5d • General discussion
The Perfect Jurist
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(I begin) In the Name of Allah, the All-Kind (or All-Beneficent), the All-Merciful (or All-Compassionate)
وقال عليه السلام : الْفَقِيهُ كُلُّ الْفَقِيهِ مَنْ لَمْ يُقَنِّطِ النَّاسَ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللهِ، وَلَمْ يُؤْيِسْهُمْ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللهِ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْهُمْ مِنْ مَكْرِالله
Amīrul Muʾminīn, peace be upon him, said: The perfect jurist of Islam is he who does not let people lose hope from the mercy of Allah, does not make them despondent of Allah’s kindness and does not make them feel safe from Allah’s punishment.
In Saying 90 of the Nahj al-Balāghah, Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) defines the “Complete Jurist” (Al-Faqīh), not just as a technical expert in law, but as a master of the human heart who knows exactly how to balance the scales of hope and fear.
Redefining the “Faqīh”
When we hear the word faqīh, we usually think of a scholar of religious rulings. However, the Imām (ʿa) uses it here in its broader, linguistic sense: a religious scholar who is perfect in every respect. The true scholar is one who acts as a spiritual doctor, knowing when to provide the “medicine” of hope and when to apply the “surgery” of warning.
The Three Divine Boundaries
The Imām’s statement draws from three vital Qur’ānic principles that guide how we should interact with others and ourselves:
1. Never Drive People to Despair We must never make anyone feel that they are “beyond saving.”
«قُلْ يا عِبادِيَ الَّذينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَمَةِ اللّهِ»
“Say, ‘O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah...’” (Qur’an 39:53)
2. Never Make Them Lose Hope in Relief
While the first point refers to mercy in the Hereafter, this refers to Allah’s relief in this world. We see this in the story of Prophet Ya‘qūb (ʿa):
«وَلا تَيْأَسُوا مِنْ رَوْحِ اللّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يَيْأَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْكافِرُونَ»
“...and do not despair of Allah’s mercy [relief]. Indeed no one despairs of Allah’s mercy except the faithless lot.” (Qur’an 12:87)
3. Never Make Them Feel Falsely Secure
Balance requires that we also stay awake to the consequences of our choices.
«فَلا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخاسرُونَ»
“No one feels secure from Allah’s devising [plan] except the losing lot.” (Qur’an 7:99)
The Accelerator and the Brakes
Scholars often use a simple analogy for our spiritual journey: Hope (rajā’) is the accelerator that drives us toward good deeds and perfection, while Fear (khawf) is the brake system that prevents us from deviating into spiritual danger.
If we have excessive fear, we fall into despair (yās), thinking our sins are too great to be forgiven. This often leads us to commit even more sins because we feel we have “already lost”. On the other hand, excessive hope leads to false security. We become complacent, thinking we can sin now and just repent later. This indifference is a spiritual trap.
The Two Lights of the Heart
The Imāms (ʿa) understood that sustained spiritual growth requires not just understanding these principles intellectually, but embodying them as two inseparable faculties of the heart. Imām al-Ṣādiq (ʿa) expressed this insight beautifully:
«إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ عَبْد مُؤْمِن إِلاَّ وَفِي قَلْبِهِ نُورَانِ نُورُ خِيفَة وَنُورُ رَجَاء»
“There is no believing servant except that in his heart there are two lights: the light of fear and the light of hope...”.
If these two lights were weighed, neither would exceed the other. Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) reinforces this in Ghurar al-Ḥikam:
«خَفْ رَبَّكَ خَوْفاً لا يَشْغَلُكَ عَنْ رَجَائِهِ وَارْجُهْ رَجَاءَ مَنْ لا يَأْمَنُ خَوْفَهُ»
“Fear your Lord with a fear that does not preoccupy you from hoping in Him, and hope in Him with a hope of one who does not feel secure from fearing Him”.
Conclusion: Walking the Middle Path
The “Complete Jurist” is not someone who makes religion look easy at the expense of accountability, nor someone who makes it look impossible at the expense of hope. The true path to spiritual growth is found in the balance.
As we navigate our daily lives, let us remember that the Prophet (ṣ) was both a Bashīr (bearer of good news) and a Nadhīr (warner). When we feel arrogant, let us remember the “light of fear” to keep us grounded. When we feel broken, let us remember the “light of hope” to lift us up. By maintaining this equilibrium, we ensure that we are always moving, slowly but surely, closer to our Creator.
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