The verses on this subject are exceedingly many and well-known; our purpose was only to point to a few of them, and that has been accomplished.

[Commentary]
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—entitles this section “The Chapter on Fear.” Fear of whom? Fear of Allah, the Exalted, for anyone who worships Allah must remain both fearful and hopeful. When he considers his sins and the multitude of his evil deeds, he feels fear. When he looks at his righteous deeds and realizes that they may be marred by self-admiration or a sense of entitlement before Allah, he again feels fear. Yet when he reflects on Allah’s pardon, forgiveness, generosity, and mercy, he is filled with hope. Thus he ever moves between fear and hope.

Allah the Exalted says: “And those who give what they give”—meaning, they perform the righteous deeds they perform—“while their hearts tremble,” fearing they may not be accepted from them, “because they will be returning to their Lord” [al-Muʾminūn: 60].

Accordingly, a person’s journey to Allah must revolve between fear and hope. But which of the two should dominate? Should hope prevail, should fear prevail, or should they be kept equal?

Imam Ahmad—may Allah have mercy on him—said: A person’s fear and hope ought to be equal. If either one gains the upper hand, it will destroy him; for if hope outweighs fear, he becomes complacent and feels secure from Allah’s punishment, and if fear outweighs hope, he falls into despair of Allah’s mercy. Both extremes are blameworthy, so one should keep fear and hope in balance.