Crazy, Stupid, Hope
I’ve been thinking about the balance of hope and fear in God. We all know that we need both to prosper just like a bird needs his right and left wings to fly. However, hope and fear evoke quite different experiences of God. Often when we feel fear of God we shrink in our self-awareness and in our relation to God. We constrict our thoughts, actions, and our vision of the future and we reduce our conception of God to the glaring judge and issuer of punishments. Blind fear is a low thing because it treats God as if He is one dimensional and it elevates His wrath over His mercy which is the opposite of what He has told us is true: “When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His book with Him upon the Throne: Verily, My mercy prevails over My wrath.”
Hope, on the other hand, tends to have the opposite effect. When we are hopeful, our thoughts are more expansive, creative, and visionary. We are more willing to try new ways, adopt new habits, and delay gratification for a hoped-for goal. When we are hopeful, we look at God through kinder eyes, always imagining that His actions in our lives are for our benefit no matter how they may appear. We remind ourselves of God’s unlimited power, His inexhaustible mercy, and His unwavering goodness.
Here are some Qur'anic reminders to have audacious hope
Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (39:53)
The improbability of finding Yusuf:
And do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah, for no one loses hope in Allah’s mercy except those with no faith.” (12:68)
The devastation of divorce:
Whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for them, and provide for them from sources they could never imagine. And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He ˹alone˺ is sufficient for them. Certainly Allah achieves His Will. Allah has already set a destiny for everything. (65:2-3)
Prolonged suffering and adversity:
Do you think you will be admitted into Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were afflicted with suffering and adversity and were so ˹violently˺ shaken that ˹even˺ the Messenger and the believers with him cried out, “When will Allah’s help come?” Indeed, Allah’s help is ˹always˺ near. (2:215)
Explicitly asking not to be burdened:
Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss. ˹The believers pray,˺ “Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people.” (2:286)
Do not falter or grieve, for you will have the upper hand, if you are ˹true˺ believers. (3:319)
My mercy encompasses everything. I will ordain mercy for those who shun evil, pay alms-tax, and believe in Our revelations. (7:156)
When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe in Me, perhaps they will be guided ˹to the Right Way˺. (2:186)