Ahl Sunnah wal Jama'a in the Matter of Raja and khouf

Ahl Sunnah wal Jama’a in the Matter of Raja’ (Hope) and Khauf (Fear)

Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Shalih Al Uthaymeen was asked:

“What is the stance of the Ahl Sunnah wal Jama’a regarding the matter of raja’ (hope) and khauf (fear)?”

Answer:

The scholars held different opinions regarding which between hope and fear that must be prioritized, and those are:

Imam Ahmad -may Allah have mercy on him- said, “Both raja’ and khauf should be equal, khauf shouldn’t be dominant, and raja’ shouldn’t be dominant either.”

He said, “Whenever one of it dominates the other, then the doer will be doomed.”

Because if the person prioritized raja’, then he would fall into the feeling of secure from Allah’s plot, and if he prioritized fear, then he would fall into the feeling of despair of Allah’s mercy.

As some scholars said, “We should put forward the hope when we’re doing righteous deed, and put forward the fear when we’re about to the evildoing.”

Because if a person did righteous deed, then he must have a good assumption, by putting forward the raja’, hoping that his deed will be accepted, and if the wished to commit any evildoing, he should put forward the khauf, so that he wont fall into it.

Whereas the other scholars said, “For the healthy to prioritize the khauf, and for the sick to prioritize the raja'”.

Because if a healthy person prioritized or put forward the khauf, he would shun himself from evildoings, and if a sick person prioritized the raja’, he would see his Lord with good assumption and thought in him.

As for me, I think the matter is different for a person to another according to the their different condition. If a person is afraid that his khauf will dominate thus it will make him despair of Allah’s mercy, then he must reject that despair and prioritize the raja’. And if he is afraid that if he prioritized the raja’, he would feel secure from Allah’s plot, he should reject it by prioritizing the khauf.

Basically, every human is a doctor for himself, as long as he has a lively heart. As for those with dead hearts who can’t heal their hearts and can’t check the condition of their hearts, they will not concern about this matter.

[Rewritten from the book ‘Majmu Fatawa Arkanil Islam”, Indonesian title: “Majmu Fatawa Solusi Problematika Umat Islam Seputar Akidah dan Ibadah” by Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Shalih Al Uthaymeen, Published by Pustaka Arafah]

Article of www.WhatisQuran.com

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