on the servant’s part is his sins. Whatever lies beyond the servant’s power is from Allah. Although the servants’ actions occur by Allah Most High’s decree, Allah has made doing what He commands and refraining from what He forbids a means to salvation and happiness. Thus, the testimony to Allah’s oneness opens the door to good, while seeking forgiveness for sins closes the door to evil.

For this reason, the servant should place his hope in Allah alone and should not fear that Allah will wrong him:

“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.”

Rather, he should fear that Allah will requite him for his sins. This is the meaning of the statement reported from ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him:

“Let no servant hope in anyone but his Lord, nor fear anything but his sin.”

A hadith traced back to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, relates:

“He visited a sick man and asked, ‘How are you feeling?’ The man replied, ‘I place my hope in Allah and fear my sins.’ He said, ‘Whenever these two come together in a servant’s heart in such a situation, Allah grants him what he hopes for and protects him from what he fears.’”

Hope should therefore be placed in Allah, not in any created being, nor in the servant’s own strength or deeds. Placing one’s hope in anything other than Allah is to associate partners with Him. Although Allah has established means to that end, no means operates independently: it needs something to assist it, and whatever opposes and obstructs it must be prevented. It can come into being and endure only by the will of Allah Most High.