Chapter 52: The Virtue of Hope

Allah Most High says, recounting the words of a righteous servant: “I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of His servants; so Allah protected him from the evil of their scheming.” (Ghafir 40:44–45)

1/440 – Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah, Mighty and Majestic, declares: ‘I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him whenever he remembers Me. By Allah, Allah is more delighted with His servant’s repentance than one of you would be on finding his lost mount in a desolate land. Whoever draws near to Me a handspan, I draw near to him an arm’s length; whoever draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.’” Agreed upon. This wording is from one of Muslim’s narrations, and its commentary has already preceded in the previous chapter.

2/441 – Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allah heard the Prophet ﷺ say, three days before his death: “None of you should die except while thinking well of Allah Most High.” Narrated by Muslim.

2/442 – Anas said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that Allah Most High says: “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I shall forgive you whatever you have done, and I do not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and then you sought My forgiveness, I would forgive you, and I do not mind. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins filling the earth and then meet Me without associating anything with Me…"