[Ibn Qayyim's: The Sickness and The Cure] #8 - Between Hope and Fear: A Journey Through Deception, Intention, and Divine Reality
Among the most powerful scenes described in the Prophetic traditions is the moment when death itself will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment. As authentically reported in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise and the people of the Fire have entered the Fire, death will be brought and placed between Paradise and Hell, then it will be slaughtered. Then a caller will announce: ‘O people of Paradise, there is no more death! O people of the Fire, there is no more death!’ So the people of Paradise will have their joy increased, and the people of the Fire will have their sorrow increased.”
This moment seals the reality that everything ahead is permanent. There is no return, no second chance, no interruption, only an eternal unfolding of what one has already chosen.
This scene establishes a fundamental reality: the Hereafter is not temporary. Its outcomes are final.
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The Danger of Persistent Sin and False Hope
Another narration, reported by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, carries a different kind of warning. One that speaks directly to the soul that delays repentance:
“Whoever drinks wine, Allah will not accept his prayer for forty days. If he repents, Allah will forgive him. If he returns to it, Allah will not accept his prayer for forty days, and if he repents, Allah will forgive him. If he returns again, Allah will not accept his prayer for forty days, and if he repents, Allah will forgive him. If he returns a fourth time, Allah will not forgive him, and He will make him drink from the river of the people of Hell.”
Here, the door of mercy is clearly open, but not to be abused. The repetition is not merely informational; it is emotional. It teaches that repentance is always welcomed, but persistence without sincerity transforms that mercy into a warning. It exposes a dangerous illusion: that one can continue sinning while relying on “good thoughts” about Allah. That is not hope. It is self-deception.
This narration illustrates a critical principle: repentance remains open, but persistence without sincerity transforms mercy into warning.
It becomes evident that merely having good thoughts about Allah while continuing in intentional sin is not a cure. It is deception. Islam does not promote a one-sided spirituality. Rather, it establishes a balance: hope that does not justify sin, and fear that does not lead to despair.
A narration attributed to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari describes humanity being gathered in stages, culminating in the distribution of records. Some will receive their books in their right hands, while others in their left. This core meaning is firmly established across authentic texts: ultimate success lies in how one meets their record.
The imagery of the Hereafter deepens further in the narration of the Ṣiraṭ, authentically reported by Abu Hurayrah:
“A bridge will be laid over Hellfire, and I will be the first to cross it. The supplication of the Messengers on that Day will be: ‘O Allah, save us, save us.’
Over it are hooks like the thorns of a desert tree, seizing people according to their deeds. Some will be destroyed by their deeds, while others will be cut and fall into the Fire but then be saved.
When Allah intends to take out those who affirmed ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh’, He will command the angels to remove them. They will be recognized by the marks of sujud, which the Fire is forbidden to consume. They will emerge burned like charcoal, then water, called the Water of Life, will be poured over them, and they will grow again like seeds after rain.”
This is not abstract theology. It is movement, fear, hope, سقوط and rescue. Even the Prophets, the most beloved of Allah, will be saying: “O Allah, save us.” What then of the rest of us?.
Perhaps the most unsettling narration in this collection is also reported in Sahih Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The first people to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be: a man who died as a martyr, a man who acquired knowledge, taught it, and recited the Qur’an, and a man whom Allah had given wealth. Each will be brought, made to acknowledge Allah’s blessings, and asked what they did with them.
The martyr will say: ‘I fought for Your sake.’
Allah will say: ‘You have lied. You fought so that it would be said you are brave and it was said.’
The scholar will say: ‘I learned and taught for Your sake.’
Allah will say: ‘You have lied. You did it so that it would be said you are a scholar and it was said.’
The wealthy man will say: ‘I gave charity for Your sake.’
Allah will say: ‘You have lied. You did it so that it would be said you are generous and it was said.’
Then each will be dragged on his face and thrown into the Fire.”
These are not people of sin. They are people of great deeds. Yet the فساد was hidden: intention. The hadith, “Actions are judged by intentions,” becomes painfully real here. It is not the size of the action that saves. It is the truth behind it.
This narration does not speak about sinners. It speaks about people performing the best of deeds. Its message is unmistakable: intention is everything.
The foundational hadith, “Actions are judged by intentions” becomes terrifyingly real here.
The Hidden Disease: Love of Fame
Classical scholars such as Al-Ghazali identified the love of fame as one of the most subtle and persistent spiritual diseases. While wealth is difficult to detach from, fame is even harder. It often becomes the final attachment to leave the heart.
In today’s world, this reality is amplified through social media. Recognition, validation, and perceived influence have become currencies of worth. People measure themselves by attention, fluctuating between feelings of importance and insignificance.
Deeds may appear righteous externally while being internally driven by a desire for recognition.
The Prophet ﷺ also warned about injustice between people:
“Whoever has wronged his brother regarding his honor or wealth should seek his forgiveness before a Day when there will be no dinar or dirham. If he has good deeds, they will be taken from him and given to the one he wronged. If he has no good deeds, the sins of the wronged person will be placed upon him.”
And he ﷺ said:
“Whoever takes a span of land unjustly will have it tied around his neck down to the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.”
These narrations dismantle any illusion that salvation can coexist with unresolved ظلم. On that Day, currency is not wealth. It is deeds.
Even something as seemingly small as unjustly taking land will result in it being tied around one’s neck down to the depths of the earth.
These narrations dismantle any illusion of guaranteed salvation while ظلم remains unresolved.
The Reality of Hellfire
The Prophet ﷺ further explained that the fire of this world is only one part out of seventy parts of the Fire of Hell. Each portion carries the same intensity.
Reported by Abu Hurayrah in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:
“The fire you kindle is one part out of seventy parts of the Fire of Hell.”
They said: “O Messenger of Allah, this fire is sufficient.”
He replied: “It is sixty-nine times greater.”
And in some narrations: each portion is equal in intensity. What we fear in this world is only a fraction, not a diluted version, but a single unit among many equally intense realities.
What humans fear in dunya is only a fraction of what awaits if one is not protected.
The Ten Prophetic Instructions
Among the most comprehensive moral frameworks mentioned in this lesson is the hadith of ten instructions:
1. Do not associate partners with Allah, even under extreme persecution.
2. Do not be disrespectful to parents, even under difficulty.
3. Do not abandon الصلاة deliberately.
4. Do not consume intoxicants.
5. Avoid sin, as it brings Divine غضب.
6. Do not flee from battle unjustly.
7. Remain steadfast during widespread calamity.
8. Spend on dependents responsibly.
9. Discipline children with wisdom.
10. Instill taqwa in the next generation.
These commands form a holistic framework: belief, عبادات, character, family, المجتمع.
Small Acts, Massive Consequences
Then comes the haunting narration of “the fly”:
“A man entered Paradise because of a fly, and another entered Hellfire because of a fly.”
Two men passed by a people with an idol. One was told to offer something. He said, “I have nothing.” They said, “Offer even a fly.” So he did and entered Hell.
The other refused, saying, “I will not offer anything except to Allah.” They killed him and he entered Paradise.
A fly. A moment. A decision. And eternity follows. The lesson is not about size. It is about meaning. Tawḥid is not something that tolerates compromise, even in what appears “small.”
The narration of “the fly” is striking in its simplicity and severity. One man offered a fly to an idol under pressure, compromising tawḥid, and entered Hell. Another refused and was killed, entering Paradise.
Small acts can carry عظيمة consequences when they relate to core beliefs.
Misunderstanding Blessings
A critical correction presented in the Qur’an dismantles a common assumption: Ease is not proof of honor. Hardship is not proof of humiliation. Allah may test through blessings and honor through trials.
The concept of istidraj, gradual entrapment, explains that continued blessings alongside persistent sin may actually be a form of Divine drawing toward punishment.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah gives the dunya to those He loves and those He does not love, but He gives īmān only to those He loves.”
A profound Prophetic statement clarifies that Allah gives dunya to those He loves and those He does not, but Iman is only granted to those He loves.
This reframes everything.
What people chase; wealth, health, status; are not ultimate indicators of Divine favor. The true sign is faith itself.
And yet, the greatest subtlety lies in how we live with this understanding.
The believer still works, still plans, still strives, but knows that every means is weak. Like Hajar running between Ṣafa and Marwah with no visible help. Like Maryam shaking a palm tree in labor. Like Ayyub striking the ground in weakness. The actions themselves do not produce the outcome. They express reliance. The believer acts, but does not rely on the action. The heart remains attached to Allah alone.
And perhaps this is where the heart softens the most.
You begin to realize that your life has never really been about how strong your efforts are, but about how quietly your heart leans on Allah while you make them. That the things you took pride in. Your planning, your intelligence, your networks, were never the source. They were only doors, and Allah is the One who opens them.
You begin to look at your blessings differently, not as proof that you are loved, but as questions: Will you come closer through this, or drift further? And you look at your hardships differently, not as rejection, but as invitations: Will you rise through this, or collapse beneath it?
The narrations do not leave you in fear alone. They pull you into a place that is more honest than comfort and more hopeful than despair. A place where you stop negotiating with your sins, stop leaning on illusions, and start returning, gently, sincerely, repeatedly.
Because in the end, it is not your perfection that will save you. It is your العودة.Your returning.
Again, and again, until you meet Him.
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