Flight of the Believers: On Repentance, Hope and Fear
For some of us, despite our performance of the day-to-day outward acts of worship — our daily prayers, paying zakat, fasting in Ramadan — an inner void; a feeling of disconnectedness from Allah Most High, remains. There comes a point in our lives where we genuinely long for forgiveness and guidance from our Creator, and yet we do not know where or how to turn.
Allah’s Invitation to Turn
Allah Most High knows His creation, and He wants us to turn to Him. He says: “Then ask those who know well if you do not know.” (Quran 21:7 and 16:43). This ayah points us toward the scholars — the inheritors of the prophets — as our guides in the journey back to Allah.
Imam ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, a descendant of the Prophet ﷺ, wrote his celebrated Book of Assistance as a guide for exactly this situation — for the sincere believer who wants to attain genuine nearness to Allah but does not know how to begin.
Three Essential States of the Heart
1. Hope (Raja’)
Hope is the state of the heart that looks toward Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah said: I am as my servant thinks of me.” The believer who thinks well of Allah — who approaches Him with genuine hope in His mercy — finds that Allah’s mercy is indeed expansive beyond all expectation. The door of repentance is open until the sun rises in the West, and Allah’s forgiveness has no limit.
2. Fear (Khawf)
Fear of Allah — khawf in Arabic — is not terror but a respectful, loving awareness of Allah’s might and of the consequences of turning away from Him. The scholars compare khawf to the one who walks carefully near the edge of a cliff: it is not paralyzing fear but the prudent awareness that keeps one on the safe path. Fear without hope leads to despair; hope without fear leads to complacency. The two must be balanced.
3. Repentance (Tawba)
Repentance is the act of turning back to Allah after falling short. The conditions of sincere repentance are: (1) genuine remorse for the sin, (2) cessation of the sin, (3) firm intention not to return to it, and — if the sin involved a violation of another’s rights — (4) making amends. Tawba is not a one-time act but an ongoing orientation of the heart toward Allah.
Practical Steps
If you are experiencing spiritual disconnection, here are practical steps drawn from the classical tradition:
- Make sincere istighfar: Begin each day with the Master Prayer of Forgiveness (Sayyid al-Istighfar) taught by the Prophet ﷺ
- Establish a consistent dhikr practice: Set aside at least fifteen minutes each day for the remembrance of Allah
- Read a chapter of the Book of Assistance: Its chapters are short enough to read in ten minutes; its wisdom is enough to reflect on for days
- Seek a teacher or a learning circle: The company of the righteous and the knowledgeable is one of the most powerful medicines for the heart
According to SeekersGuidance scholars, the combination of dhikr, knowledge, and good company — what the tradition calls suhba — is the royal road to spiritual revival. Explore our Courses and Lectures for further support on this journey.