لطفا منتظر باشید ...
A wise man said to al-Mahdi the Abbasid caliph who asked for an advice: "This seat that you are in now was occupied by your father and uncle before you, was it not?" "Yes, it was," answered the caliph. "They had done some acts because of which you expect they will be saved, had they not?" asked the wise man. "Yes, they had," answered the caliph. "They also had done some acts for which you are afraid they will be punished, had they not?" asked the wise man. "Yes, they had," answered the caliph. "Now," said the wise man, "you should do these acts because of which you expect they will be saved and you should avoid these acts for which you are afraid they will be punished."
Fear between Ebb and Flow
The previous texts have depicted the importance of fear and its contribution in rectifying man and qualifying him to have the honor of God's contentment. Like the other noble traits, fear does not deserve praise unless it is characterized by moderation away from shortage and excess. Excess fear impoverishes the personality and deprives of hope. Moreover, it causes despair, which, in turn, brings about perpetual deviation. Shortage of fear, also, causes negligence, shortcoming, and rebel against acts of obedience to God. By the balance of fear and hope, one's self nourishes, conscience towers up, and the spiritual energies go forward. Referring to this point, Imam as-Sadiq (a) said:
"Hope for Allah in a form that does not draw you to the commitment of acts of disobedience to Him, and fear Him in such a way that does not make you despair of His mercy." 227
Advantages of Fear
The values of the noble traits depend on levels of the virtuous concepts and principals of righteousness that they leave on personalities. Accordingly, fear occupies the first place among the noble traits. It has played a big role in the fields of belief since it is the main reason
