Think good of Allaah always

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "

[Sahih al-Bukhaari Hadith No. 7405]

This is a magnificent hadiith regarding hope which exhorts a Muslim to think positively about Allaah and to remember Him much. It explains the nearness of Allaah to His slave when the slave nears Him by means of the different forms of obedience to Him.

The Hadith begins by calling the slave to think positively of Allaah in all circumstances. Allaah has made clear that He is with the conjecture of His slave of Him. This means that He deals with the slave based on how the slave thinks of Him. He deals with the slave based on what the slave expects from Him of good and evil.

Whenever the slave thinks positively of Allaah his hope of what Allaah has stored for him increases and Allaah does not waste his deeds. When he supplicates to Allaah thinking positively that Allaah will answer his supplication, Allaah does.

When he repents to Allaah and asks for His forgiveness thinking positively that Allaah will accept it then that is how Allaah deals with him.

And when the slave does good deeds and thinks positively that Allah will accept his good deeds and reward him then Allaah does and all of this is what thinking positively of Allaah and having good conjecture of Him means.

Good conjecture of Allaah is from al-tawhiid

And from all of this it becomes known that having positive conjecture of Allaah is from the requirements of al-tawhiid.  This is because this is based on certain knowledge of the Mercy of Allaah, His favors, His Power, and reliance upon Him. And when knowledge of that becomes complete one feels the fruits of good conjecture of Allah.

Allaah has rebuked negative conjecture

Allaah has rebuked, in His Book [i.e. the Qur'aan], a group from mankind who held negative conjecture of Him. And He made their negative conjecture one of the most prominent signs of their hypocrisy.

He said regarding the munaafiquun when they left the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions at the battle of Uhud

"...while another party was thinking about themselves and thought wrongly of Allah - the thought of ignorance..."

[Qur'aan 3:154]

And He said regarding the munaafiquun and the mushriikuun

"...those who assume about Allah an assumption of evil nature..."

[Qur'aan 48:6]

Be hopeful and have good conjecture

And the purpose of the hadiith is to instill hopefulness because no person with any intellect would hear this hadiith with its call from Allaah and then think that he will be subject to the torment of Allaah. Rather, he will choose to think positively of Allaah and look forward to being rewarded, being forgiven, having his repentance accepted, and the coming true of the promise of a good after like. All of this is being hopeful.

And all of this is even more important when you are weak and for the one who is about to die. The person about to die should have positive conjecture of Allaah and of being rewarded. That is why it has come in a hadiith

"None of you should die except [in a state of] having good conjecture of Allaah."

[Sahih Muslim]

The hadiith was narrated by Jaabir [may Allaah be pleased with him].

You need to fulfill your obligations while believing with full faith that Allaah will accept your deeds and forgive you because He has promised you that, and He does not go against His Promise.

In contrast, if you begin to think negatively that Allaah will not accept your good deeds or that asking for forgiveness will not help, then this is despair from the mercy of Allaah and is from among the major sins.

And if you die in this state of negative conjecture you will be entrusted to it.  That is why in some of the routes of transmission of the hadiith, which have been narrated by Imaam Ahmad and others with a sound chain of narrators, we have the addition of the words:

"So let him think about Me what he wishes."

Between despair and being deluded

It is important that you remember that having good conjecture of Allaah is when you do good deeds to the best of your ability. It is not possible that you do not do any good deeds and just sit thinking that I will be rewarded tons. No, this is being deluded.

You have to do good deeds and seek repentance for your short comings. You cannot just avoid good deeds and indulge in evil deeds and sin and think that Allaah will give me Paradise and forgive me.

You can never think of yourself safe of the makr of Allaah. You need to strike a balance between hope and fear. Hope that Allaah will accept your deeds and forgive you and fear that He may not.

You do not want to be so fearful that you end up in despair but at the same time you do not want to be so hopeful that you give up good deeds and become deluded and start thinking yourself free of the makr of Allaah.

Both are rebuked. To think yourself safe from the makr of Allaah is wrong. So is falling into despair from the Mercy of Allaah and thinking that there is no hope.

You need to do good deeds while having good conjecture of Allaah. You need to strike a balance between hope and fear. A balance which keeps you from becoming deluded and considering yourself safe from the makr of Allaah and one which keeps you from falling into despair.