Good opinion of God and optimism (husn al-zann billah)

Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy defines istibshar as expecting good: a person is glad at a righteous child, a good deed, or an obedient daughter. ¹ He criticises the pessimist who sees only thorns and desert, and says that the Muslim community should be optimistic and active. ²

He recounts the angels bringing Abraham good news of Isaac, and then of Jacob after him, and holds that bushra means that something good has appeared. ³ He says that Jacob hoped for God's mercy and was answered, and that a person cannot know where good lies, so should be patient. ⁴ He says that Jacob knew God would save Joseph, and that his hope returned when his second son was lost, until the vision was fulfilled. ⁵

Asked about the effect of good opinion of God on provision and ownership, the Sheikh leaves the knowledge to God and says that God knows best. ⁶

He says that the Arabs used to take omens of good and ill from the flight of birds, and that Islam replaced this with the prayer of istikhara (needs_source: the description of the pre-Islamic practice is not sourced in the recording). ⁷ He contrasts the one who dwells in grief over the past and seeks posts through bribery or what is forbidden with the one who makes matters easy, because he knows that destiny is just and merciful. ⁸ He cites a hadith about destiny that is used to ground optimism. ⁹ He holds that despair is not a quality of the believer, and that when hardship grows relief is near. ¹⁰

He holds that a believer should always expect good, banish depression, do good, and say that tomorrow will be better. ¹¹ He recounts Ali saying that he lives on hope: if it is fulfilled, that is by God's favour, and if not, he has still lived with it (needs_source: the saying is not sourced in the recording). ¹² He says that one who loses trust in a thing becomes hopeless, while the believer who prays stands in God's presence. ¹³