37/31. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4261 — Hope and Fear at Death
Death and preparing for it
Hadith About Hope and Fear in Allah at the Time of Death
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4261
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4261
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارٌ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرٌ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، : أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ دَخَلَ عَلَى شَابٍّ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ : " كَيْفَ تَجِدُكَ " . قَالَ : أَرْجُو اللَّهَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَخَافُ ذُنُوبِي . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ : " لاَ يَجْتَمِعَانِ فِي قَلْبِ عَبْدٍ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْمَوْطِنِ إِلاَّ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ مَا يَرْجُو وَآمَنَهُ مِمَّا يَخَافُ " .
Anas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon a young man who was dying and said: “How do you feel?” He said: “I have hope in Allah, O Messenger of Allah, but I fear my sins.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “These two things (hope and fear) do not coexist in the heart of a person in a situation like this, but Allah will give him that which he hopes for and keep him safe from that which he fears.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4261In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 162English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4261
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4261
This hadith about hope and fear in Allah shows a dying young man speaking with honest faith. When the Prophet asked how he felt, the young man did not claim to be perfect. He said he hoped in Allah, yet feared his sins. The teaching is clear: at a moment like death, a servant’s heart may hold both trust in Allah’s mercy and worry over personal sins. The Prophet then gave glad news about that state. Allah gives what the person hopes for and grants safety from what he fears. The core message is balanced faith. A believer should not fall into despair, and should not treat sins lightly either.
What we learn from this hadith
- A believer may hold hope in Allah and fear of sins at the same time.
- Being honest about one’s sins is part of a serious heart.
- At the time of death, balanced hope and fear are praised in this narration.
