Download PDF: [S] Hope and Fear of Allah (Islamic story)

In Shari’ah it is mentioned that, “To completely lose hope in the Divine Mercy of Allah Almighty and to lose hope in His Divine Pardon is also considered as Kufr.”

 

At the same time, to completely have no fear for the Divine Punishment of Allah Almighty and to completely ignore it, is also considered as fear.

 

It is a sign of Imaan, that we should have hope in the Divine Pardon of Allah Almighty and we should always have fear for the Divine Punishment of Allah Almighty. Among the Awliyah, some were overtaken with immense hope in Allah Almighty and some were overtaken with immense fear for Allah Almighty.

 

We will present a few examples in this regard.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique – may Allah be pleased with him –  was always overtaken by the fear of Allah Almighty Allah. When he used to see a bird, he used to think that if only he was a bird and not a human. (The reason was so that on the Day of Judgement, he would not have to answer for his deeds). (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/189)

 

Ameerul Mo’mineen, Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – was such a person that whenever he used to hear the words of the Qur’an, he used to fall unconscious and sometimes he remained in this way for a few days. In fact, such was his state that people used to visit him thinking that he was extremely ill. One day, Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – picked up a piece of twig and said, “If instead of being Umar, I was only this piece of twig.

 

At times, Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – used to say that if only he was not someone who was known to everyone and sometimes used to say that if only his mother had not given birth to him.

 

It is mentioned that Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – used to weep so much in the fear of Allah Almighty Allah that two lines appeared on his cheeks. Once, he was reading Surah Shams and when he reached the verse explaining the moment when the deeds of people would be revealed, he was so overtaken by fear of the Allah Almighty that he fell on the ground unconscious.

 

One day, Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – was riding on his donkey and going somewhere when he heard someone reading Surah Tur. When he heard the verse that the Divine Punishment of Allah Almighty is something which will certainly occur he jumped off his donkey and sat against a wall. Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – then went home and remained ill for nearly a month and people used to visit him because he was ill. However, no one knew the actual reason why he was ill. (Ihya ul Ulum, 3/160)

 

It is mentioned that one day, Hadrat Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – left the Masjid after the Fajr Salaah and he seemed extremely disturbed. He then said, “The state in which I used to see the blessed companions of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, I am unable to see that state in anyone around me today. The blessed companions used to spend the entire night reciting the Qur’an. In their morning, their hair was dishevelled and their faces were pale. They used to also stumble and walk and their eyes were filled with tears. Yet, today, people are completely oblivious and have no fear while they walk around. There is no sign of fear in anyone for the Allah Almighty.”

 

The day in which Hadrat Sayyiduna Ali – may Allah be pleased with him – said this, from that day, he never smiled until he was martyred by Abdur Rahman bin Muljim Khaariji. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

The conqueror of Syria, namely Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah – may Allah be pleased with him, used to always say, “It is my wish that instead of being Abu Ubaidah, I was a goat so that people could slaughter me and prepared food with my meat and flesh.” (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain – may Allah be pleased with him – was another eminent companion. In a state of extreme fear for the Allah Almighty he used to say, “If only I was not a human but mere dust so that people could blow me away. (In this manner, I would be spared the torment of the Day of Judgement). (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

Hadrat Musawwar bin Makhramah – may Allah be pleased with him – was also another eminent companion. He was immensely affected when listening to the Qur’an. Whenever, he heard any verse of the Qur’an, he used to scream and fall uncontentious. One day, a Qari from the Bani Khas’am recited the 86th and 87th verse of Surah Maryam which are:

 

وَّ نَسُوۡقُ الْمُجْرِمِیۡنَ اِلٰی جَہَنَّمَ وِرْدًا ﴿ۘ۸۶﴾ لَا یَمْلِکُوۡنَ الشَّفٰعَۃَ اِلَّا مَنِ اتَّخَذَ عِنۡدَ الرَّحْمٰنِ عَہۡدًا ﴿ۘ۸۷﴾

“And We will drive the culprits towards the Hell thirsty. The people are not the owner of intercession but only those who have taken a covenant with the Most Affectionate.”

 

When he heard these words, he declared, “I am not from among the pious but from among the transgressors.” Please read this verse again. When the Qari recited this verse again, he screamed aloud and passed away. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

It is mentioned that when Hadrat Sayyiduna Zainul Aabideen – may Allah be pleased with him – used to make Wudu for Salaah, his face used to become pale due to his immense fear for Allah Almighty. His family used to ask him, “It seems to have become a normal pattern of yours that whenever you make Wudu, you become so fearful that your face also becomes pale and you continue to tremble in fear.” He used to reply, “Are you people aware in front Whom I am about to stand in front of?” (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

It is mentioned that once, Hadrat Sayyiduna Hasan Basri – may Allah be pleased with him – saw someone who was laughing aloud.  He then approached this young man and asked him, “Tell me, have you already crossed the Pulsiraat?” The young man replied that no, he had not. He then asked, “Tell me, are you aware whether you will be a person of Jannah or a person who will dwell in Hell?” The young man replied no, he was unaware of this. He then declared, “What, therefore, is the reason for this laughing?” It is mentioned that these words so affected the young man, then he never laughed aloud his entire life after this incident. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Hatim Asam – may Allah be pleased with him – used to say, “Do not be boastful about nice looking houses, are there more beautiful houses than Jannah? What happened to Nabi Adam – peace be upon him? Do not be boastful about your Ibadah. Who was a greater worshipper than Satan, what happened to him? Do not be boastful about immense knowledge which you might possess. Bal’am Ba’ur was someone who knew the Isme Azam. Eventually, what happened to him? His tongue was pulled out till it reached his chest. Do not also become deceived by the company of those who seem pious. After all, Abu Lahab saw the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – with his own eyes, yet, he remained a disbeliever. In other words, he could not take advantage of this blessed company”. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/160)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – and Hadrat Sayyiduna Ataa Salamah – may Allah be pleased with him – are considered as eminent Awliyah. The former Saint states, “I continue to look at my nose every day that perchance, it has not become black due to my sins and transgressions.”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Ataa bin Salamah – may Allah be pleased with him – never used to make Du’a for Jannah but used to always make Du’a that his sins are pardoned. When he was about to pass away, he was asked, “What do you wish for?” He replied, “The Fear of Hell, has destroyed all wishes within me.”

 

People also narrate that for forty years Hadrat Sayyiduna Salamah – may Allah be pleased with him – never looked at the sky and never laughed. Once, unintentionally, he looked at the sky and began to tremble in such fear that he fell to the ground. It is also reported that in the night, he used to look carefully at his body to see that whether any part has become disfigured due to the Divine Punishment of Allah Almighty. (Ihyu ul Ulum, 4/161)

 

The effect of the Qur’an.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Saleh Mirri – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that once he recited the 66th verse of Surah Al Ahzaab in front of a Saint. The verse is:

 

یَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوۡہُہُمْ فِی النَّارِ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ یٰلَیۡتَنَاۤ اَطَعْنَا اللہَ وَ اَطَعْنَا الرَّسُوۡلَا ﴿۶۶﴾

“The day when their faces turning up and down will be fried in the Fire, they will say, ‘Oh, would that we have obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.”

 

When the Saint heard this verse, he fell unconscious and when he regained consciousness, he replied, “O Saleh! Please read more because I can feel extreme sadness in my heart.”

 

I then read a verse from Surah Sajdah which is the 20th verse and which is:

“And as for those who are disobedient, their destination is the Fire. Whenever they will wish to come out from there, they will be returned back into the same and it will be said to them, Taste the torment of this Fire which you used to belie’.”

 

When he heard this verse, he fell on the ground and passed away. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/161)

 

It is reported that Hadrat Sayyiduna Ta’us – may Allah be pleased with him – was a very famous Muhaddith and never feared giving any Governor or Sultan advice. In fact, he displayed no fear whatsoever in giving anyone advice. Another amazing thing is that his appearance at this time was so impressive that no one could even look at him direct. However, it is mentioned that when he used to sleep, he used to sleep in such a position as if he was completely folded up. He used to also say that the fear of Hell has completely destroyed the peace and sleep of his. When he used to go for Tahajjud to the Masjid he used to stand on his Musallah until the Fajr and weep. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/163)

 

It is mentioned that once, the female slave of Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – awoke from a dream and said to him, “O Ameerul Mo’mineen! I just saw a dream.” He then asked her to reveal her dream. She replied, “I saw the flames of Hell rising and on top of this was the Pulsirat. The Khalifah of Bani Umayyah, Abdul Malik, was brought on to this bridge and he only took a few steps in front and fell into the Fire of Hell.”

 

The eminent Muslim was surprised at this dream and then asked her to continue. She then continued, “Then Waleed bin Abdul Malik was brought forward and he also took a few steps and then fell into the Fire of Hell.” By now, the great Muslim was certainly displaying extreme fear and asked her to continue. She said, “Then Sulayman bin Abdul Malik was brought forward and he also waked a few steps on the Pulsiraat and fell into the Fire of Hell. And then, O Ameerul Mo’mineen! You were brought forward.”

When he heard these words, he screamed and fell unconscious. However, this female slave softly mentioned in his ears, “O Ameerul Mo’mineen! I saw that you walked safely across the Pulsirat.” However such was the fear displayed by the great Muslim that he continued weeping until the morning. (Ihya ul Ulum, 4/163)

 

One day, someone asked Hadrat Sayyiduna Hasan Basri – may Allah be pleased with him – as to how he was feeling. He replied, “There are a group of people who are travelling in a boat and when this boat reaches the middle of the ocean, it breaks apart. Every person then tries to grab a piece of timber to save himself. Tell me, what would be the state of these people?” The person replied that indeed these people would be terrified and in a state of complete panic. Hadrat Sayyiduna Hasan Basri – may Allah be pleased with him – replied, “My state is that I am even more terrified than these people.” (Ihyu ul Ulum. 4/162)

 

This is the state and condition of those people who are the shinning stars of Wilaayah and look at the condition of ordinary Muslims. There is no doubt that we should certainly learn a lesson from these eminent Saints of Islam.