the side of hope only, abandoning the side of fear.

For the people of the qiblah, the path of truth lies between the two.

As for the true monotheists, they worship Allah through all three pillars: love, fear, and hope. Yet fear must never be accompanied by despair; if it is coupled with despair of Allah’s mercy, it becomes disbelief. Allah the Exalted says, “Indeed, none despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people” (12:87). And the Friend, Abraham—peace be upon him—said, “Who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?” (15:56).

Likewise, hope is no longer genuine hope when it is joined with a sense of security from Allah’s plan and an absence of fear. This is the creed of the Murjiʿah—a deviant creed. Allah, Most High, says, “Did they then feel secure against Allah’s plan? None feels secure against Allah’s plan except the losers” (7:99). Thus hope alone is disbelief, and fear without hope is also disbelief; for that reason the author states that either of these two extremes expels a person from the religion of Islam.

Accordingly, some of the early generations said: A servant must remain between fear and hope, keeping them in equal measure like the two wings of a bird; both wings are even, and if one of them is impaired the bird falls. In the same way, the servant stands between fear and hope like a bird balanced on its two wings.

“The truth lies between them”—that is, between fear and hope—“for the people of the qiblah,” meaning the Muslims. They are called the people of the qiblah because they face the Kaʿbah in prayer; whoever does not face the Kaʿbah in prayer is not among the Muslims, for Allah has commanded the believers to turn toward