone therefrom and destroys it and then burns it, he commits more sin than hating a friend of God. A desert Arab asked: Who is the friend of God? The Prophet 4:118said: All believers are the friends of God. Have you not heard the verse of God: God is the friend of those who believed. He takes them out from darkness into light-2:257 Q. There is in Hadis that a believer is better and more honorable than an angel, There is in another well known Hadis: God'recorded mercy on Himself before His creation. The Prophet said: He who recites 'There is no deity but God" will enter Paradise. He who utters at the time of his death 'There is no deity but God'. Hell fire will not touch him. Hell has been made unlawful for one who meets with God without setting up partner with God.

There is in Hadis: He in whose heart there is faith to the weight of a mustard seed will not enter Hell. The Prophet said: If a believer knows the extent of mercy of God, he would not have become despaired of Paradise.

The Prophet read this verse of the Quran: The earthquake of the Hour will be most severe. He said: Do you know which is this day? On this day Adam will be asked: Rise up and send to Hell out of your progenitors. He will ask: How many? He will be told: 999 out of every thousand will go Hell and only one to Paradise. Every one present began to weep and refrained from works. The Prophet came to them and asked: What is the matter with you that you refrained from your works? They said: After hearing what you said, who will do works? He asked: Where is the explanation what will be you number out of so many peoples? Series, Mensaq, Eajuz and Meajuz are some peoples. Nobody knows their numbers except God. You are like white hairs on the back of a black ox in comparison with other peoples and like a different color in the foot of a quadruped animal.

The People said: If you had not committed sin, I would have feared the worst sin from you. He was asked: What is it? He said: Self-praise. The Prophet said: By him in whose hand there is my life, God's mercy upon His servants is much more than the affection of a mother for her children. There is in another Hadis: God has got mercy of one hundred divisions. He has kept for himself 99 divisions of mercy and distributed one division only in the earth on account of which the created beings show kindness to one another, mothers show affection to their children and the lower animals to their young ones. On the Resurrection day. He will unite these one hundred divisions and show mercy on His creations.

4:1194:120The Prophet said: Act, give good news and know that only divine service of anybody will not give him salvation. The Prophet said: I have reserved intercession for those who commit great sins out of my followers. Do you hope that those who do divine service and who are God-fearing will get that? Rather my intercession will go for the sinners and the guilty.

Wise sayings:- Hazrat Ali said: God is more honorable than exposing the sins in the next world which He kept secret in the world. God is more just on a servant who suffers for a sin in the world than inflicting on him another punishment. A certain sage said: When a believer commits a sin, God keeps it secret from the angels, so that they may not see it and bear witness therefor. Hazrat Hasan Basari said: If a believer did not commit any sin, he could fly in the sky but God humbled him on account of his sins.

There is in Hadis that two men of Banu Israil made friendship for the sake of God. One of them oppressed much on his soul and another was religious. The latter advised his friend and warned him. His friend used to reply: Leave me to God. He has not appointed you as guard over me. One day the religious man saw his friend committing a great sin and being greatly dissatisfied said to him. God will not forgive you. He said: God will say to the sinner: Is there anybody to snatch My mercy on My servant?

Go, I have forgiven him. He will say to the religious man: Hell is fixed for you. He will say: By One in whose hand, there is my life; you have uttered such a word by which you have destroyed your world and the next world.

The sage Mosruq reported that a certain prophet fell in prostration when a sinner gave such a forceful strike on his neck by his foot that the stone on which he was prostrating shifted away. The Prophet flew into rage and said: Go God will not forgive you. God then revealed to the Prophet: you have taken oath over Me regarding My servant. I have forgiven him. Once the Prophet grew into rage on the polytheists and cursed them. At once revelation came down: You have got no hand in the matter.

Thereafter he gave up cursing.

A certain sage said: Two religious men were equal in divine services and they entered paradise. One of them got much higher rank therein. Another man said: 0 Lord, this man did not do divine service more than myself, but you have raised him to the highest of paradise. God said: He has prayed to Me higher rank but you have prayed only salvation from Hell fire. So I rewarded him according to the prayer of each man. This shows that it is better to do divine service being hopeful of higher and higher rank, as he who loves with hope is better than one who loves with fear. For this reason, the Prophet said: Pray for high rank to God, as you pray to God, the Most Compassionate. The Prophet also said: When you pray to God, pray for Ferdous paradise with great hope, as there is nothing greater to the Almighty than it.

It has been reported that one day a Magian guest came to the Prophet Ibrahim. He said to the guest: If you accept Islam, I will entertain you, At this that Magian went away. At once revelation came to Abraham: 0 Abraham, you have not given food to the Magian as he has not changed his religion. I am giving him provision for the last 70 years inspite of his infidelity. There was no harm if you had entertained the Magian for a night. Then the Prophet searched for the Magian, took him to his house and entertained him. Thereafter he accepted Islam.

The sage Ibrahim Atrash said: We sat one day with the great saint Ma'ruf Karkhi on the bank of the Tigris. At that time some young men were drinking wine and beating drums and sporting He said to Ma'ruf Karkhi: Are you not seeing the youths committing sins openly? Shower curse on them. At once he raised up his two hands and prayed; 0 Lord, as you have given them enjoyment in the world. So give them such enjoyment in the thereafter. The Prophet said: We have asked you to shower curse on them. He said: When He will give them enjoyment in the next world. He will give them the grace of Tauba or repentance in this world.

WHAT IS FEAR?

Know, 0 dear readers, that fear is a painful state of mind like burning fire in fear of a future calamity. He who has cemented love with God and whose heart is strong with truth and illumined with the brightness of truth has got no fear or hope and his condition as above fear or hope. In short when the mind of a lover is engrossed in the sight of the beloved, fear of separation and hope of sight are injurious for him.