Does Having a Good Opinion of Allah Save One from the Effects of Sins?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I keep noticing that there seems to be a connection between hardships in my life, such as my parents fighting, and sins that happen. I understand that we have to avoid sins, but if we keep seeing every hard time in our life as a punishment from Allah, it can lead us to think that Allah is so hard on us and He doesn’t want Janna for us.
This is how I feel. It has disturbed my brain and way of thinking.

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for having a good opinion of Allah, as this is exactly what a believer should do. This hadith shows us that Allah Most High  will be as we think of Him:

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Allah, the Most High said: ‘I am as My slave thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to himself, I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than that. And if he seeks to draw nearer to Me by a hand span, I draw nearer to him by a forearm’s length, and if he comes to Me by a forearm’s length, I draw nearer to him by an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I come to him quickly.’” [Tirmidhi]

How We See Our Problems

When you have problems in your life, they may be a trial, or they may be punishment, but it is not your job to figure out what it is. Our job is to react according to the shari`a and use every opportunity to draw close to our Lord. Don’t be pessimistic or overly optimistic, and always struggle to improve. How? Remove the haram from your life, one after the other, and be dedicated to what is obligatory. A delicate balance of hope and fear is best.

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)   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 (Allah bless him and give him peace) 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.” [Ibn Maja]

Please see much more details to answer your question:

• How Can I Have a Good Opinion Of Allah?
• Good Opinion of Allah
• How Do I Balance Between Fear and Hope?
• Understanding Fear of Allah

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.