There are certain deeds that should never be neglected, which affect the heart permanently. Yet, some people, due to their weakness in faith, may be careless and may not perform them regularly.
One deed of the heart is to have constant hope in the kindness, generosity and favours of Allaah The Almighty. One should be optimistic and never lose hope in the bounty of Allaah The Almighty, which He bestows on whom He wills. However, this hope should be coupled with a reason, or means, for one to feel that it will be realised. Thus, one should keep performing good deeds that give one the opportunity to harbour hope in the generosity and kindness of Allaah The Almighty, for if these means are not present, then it is mere wishful thinking on one’s part.
Hope is not for a person who is lazy and does not endeavor to remain upon the path of those who strive and exert great efforts. Such a person is just like someone who wants to grow plants and see them bearing fruit, without bothering to cultivate or water the seeds. Is this person equal to another, who digs the soil, plants the seeds and waters them carefully and regularly? Only the latter can realistically hope that his plants will grow fruitful. This is also the case regarding hope for the bestowal of the mercy and bounty of Allaah The Almighty.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {It [i.e. Paradise] is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture.} [Quran, 4: 123] Moreover, it was said, “Faith is not wishful thinking, but rather, it is what is instilled in the heart and proven by good deeds.”
to his sons.How does one achieve hope?
• By remembering the past favors of Allaah The Almighty on you.
Those whose hearts are alive recognize the fallacy of this world, and realise that this life is like a field in which they plant seeds for the Hereafter. The similitude of the heart is like that of the earth. Just as the earth must have seeds sown in it for it to yield fruits, the heart requires acts of obedience to make it flourish and remain alive. Just as the earth requires continuous attention, watering, digging, and so on, the heart requires continuous attention; it is enlivened by its obedience of Allaah The Almighty. Just as the earth needs maintenance like removing harmful weeds from around the plants, the heart needs to be purified from doubts and desires, lest they ruin the fruits of one’s acts of obedience, which have been irrigated with the water of servitude
It is rare for one to benefit from his faith if his heart is full of evil, just as seeds cannot grow in saline water or a swamp. The slave’s hope can be compared to that of a farmer’s. Only if a farmer seeks good, fertile soil, sows quality seeds in it, waters it and takes good care of it, can he then wait for the favour of Allaah The Almighty. This is real hope.
On the other hand, if the farmer were to implant his seeds in a swampy, slanted area where water cannot reach, it would be ridiculous of him to expect any result or hope for anything to grow there. Also, if the farmer were to plant good seeds in good soil, but it is above ground level and on a hilly slope so that water cannot reach it; he certainly cannot hope for plants to grow there, but he might indulge in wishful thinking.
Hope means waiting eagerly for results after one has exerted all efforts and employed all possible means available to them. Therefore, one should exert oneself in performing acts of obedience and worship and then wait for the bounties from Allaah The Almighty to make him steadfast, to protect him from deviating until he dies, and to guard him from misguidance until he leaves this world and meets a Lord Who is pleased with him.
The person with hope is someone who has been consistent in his acts of obedience and fulfils the implications of faith. He hopes that Allaah The Almighty will not cause him to stray from the straight path; he hopes that Allaah The Almighty will accept his good deeds and not reject them; he hopes that Allaah The Almighty will reward him doubly. This is a person who can be said to have exerted all possible efforts, and who can then hope for the mercy of his Lord.
Conversely, someone who habitually indulges in immoral acts, fails to water his heart with obedience, and does not curb his pleasures and lusts, and then hopes for the forgiveness and mercy of Allaah The Almighty, is a deceived fool. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{And there followed them successors who inherited the Scripture [while] taking the commodities [i.e. unlawful gains and pleasures] of this lower life and saying, ‘It will be forgiven for us.’} [Quran, 7: 169]
In the Quran, Allaah The Almighty tells us what the ungrateful disbeliever said, whom Allaah The Almighty blessed with a garden: (what means): {I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.} [Quran, 18: 36] This was a case of wishful thinking on his part.
Hope is a cure that two types of people require:
Talking to some people about hope can cure and motivate them; however, it does not cure those deceived sinners who think that they possess hope, but in fact are only wishful thinkers because they wish for the forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty whilst not doing enough acts of worship. Talking about hope with such people would only cause an increase in their transgression and make them stray even further. The only way to help them is to severely admonish them into refraining from sinning – which is a very important point that we must all pay attention to.
Some of the scholars said, “The person admonishing others should be kind and look to the areas of weakness and disease in people and address them, aiming to cure each person according to his level and situation; but nowadays, one should not address matters from the hope perspective, but rather exaggerate in terrifying them. The admonisher should only mention the virtues of having hope and how one can attain it in order to attract the hearts.” Thus, one should scare people, but not to the level of making them feel despair, as ‘Ali 
said, “The true scholar is the one who does not make people give up on the mercy of Allaah, nor make them feel secure from His wrath.” knowing Allah.com
