English
Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, will ask a servant on the Day of Resurrection: ‘What prevented you from rejecting evil when you saw it?’” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “He will offer his excuse, saying: ‘O Lord, I feared 1 the people and hoped in You.’”
Commentary and footnotes (2)
Note 1
(1) His statement: “I feared the people and hoped in You”: This is an admission of fault, a display of weakness, and reliance on the Lord’s generosity. Al-Bayhaqi said: This may apply to one who fears their power and cannot fend it off. At-Tayyibi said: Such a person is excused in Shariah and not punished for it, needing no excuse to be prompted. Rather, it applies to one who was negligent overall, and Allah inspires him with an excuse. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 1
(۱) قوله: خفت الناس ورجوتك فيه اعتراف بالذنب وإظهار للعجز واعتماد على كرم الرب. قال البيهقي: يحتمل أن يكون هذا فيمن يخاف سطوتهم، وهو لا يستطيع دفعها عن نفسه ذكره الطيبي الله. وفيه أن مثل هذا معذور في الشرع، فلا يعاقب عليه، فيحتاج إلى تلقي الحجة، بل إنما هو فيمن قصر في الجملة، فيلهمه الله العذرة. كذا في «المرقاة».