Sermon's Title: In Hope and Awe- The Believer Between Fear and Hope.
Themes of the Sermon:
Fear and hope were the way of the prophets and the righteous.
How do we combine fear and hope?
Fear without despair, and hope without false confidence.
All praise is due to Allah, the Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, severe in punishment, and the Possessor of abundant bounty. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him; to Him is the final return.
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, servants of Allah, as He truly deserves to be feared, and remain mindful of Him in private and in secret. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should truly be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102]
Servants of Allah:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, is amazed at two men: a man who rises from his bedding and covers, leaving behind his beloved ones and his family, to perform his prayer. Our Lord says: ‘O My angels, look at My servant. He has risen from his bed and bedding, leaving behind his beloved ones and his family, to perform his prayer, desiring what is with Me and fearing what is with Me.’
And a man who went out to fight in the path of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and his companions retreated. He knew what was upon him for fleeing and what awaited him if he returned, so he went back until his blood was shed, desiring what is with Me and fearing what is with Me. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says to His angels: ‘Look at My servant. He returned, desiring what is with Me and fearing what is with Me, until his blood was shed.’” Narrated by Aḥmad.
“Desiring what is with Me and fearing what is with Me.”
These two are like the two wings of a bird by which the servant flees to his Lord and Master: fear and hope.
Hope is the desire for goodness in this world and the Hereafter and the longing to attain it. No one possesses such goodness except Allah alone. Therefore, our desire is directed to Him, and our hope is placed in Him alone.
Fear is the heart’s apprehension, awe, and fear of Allah, Exalted and Most High, and the servant’s caution against His punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
This was the state of the prophets and the righteous. They worshipped their Lord while hoping for His mercy and fearing His punishment.
Allah says concerning the angels, prophets, and foremost righteous servants whom people called upon besides Allah:
قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا * أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا
“Say: Call upon those whom you claim besides Him. They have no power to remove harm from you or transfer it elsewhere. Those whom they call upon themselves seek a means of drawing nearer to their Lord, each striving to be nearer, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is something to be feared.” [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 56–57]
Allah also praised Zakariyyā (may peace be upon him) and his family for combining hope and fear:
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
“Indeed, they used to hasten to do good deeds, and they would call upon Us with hope and fear, and they were humbly submissive before Us.” [Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ: 90]
This is also the state of everyone who truly knows his Lord and Master. Allah says:
أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
“Is one who is devoutly obedient during the hours of the night, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, like one who is not? Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only people of understanding will take heed.” [Sūrat al-Zumar: 9]
For this reason, Allah commanded us to worship Him out of fear of His punishment and hope for His mercy and reward. He says:
وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“And call upon Him with fear and hope. Surely, the mercy of Allah is near to those who do good.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 56]
Perhaps you may ask: How can I combine fear of Allah and hope in Him within my heart?
The way to achieve this is by knowing Allah, Majestic is His Glory.
Allah has made Himself known to us in His Book. He combines mention of His mercy and pardon with mention of His punishment and retribution. When the heart comes to know the greatness of His pardon and the vastness of His mercy, it hopes in Him and longs for His bounty alone. And when the heart comes to know the severity of His punishment and the swiftness of His retribution, it stands in awe of its Lord and fears Him. Has Allah not said:
نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ * وَأَنَّ عَذَابِي هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الْأَلِيمُ
“Inform My servants that I am indeed the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, and that My punishment is indeed the painful punishment.” [Sūrat al-Ḥijr: 49–50]
And He, Exalted, says:
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى ظُلْمِهِمْ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَشَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
“Indeed, your Lord is full of forgiveness toward people despite their wrongdoing, and indeed, your Lord is severe in punishment.” [Sūrat al-Raʿd: 6]
And He says:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
“Indeed, your Lord is swift in punishment, and indeed, He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 167]
Since knowledge of Allah is the foundation and driving force of servitude to Him, the Prophet ﷺ once said to his Companions: “By Allah, I am the one among them who knows Allah best and fears Him most.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
The Prophet ﷺ also said: “I see what you do not see, and I hear what you do not hear. The heaven has creaked, and it has every right to creak. There is no space in it the width of four fingers except that an angel has placed his forehead in prostration to Allah. By Allah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much. You would not take pleasure with women upon your beds, and you would go out to the open roads crying out to Allah.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
Our Lord is al-Raḥmān, the Most Compassionate, and al-Raḥīm, the Most Merciful. His mercy encompasses all things, and His mercy precedes His wrath.
He is al-ʿAfuww, the Pardoner, who loves to pardon.
He is al-Ghafūr, the All-Forgiving, who forgives all sins.
He is al-Ghanī, the Self-Sufficient; al-Karīm, the Generous; and al-Akram, the Most Generous. He provides for whomever He wills without measure.
He is al-Barr, the Most Kind; al-Jawād, the Most Giving; al-Muḥsin, the Bestower of goodness; and al-Wāsiʿ, the All-Encompassing. His hand gives abundantly throughout the night and day.
He is al-Wahhāb, the Bestower, who gives before He is asked and gives more than what is asked.
He is al-Qarīb, the Near, and al-Mujīb, the One who responds. He is shy to let His servant raise his hands to Him and then return them empty and disappointed.
He is al-Tawwāb, the Accepter of repentance. He extends His hand during the night so that the sinner of the day may repent, and He extends His hand during the day so that the sinner of the night may repent.
He is the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful in this world and the Hereafter.
Yet He, Glorified and Exalted, despite His immense forbearance, becomes angry and takes retribution. Although He is pleased, He also becomes displeased. Although He pardons, He also punishes.
Just as He created Paradise through which He shows mercy to His believing servants, He created the Fire in which He punishes the disbelievers and criminals. His punishment is great, painful, severe, and humiliating.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Paradise is closer to each one of you than the strap of his sandal, and the Fire is likewise.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
The Prophet ﷺ also said: “If the believer knew the punishment that is with Allah, no one would hope to enter His Paradise. And if the disbeliever knew the mercy that is with Allah, no one would despair of His Paradise.” Narrated by Muslim.
Therefore, the more a person knows and recognizes Allah, the greater his hope in His mercy, the greater his fear of His punishment, the more he fears Him, and the more mindful of Him he becomes. Allah says concerning Himself:
هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ
“He is worthy of being feared, and He is worthy of granting forgiveness.” [Sūrat al-Muddaththir: 56]
The leader of those who fear Allah, the Prophet ﷺ, used to supplicate to his Lord, saying: “O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot enumerate sufficient praise of You. You are as You have praised Yourself.” Narrated by Muslim.
Brothers in Islam:
Hope in Allah is one of the fruits of faith in Him, in His immense bounty, and in His generous reward in this world and the Hereafter.
The praiseworthy form of hope is that which is accompanied by fear and leads the servant to obedience, hoping for Allah’s bounty and reward.
As for the person who merely relies upon Allah’s pardon, mercy, and bounty while failing to perform righteous deeds, persisting in shameful and evil actions, and feeling safe from punishment, such a person has been deceived by false wishes. Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُولَئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
“Indeed, those who believe, and those who migrated and strove in the path of Allah—it is they who hope for Allah’s mercy. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 218]
Fear and reverence of Allah are among the fruits of faith in His majesty and greatness, awareness that He sees us, and awareness of His complete knowledge of the servant’s heart and deeds.
They are also produced by knowing the details of His commands and prohibitions, knowing Allah’s justice, knowing the warnings He has issued to those who disobey Him, and reflecting upon the punishments and consequences that befell earlier nations.
The servant’s fear of his Lord then leads him to glorify and revere Him and to refrain from disobeying Him.
This is the praiseworthy fear—not despairing of Allah’s mercy. Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says:
إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
“Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.” [Sūrat Yūsuf: 87]
ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) once asked the Prophet ﷺ about the verse:
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ
“And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will return to their Lord.” [Sūrat al-Muʾminūn: 60]
She asked, “Are they those who drink alcohol and steal?”
He replied: “No, O daughter of al-Ṣiddīq. Rather, they are those who fast, pray, and give charity while fearing that their deeds may not be accepted from them.”
Then he recited:
أُولَئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ
“It is they who hasten to do good deeds, and they are foremost in them.” [Sūrat al-Muʾminūn: 61] Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
This is also how the servant should be when he falls into sin.
His fear of his Lord, and his knowledge that Allah may hold him accountable for that sin, lead him to repentance and regret. At the same time, his hope prevents him from despairing of Allah’s mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ said, narrating from his Lord, Mighty and Majestic:
“A servant committed a sin and said, ‘My Lord, I have sinned, so forgive me.’ His Lord said, ‘Does My servant know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds people accountable for them? I have forgiven My servant…’” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
May Allah bless me and you through the Magnificent Qurʾān and benefit me and you through its verses and wise reminder.
I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
All praise is due to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and all those who follow him.
To proceed:
Servants of Allah:
Allah is the security of those who are afraid and the hope of those who hope.
Whoever worships Him with both fear and hope—longing for Allah’s mercy, hoping for His bounty, while remaining fearful and apprehensive of His punishment and retribution—Allah will grant him security from what he fears and reward him with His Paradise and pleasure.
The Prophet ﷺ once entered upon a young man who was dying and asked him: “How do you find yourself?”
He replied, “By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I hope in Allah, but I fear my sins.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “These two do not come together in the heart of a servant in a situation such as this except that Allah gives him what he hopes for and grants him security from what he fears.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
The Muslim glorifies his Lord and fears Him, while at the same time hoping in Him and longing for what is with Him. These two qualities together produce his good expectations of his Lord and Master.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you should die except while having good expectations of Allah.” Narrated by Muslim.
O Allah, we ask You to grant us good expectations of You, fear of You that stands between us and disobedience to You, and hope that drives us toward obedience to You.
O Allah, help us and do not help against us. Support us and do not support others against us. Plan in our favor and do not plan against us. Grant us victory over those who transgress against us.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those entrusted with our affairs, and place authority over us in the hands of those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow what pleases You.
O Allah, support our oppressed brothers and sisters in Gaza and everywhere else, and decree for them victory and relief soon.
Servants of Allah: Remember Allah abundantly and glorify Him morning and evening.
And the conclusion of our supplication is: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
