Believers Never Lose Hope In Allaah’s Mercy, But They Also Fear For Themselves
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah [The Most High] said in Surah Al-Muminoon Aayaat 57-62:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ رَبِّہِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّہِمۡ يُؤۡمِنُونَ
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّہِمۡ لَا يُشۡرِكُونَ
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡتُونَ مَآ ءَاتَواْ وَّقُلُوبُہُمۡ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّہُمۡ إِلَىٰ رَبِّہِمۡ رَٲجِعُونَ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَهُمۡ لَهَا سَـٰبِقُونَ
وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۖ وَلَدَيۡنَا كِتَـٰبٌ۬ يَنطِقُ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ
Verily! Those who live in awe for fear of their Lord; And those who believe in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord; And those who join not anyone (in worship) as partners with their Lord; And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning). It is these who race for the good deeds, and they are foremost in them [e.g. offering the compulsory Salat (prayers) in their (early) stated, fixed times and so on]. And We tax not any person except according to his capacity, and with Us is a Record which speaks the truth, and they will not be wronged.
Few Reminders about the People Mentioned In the Above Aayah
Their hearts are filled with fear due to the fear they have of their Lord. They fear that the justice of their Lord will take effect on them and thus they will be left with no good deeds. They are afraid of having a false good opinion about themselves that they have fulfilled the rights of their Lord and they fear that their Eemaan will cease. This is due to the fact that they know their Lord and what He deserves of exaltation and glory. This fear of theirs necessitates that they refrain from that which will bring about those evil consequences of sins and due to falling short in that which one has been commanded. They carry out that which they have been commanded, such as the prayer, zakat, hajj etc whilst fearing for themselves when their deeds will be presented in the presence of their Lord and on that Day in which they will stand in His presence [on the day of judgement] – fearing that their deeds will not save them from the punishment of Allaah due to their knowledge of their Lord and what He truly deserves of obedience through various types of worship. [Ref 1]
Ibraaheem At-Taymi [rahimahullaah] said: I do not compare my speech with my actions except fearing that my [speech] belies [my deeds]. Ibn Abee Mulayka [rahimahullaah] said: I met thirty Companions of the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] and each of them was afraid of hypocrisy for himself and none of them said that he was as strong in belief as the angel Jibreel or Meekaa’eel. And Al-Hasan Al-Basri [rahimahullaah] said: It is only true believers who fear nifaaq and only a munaafiq who considers himself safe [i.e. does not fear nifaaq]. [Ref 2]
Worshipping Allaah with Love Fear and Hope
http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=IBD01&articleID=IBD010006&articlePages=1
Repentance
https://www.salaficentre.com/2016/08/salaah-tawbah-prayer-repentance/
[Ref 1: (Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan). Abridged and paraphrased]
[Ref 2: Saheeh Al-Bukhaari Vol 1. Chapter 36. (What is said regarding) the fear of a believer that his good deeds may be annulled without his knowledge]