Ḥusn al-Ẓann
Definition
Husn al-zann billah — having a good opinion of Allah — is one of the most important inner conditions for accepted supplication. Al-Ghazali cites the divine hadith in which Allah says 'I am as My servant thinks of Me' — a statement of profound consequence: the person who approaches Allah in supplication expecting to be turned away will receive a response conditioned by that expectation, while the person who comes with full confidence that Allah is generous, merciful, and responsive will receive accordingly. This is not wishful thinking but a form of tawḥid: trusting that Allah's generosity and power are real and operative.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Ḥusn al-Ẓann.
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"If you find Me, you find everything, and if you miss Me, you miss everything, and I am dearer to you than everything." It is also from the حَدِيث: "I am as My servant thinks of Me." And from the Israelite tradition: مُوسَى said, "O Lord, where shall I find You?" He said, "With those whose hearts are broken for My sake." And from the authentic حَدِيث: "Indeed, اللّٰه the Exalted will say on the Day of Resurrection: 'O My servant, I asked you for food and you did not feed Me.' He will say, 'O Lord, how can I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds?' He will say, 'Did you not know that My servant so-and-so asked you for food and you did not feed him?"
— Ibn al-Qayyim, Volume Three
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""None of you should die except while having good expectations of اللّٰه." In the authentic collections, it is also narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "اللّٰه, the Mighty and Majestic, says: I am as My servant thinks of Me, so let him think of Me as he wishes." Hope is the guide that leads hearts to the lands of the Beloved, which is اللّٰه and the Hereafter."
— Ibn al-Qayyim, Volume Two
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"The hadith of Wa'ilah ibn al-Asqa tells of a visit to a sick person where he inquired about the person's expectations of Allah. Allah said, I am as my servant thinks of me. This hadith is collected by Ibn Hibban Ahmed and al-Baihaqi. There is also a hadith about visiting a young man who was dying. When asked about his state, he replied, I hope in Allah and fear my sins."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 40: The Book of the Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife
Appears in
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