a person to hold both fear and hope together, as in the words of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “If the believer truly knew what punishment Allah has prepared, none would still covet His Garden.”
The intended meaning is a knowledge of direct experience and concrete reality, not merely knowledge derived from study or report. For the believer already knows that Allah has prepared torment for the people of disbelief and deviation, yet the full reality of that torment cannot be grasped in this life; it is known only by those who actually fall into it—may Allah protect us and you from His punishment.
Likewise, he said: “If the unbeliever truly knew what mercy Allah possesses, none of them would ever despair of attaining His Garden.” Again, the reference is to experiential knowledge. The unbeliever already knows that Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful, and understands the meanings of forgiveness and mercy, but not their true, overwhelming reality.
The author then quotes further hadiths in this vein, such as: “Paradise is nearer to any one of you than the strap of his sandal, and the Fire is just as near.”
The strap of the sandal is a proverb for extreme nearness, for it is literally attached to one’s foot. Paradise is closer to us than that strap, because a single word may admit a person to it; and the Fire is just as close, for it too may be sparked by a single word a person utters. Consider the man who used to pass by a sinner and rebuke him. When he grew weary, he declared, “By Allah, Allah will never forgive so-and-so.” Allah, exalted is He, then said, “Who is this who swears in My name that I will not forgive so-and-so? I have forgiven him and nullified your deeds.” Abu Hurayrah remarked, “He uttered a word that ruined both his worldly life and his Hereafter.”