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Hence, just as Allāh the Glorious has made hope to be the outcome of those who perform righteous actions, He has also made fear to be their outcome.

It is imperative to understand that if someone hopes and longs for something then this hope must necessarily include three things:

1. Love of what he hopes for.
2. Fear of losing it.
3. His doing all he can to attain it.

As for a hope that does not contain these three matters then it is nothing but idle desires – hope is one thing and idle desires are something totally different. Therefore every hopeful person is fearful of losing the desired goal and rushes to do all he can to attain it.

At-Tirmidhī reports from the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “the one who is afraid (of not reaching a place in time) travels by night and the one who travels by night reaches his destination. Indeed the property of Allāh is expensive, indeed the property of Allāh is Paradise.”

[Sunan al-Tirmidhī [no. 2452], al-Bukhārī in his ‘Tārīkh’ [no. 178], al-Ḥākim [4/307], Abd ibn Humaid in his ‘Musnad’ [no. 1458] and al-Baghawī in ‘Sharḥ al-Sunnah’ [no. 4183]

Its insād contains Yazīd ibn Sinān ar-Ruhāwī and he is daʿīf. The ḥadīth has a witness reported by al-Ḥākim [4/308] and Abū Nuʿaym [8/377] from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb with a ḥasan sanad.]

Hence, just as Allāh the Glorious has made hope to be the outcome of those who perform righteous action, He has also made fear to be their outcome. Therefore it becomes known that the fear and hope that brings about benefit is when it is accompanied by actions. Allāh says,

“Indeed those who live in awe for fear of their Lord; and those who believe in the signs of their Lord; and those who do not join anyone (in worship) as partners with their Lord; and those who give in charity that which they give with their hearts full of fear, because they are sure to return to their Lord. It is these who race for the good deeds and they are the foremost in them.” [al-Muʿminūn (23):57-61]

At-Tirmidhī reports from Āʿishah (رضي الله عنه) that she said, “I asked the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) about this verse saying, ‘does it refer to those who drink alcohol, fornicate and steal?’ He replied, ‘no O daughter of as-Siddīq! It refers to those who fast, pray and give charity while fearing that these actions may not be accepted of them. These are the people who rush to perform good actions.”

[Mishkāt al-Masābīh [Eng. Trans. 2/1110], al-Tirmidhī[no. 3175], ibn Mājah [no. 4198], ibn Jarīr [18/26], al-Ḥākim [2/393], Aḥmad [6/159, 205] and others.

Its narrators are all trustworthy and precise but the isnād is munqatiʿ The ḥadīth is also reported via a second route from Āʿishah by ibn Jarīr [18/34] which strengthens it.]

This ḥadīth is also reported from Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه).

[Reported by ibn Jarīr [18/34] but its isnād contains Muḥammad ibn Humaid al-Rāzī and he is daʿīf.]

Allāh has described the people of victory to be those who perform good and have fear and He has described the people of misery to be those who perform evil and live in a sense of security. Whosoever ponders over the lives of the Companions will find them to be lives lived to the full in performing good actions combined with the fear of Allāh whereas we comibne lack of performing actions, indeed complete negligence in performing actions, with a sense of security!

Here is none other than Abū Bakr as-Siddīq saying, “I wish that I were a hair on the back of a believing servant” as reported by Aḥmad. [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ (2/13)]

Aḥmad also mentioned that he used so say, taking hold of his tongue, “this is what has led me to my destruction!” [Reported by Mālik in ‘al-Muwaṭṭa’ [Eng. Trans. Pg. 421], ibn as-Sunni in ‘Amal al-Yawm’ [no. 7], Abū Ya`lā [no. 5], ibn Abī ad-Dunyā in ‘as-Samt’ [no. 13], ibn Abī ash-Shaybah [9/66] and ibn al-Mubārak [no. 369] with a ṣaḥīḥ sanad.]

He used to cry a great deal saying, “cry, and if you cannot cry then endeavour to cry.” [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ (2/13)]

When he stood to pray then it was as if he was a piece of wood due to his fear of Allāh, the Mighty and Magnificent. [Refer to ‘Tārīkh al-Khulafāʾ’ (pg. 104)]

He was given a bird and turned it over saying, “no game is caught nor tree lopped but because of the glorification it neglected.” [ Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ (2/15)]

When death approached him he said to Āʿishah (رضي الله عنه), “O daughter indeed I have been given this cloak, milker and slave from the property of the Muslims, quickly take it to ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.” [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ (2/16)]

He used to say, “by Allāh I wish that I was a tree that is eaten from and then truncated.”

Qatādah said, “it has reached me that Abū Bakr said, ‘woe to me, if only I were grass that would be eaten by the animals.'” [ Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ (2/17)]

Here is none other than ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) reciting Sūrah at-Tur and when he reached the verse,

“Verily the torment of your Lord will surely come to pass.” [at-Tur (52):7]

He began to cry so much that as a result he fell ill and the people would visit him. [ Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ [2/29] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilya’ (1/51)]

At the time of his death he said to his son, “woe to you, leave me lying on the ground so that maybe He will be merciful to me.” Then he said, “woe to me if He does forgive me” three times and passed away. [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ (2/81)]

He would recite a verse during his nightly devotions that would inculcate so much fear in him that he would seclude himself in his house for days to come such that the people would think that he had fallen ill. [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ [2/29] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilya’ (1/51)]

He used to have two black furrows running down his face due to his crying. [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ [2/30] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilya’ (1/51)]

Ibn ʿAbbās said to him, “through you Allāh has allowed many lands to be conquered and many battles to be won so do as you please.” He replied, “I only wish that I can be saved such that my good deeds balance my evil deeds.” [ Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ [2/34] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilya’ (1/52)]

Here is none other than Uthmān ibn `Affaan (رضي الله عنه) who used to cry so much when he stood by a grave that his beard became soaked. [Reported by al-Tirmidhī [no. 2424], ibn Mājah [no. 4267] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilyah’ (1/61)]

He used to say, “it is as if I am standing between Paradise and Hell not knowing which one I am destined for. I would choose to be burnt to ashes before knowing which one I am to go to.” [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ [2/42] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilya’ (1/60)]

Here is none other than ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) whose crying and fear of Allāh is well-known. He used to be extremely afraid of two matters: excessive reliance on hope that would lead to inaction and the following of desires. He said, “as for excessive reliance on hope then it causes one to forget the Hereafter, as for vain desires then they divert from the truth. Indeed this world will pass away and ahead of it lies the Hereafter and each one has its offspring. So be the children of the Hereafter and do not be the children of the world for indeed today is the time for action without recompense and tomorrow is the time of recompense with no action.” [Reported by Aḥmad in ‘al-Zuhd’ [2/48] and Abū Nuʿaym in ‘al-Hilya’ (1/76)]

Here is Abū al-Dardāʿ (رضي الله عنه) who used to say, “the thing I fear most for myself on the Day of Judgement is that it be said to me, ‘O Abū al-Dardāʿ you have learnt but how much did you act upon what you knew?'” [All of the following narrations can be found in ‘al-Zuhd’ of Imām Aḥmad and ‘al-Hilya’ of Abū Nuʿaym so I shall not unnecessarily lengthen by referring each and every one of them.]

He used to say, “if only you knew what would certainly happen to you after death – you would never again eat a single bite out of a craving appetite, neither would you drink a single sip of water for the pleasure of insatiable thirst and neither would you resort to your homes seeking shade and comfort. Instead you would go out to the open desert, striking your chests and crying over what is to happen to you. Indeed I wish that I were a tree that is truncated and then eaten from.”

The eyes of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه) used to be continuously downcast due to his frequent crying.

Abū Dharr (رضي الله عنه) used to say, “I wish that I were a tree that is truncated and I wish that I were not created.”

When he was offered charity he used to say, “we have a goat that provides us milk, a donkey upon which we ride and a freed slave who serves us (of his own free will). I possess a cloak which I do not need and I fear that I will be judged for it.”

One night Tamīm al-Dārī (رضي الله عنه) recited Sūrah al-Jāthiyah and when he reached the verse,

“Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous deeds.” [al-Jāthiyah (45):21]

He began to cry and kept repeating the verse until the morning.

Abū ʿUbaydah ʿĀmir ibn al-Jarrāḥ (رضي الله عنه) said, “I wish that I was a ram that was slaughtered by my family and then they ate its (cooked) flesh and drank its soup.”

There are many many narrations like this.

Bukhārī said in his Ṣaḥīḥ, “Chapter: the believer fearing that his actions be destroyed while he is unaware.”

Ibrāhīm at-Taimī said, “I have never compared my words to my actions except that I feared that I was a liar.”

Ibn Abī Mulaykah said, “I have met thirty of the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) all of them fearing hypocrisy for themselves and not one of them said that he had the faith of Jibrāʿīl and Mikāʿīl.”

It is mentioned from Ḥasan (al-Baṣrī) that he said, “none but a believer fears hypocrisy and none but a hypocrite feels secure from it.”

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb used to say to Hudhayfah, “I ask you by Allāh did the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) list me amongst the hypocrites?” He replied, “no, and I will not give this tazkiyyah to anyone else besides you.”

I heard our Shaykh, may Allāh be pleased with him, saying, “the meaning of his words is not that he will not clear anyone of hypocrisy save ʿUmar, rather the meaning is that he will not allow this door to be opened such that anyone can come and ask him this question so that he can absolve him of hypocrisy.”

I say: close to this in meaning is the saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to the one who asked him to supplicate and make him one of the seventy thousand who would enter Paradise without judgement, “Ukkāsha has preceded you.” He did not mean that Ukkāsha was the only one deserving of this to the exclusion of the other Companions. Rather the meaning is that had he supplicated then another would have stood and then another and the door to this would have been opened and it is possible that somebody stand who would not be deserving of his supplication and therefore it would be better to withhold. Allāh knows best.

Source: Chapter 12 of ʿad-dā wad-dawāʿ by Imām Ibn al-Qayyim