حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ الْكُوفِيُّ، وَهَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَزَّارُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارٌ هُوَ ابْنُ حَاتِمٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَخَلَ عَلَى شَابٍّ وَهُوَ فِي المَوْتِ، فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ تَجِدُكَ؟، قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي أَرْجُو اللَّهَ، وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ ذُنُوبِي، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا يَجْتَمِعَانِ فِي قَلْبِ عَبْدٍ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا المَوْطِنِ إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ مَا يَرْجُو وَآمَنَهُ مِمَّا يَخَافُ

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ وَقَدْ رَوَى بَعْضُهُمْ هَذَا الحَدِيثَ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْسَلًا

Book [10]: The book of janā’iz
Chapter [11]: Hope in Allāh and fear of ones sins in the presence of death

Ḥadīth [983]: Thābit narrated from Anas, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) entered upon a young man while he was dying. So he said: “How do you feel?” He said: ‘By Allāh! O Messenger of Allāh! Indeed I hope in Allāh and I fear from my sins.’ So the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “These two will not be gathered in a worshipper’s heart at a time such as this, except that Allāh will grant him what he hopes and make him safe from what he fears.”

[Abū ‘Īsā said:] This ḥadīth is ḥasan gharīb. Some of them have reported this ḥadīth in mursal form from Thābit from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

‘Fear’ and ‘Hope’ are two essential parts of a Muslim’s belief. When he views his sins, he is afraid of accountability, and tries to keep himself away from sins, and when he looks at the grace and bounty of Allāh, he is hopeful of forgiveness.

• Reference: [983 (375/2), Sunan at-Tirmidhī, Dārussalām (Eng)]

a) Visiting a sick person and asking about his health is a sunnah, especially if his situation indicates that he is in his last stage of life.
b) At the time of death, a person should live in hope and fear. However, he should let his hope overcome his fear.
c) If one has in his heart both qualities – hope and fear – then he will get the mercy of Allāh and will be protected from the anger of Allāh.

• Reference: [4261 (370-371/5), Sunan ibn Mājah, Dārussalām (Eng)]

• Sunan ibn Mājah (4261)
• Ṣaḥīḥ at-Targhīb (3383 (3/322))
• Sharḥ as-Sunnah (1456 (5/274-275))
• Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (1612)

Grade:

• Ḥasan by Shaykh al-Albānī (Sunan at-Tirmidhī & Sunan ibn Mājah)
• Ḥasan by Ḥāfiẓ Zubayr ʿAlī Za’ī (Sunan ibn Mājah)
• Ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī (Ṣaḥīḥ at-Targhīb)
• Ḥasan isnād by Ḥāfiẓ Zubayr ʿAlī Za’ī (Sunan at-Tirmidhī)
• Ḥasan gharīb by Imām at-Tirmidhī
• Ḍa’īf isnād by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Sunan ibn Mājah)