these three, it becomes corrupt beyond all hope of ever being set right. Whenever any of them weakens within it, faith weakens accordingly.
Reflect, then, on the Quran’s subtle meanings and wisdom in coupling fear with remembrance and secrecy with supplication, while also indicating that fear accompanies supplication and secrecy accompanies remembrance. He said, “Remember your Lord within yourself,” so there was no need thereafter to say “in secret.” Concerning supplication, He said: 7: 56 “And call upon Him with fear and hope,” so there was no need to state it in the first verse: “Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret.” Thus each of the two verses combines secrecy, secrecy, and humble entreaty in the finest manner and conveys them with the utmost clarity.
He mentions hope in the verse about supplication because supplication rests upon it. Unless someone hopes to obtain what he asks for and desires, he will feel no impulse to seek it, for seeking something of which one has no hope is impossible. He mentions fear in the verse about remembrance because of the fearful person’s great need for it, as explained above. Thus, in each verse He mentions whichever is more fitting and appropriate: fear or hope. Blessed is He who sent down His words as a healing for what is in the hearts, and as guidance and mercy for the believers.
[Surah al-A‘rāf (7): verse 55]
“Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Indeed, He does not love those who transgress.” (55)
It has been said that this means He does not love those who transgress in supplication, such as someone who asks for something inappropriate to his standing, including the ranks of the prophets and other such things.
Abū Dāwūd related in his Sunan, through Hammād ibn Salama, from Sa‘īd al-Jurayrī, from Abū Mu‘āwiya, that ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mughaffal heard his son saying, “O Allah, I ask You for the white palace on the right side of Paradise when I enter it.” He said:
“My son, ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge in Him from the Fire, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘There will be people in this community who transgress in purification and supplication.’”
According to this interpretation, transgression in supplication sometimes consists in asking for something one is not permitted to request, such as assistance in committing forbidden acts. At other times, it consists in asking for something Allah will not do, such as asking Him to prolong one’s life until the Day of