By : Professor Dr Atif Amin Al Hussiani
Disappointment (اليأس al-ya’s) in Islam is a spiritual state where the heart loses trust in divine wisdom (حكمة ḥikmah) and succumbs to despair. The Quran and Hadith warn against this condition, linking it to disbelief (kufr) and urging believers to transform trials into opportunities for spiritual elevation.
Below is a synthesis of Quranic verses, Hadith, Sufi principles, and practical guidance to navigate this state.
1. Quranic Verses on Disappointment & Divine Remedies
a) Prohibition of Despair in Divine Mercy
Quran 12:87
*يَا بَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوا فَتَحَسَّسُوا مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَيْأَسُوا مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
“O my sons! Go and search for Joseph and his brother, and never despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, no one despairs of Allah’s mercy except the disbelieving people.”
Quran 39:53
*قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves: Despair not of the mercy of Allah! Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’”
b) Trials as Spiritual Refinement
Quran 2:155–156
*وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ. الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
“We will surely test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to the patient—those who, when struck by calamity, say, ‘Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we return.’
c) Divine Promise of Ease
Quran 94:5–6
*فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا. إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا*
“For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.”
2. Hadith on Disappointment & Hope
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“لا يَيْأَسَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ السَّمَاءَ”
“Let none of you despair of Allah’s mercy, even if his sins reach the heavens.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Hadith Qudsi:
“أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي”
“I am as My servant thinks of Me.” (Sahih Bukhari)
3. Factors Leading to Disappointment
1. Weakness in Tawḥīd (Divine Unity):
Neglecting Allah’s attributes like *Al-Wadūd (The Loving) and Al-Ḥakīm* (The All-Wise) .
2. Shayṭān’s Whispering (وَسْوَسَة): Exploiting worldly attachments to breed doubt .
3. Worldly Attachments (التعلق بالدنيا): Overvaluing material outcomes over divine decree (qadar) .
4. Neglect of Gratitude (الشكر): Failing to recognize blessings (ni’mah), leading to spiritual contraction (qabḍ) .
4. Overcoming Disappointment: A Sufi Roadmap
Step 1: Tazkiyat al-Nafs (Purification of the Soul)
Dhikr (Remembrance): Recite *لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ* to anchor the heart in divine presence .
Muraqaba (Self-Awareness): Reflect on Allah’s signs (ayat) to dissolve ego-driven expectations .
Step 2: Tawakkul (Trust in Divine Wisdom)
Quran 65:3:
*وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
“Whoever relies on Allah—He is sufficient for them.”
Step 3: Transformative Gratitude (Shukr)
Quran 14:7:
*لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ*
“If you are grateful, I will increase you.”
Step 4: Khidmah (Service to Creation)
Align with ihsan (spiritual excellence) by uplifting others, as exemplified by Prophet Yusuf’s resilience .
5. Despair as a Pathway to Kufr
Absolute despair (qunuṭ) negates trust in Allah’s mercy, aligning with kufr al-juhūd (obstinate rejection) . The Quran explicitly states:
Quran 12:87: *إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ*
“None despair of Allah’s grace except the disbelieving people.”
6. The Devil’s Exploitation of Disappointment
Shayṭān uses disappointment to:
Promote Materialism: “Satan threatens you with poverty and orders immorality” (Quran 2:268) .
Foster Cynicism: Magnifying failures while minimizing blessings .
Spread Division: Encouraging resentment (ḥiqd) to fracture communities .
7. Message to the Youth of Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Senegal
O youth! Equip yourselves with the Quran and Īmān (faith):
Quran 2:286:
*لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Quran 94:8:
*وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَارْغَب*
“And to your Lord direct [your] longing.”
Your strength lies in ṣabr (patience) and tawḥīd (divine unity). Be architects of economic and social reform, embodying *ʿamal ṣāliḥ* (righteous action). The devil flees from those firmly rooted in faith:
Quran 58:21:
*كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي
“Allah has written: I will surely prevail, I and My messengers.”
8. Warning: Disappointment as the First Step to Suicide
Despair is the first step toward self-destruction. The Quranic antidote is ṣabr and ṣalāh :
Quran 2:153:
*يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ*
*”Seek help through patience and prayer.”
Conclusion: From Qabḍ to Basṭ in Sufi Terminology
Disappointment is a mirror reflecting the soul’s distance from Allah. Through fanāʾ (annihilation of the ego) and baqāʾ (subsistence in the Divine), believers transmute trials into barakah (blessings). As Rumi said, “The wound is where the Light enters you.” Let disappointment be your teacher, not your jailer.
Quranic Promise:
*وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ
“Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds that He will grant them succession in the land.” (Quran 24:55)
Stand firm, O youth of Africa, for success belongs to the believers.
Quranic Promise: “Allah has written: I will surely prevail, I and My messengers” (58:21). Trust in this, and success will belong to the believers.
