Editorial

Grounding Ourselves in Equal Measures of Hope and Fear

Hope is naturally an optimistic state of uncertainty, a kind of anticipation coupled with imagination. By its nature, it’s susceptible to frustration and even despair if the rug is pulled out from under one’s feet too many times. However, what is impervious to such attrition is hope in Allah’s mercy and benevolence, which far surpasses the hopes people build on any wealth or benefit they might possess. This is because Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Benevolent of All, bestows upon His creation a greater reason to be filled with hope than anyone or anything. Hopes based on any transient benefit, capability, or prosperity can never outlast the mortal pillars they are precariously propped upon. In contrast, the immortal hope perfect iman can bring to fruition survives death itself. This is evidenced by the numerous promises of Allah for the faithful. Even if one suffers every misfortune and the world throws every kind of adversity at them, as long as iman remains in a believer’s heart and Allah wills it, His promise of salvation is a universal constant that nothing can challenge or change. This is the ultimate hope, the mercy we should never despair of. Indeed, as stated in surah Yusuf, ayah 87, we are commanded, “Do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah. In fact, only the infidels lose hope in Allah’s mercy.” However, that is not to say that hope is absolute. It is promised as part of Allah’s mercy for believers, with tests of faith and requirements of worship and devotion tied to it. Any hope that forgoes these duties shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than wishful thinking.

On the other hand, fear of Allah is nothing like the primal emotion that emerges as a result of the instinct of self-preservation and intensifies when one perceives an imminent threat; it is a form of reverence and humility owed to the infinitely exalted Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). If the fear of Allah were a basic emotion comparable to the fright one feels when in imminent danger, the prophets and awliya, who each were at the pinnacle of taqwa and, therefore, the most fearful of Allah, wouldn’t have led perfectly organized and fulfilling lives. They feared Allah more than we can fathom, yet it didn’t paralyze or debilitate them. The fear they felt was a blessing of iman that built them up instead of breaking them down. That being said, danger exists for all except prophets, and it is too real for us to rest assured. Punishment in the afterlife is promised—considering oneself safe from its touch or expecting Allah’s forgiveness unconditionally goes against the grain of this sacred fear that has left a foreboding apprehension in far greater believers than us. What’s worse, it is a token of a most insidious hubris.

I'd like to conclude by saying that in these difficult times when our Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine are under extreme oppression, we should pray for their freedom from the cruelties inflicted upon them and for Al-Quds and Masjid al-Aqsa to be restored as the sacred Muslim homeland and holy site once again. I hope to see you in the December issue

inshallah.

M. Galip Dönmez