It is to the credit of Saudi author Abdulrahman Munif, one of the pillars of modern Arabic narrative, that he focused in his literary works on the core values of human nature, foremost among them the value of freedom. In several works, he linked freedom with the rejection of prisons. He had a unique philosophy when defining prison, asserting that it is not just walls, torturers, and physical suffering but, above all, fear and terror that grip the prisoner’s heart upon learning of his fate even before entering the four walls.

This fear and terror that saturate the soul of the person destined for confinement prevent him from adjusting his behavior, let alone fostering creativity, as the authorities in charge of prisons claim. In reality, instilling fear and terror is a primary objective, part of the broader security goals focused on protecting the penal institution, especially in what are known as maximum-security prisons.

It must be said that prison is a painful and harsh experience for anyone afflicted by it. A person loses their freedom, and negative feelings accumulate within them, manifesting in various behaviors such as anger, aggression, and suicidal thoughts. However, the hope that fills the prisoner’s heart can be the light that illuminates the darkness of the cell, the fuel that nourishes positive energy, granting them the strength to confront hardships and challenges.

Historical records indicate that the experience of the Nazis in prisons was among the worst in human history. Dr. Mohamed Ezzeddin Tawfiq mentioned in his book The Islamic Foundation of Psychological Studies the story of Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.

It is well-known that, in preparation for world domination, Hitler and his party killed more than 60 million people and established camps that housed anyone opposing the party, along with criminals, the so-called outcasts like the Roma (gypsies), homosexuals, and disabled individuals who, in their view, consumed the nation’s resources without contributing to its economy—a method that defies even the lowest standards of humanity.

The Nazi camps witnessed all kinds of psychological and physical torture. According to available data, it seemed impossible for anyone to survive.

The pressing question for Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor, was: What kept some prisoners alive despite the suffering that exceeded all limits, while others resorted to suicide?

Frankl concluded in his book Man’s Search for Meaning that the primary reason some prisoners clung to life, despite the overwhelming physical and emotional abuse, was hope. Each prisoner who resisted the challenges envisioned reuniting with their spouses, children, friends, and loved ones.

The giant Alija Izetbegović also spent many years in communist prisons. He never weakened or wavered. Instead, he nourished his soul with hope, defied despair, and wrote his brilliant book Escape to Freedom, expressing his aspirations and dreams for the day he would be freed.

To understand the pure essence of hope, look at the six Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, including Zakaria Zubeidi and Mahmoud Al-Arda. They were held in the maximum-security Gilboa Prison, which is under intense surveillance and equipped with sensors that detect vibrations inside. Yet, driven by hope, they took action. A spoon in their hands turned into a mighty tool, and they executed a meticulously planned escape, proving to the world that there is no such thing as fantasy. Everything becomes a reality when it passes through the resolute Palestinian spirit. What was portrayed as fiction in the Palestinian series Al-Rooh (The Spirit) became a reality in The Great Escape from Gilboa Prison.

Indeed, hope is what drives the oppressed, whether free or imprisoned, to endure their miserable reality and cling to the fragile threads of life. However, hope alone is not enough. Many have been defeated by excessive doses of it. Hope must be accompanied by the prisoner’s understanding that hardships are a test from Allah, the All-Wise, intended to nurture patience and submission in all circumstances. Freedom can emerge from the womb of imprisonment, as in the case of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph, peace be upon him).

Hope becomes truly effective only with reliance on Allah and seeking His refuge, feeling His closeness in the midst of darkness. Furthermore, the certainty of a great reward from Allah for enduring hardships lightens the burden on the heart. The stronger the certainty in the heart, the less painful the hardship feels. As for those afflicted with the trial of imprisonment, those who are content will find divine pleasure, while those who are resentful will face anger. The successful are those who persevere and are rewarded as patient ones, choosing for themselves the best of fates!

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Do you truly believe that hope can be created? Yes, indeed it can be crafted and even planted within souls, provided there exists an experienced, skilled hand capable of nurturing it to its finest form. Such hope captures the hearts of the aspiring, commands the attention of the diligent, and, despite themselves, draws the eyes of the heedless. Before long, it becomes a deeply held conviction that clings tightly, as one would cling to all that is precious and dear. People strive to achieve it, regardless of obstacles, sparing no effort or sacrifice, all with unwavering optimism, satisfaction, happiness, and acceptance.

Those Who Master the Art of Creating Hope

Great leaders who have left clear marks on the destinies of their peoples are those who excelled in the art of creating hope. This is often referred to in political studies as a "national project," which unites the fragmented individuals of a nation and their energies. These leaders, with their exceptional talents, harness the capabilities, energies, and determination of their people around this hope. They water its tree with their noble blood, tireless effort, and abundant sweat until it becomes a tangible reality under which all find security, happiness, and reassurance.

Likewise, distinguished educators are those who excel in instilling hope in their students, nurturing it within them so that it becomes a strong motivator driving their behavior toward greatness. This effort and care ultimately bear fruit, achieving goals that bring joy to both the educator and the learner.

Our noble Prophet was a pioneer in the art of creating and instilling hope. It was no coincidence that he planted hope in the hearts of his companions even as they endured the severe torment of the disbelievers, so intense that it seemed unbearable. At such a moment, when Khabbab ibn al-Aratt approached the Prophet, who was reclining in the shade of the Kaaba, pleading for him to invoke Allah to lift the cup of suffering poured out by the disbelievers, the Prophet gave two profound lessons. These lessons should be held dear by all callers to Allah in every era: the lesson of steadfastness in the face of trials and hardships and the lesson of hope in the anticipated future victory. Ultimately, only truth will prevail, and nothing beneficial to humanity will perish, while all that is worthless fades away.

Our Perpetual Need for Hope

We need hope to live and find joy in life. When the radiant light of hope dims in our eyes, the meaning of life fades from our hearts, turning into boundless misery and distress. Hope is both the guardian and the creator of our happiness. It is an eternal flame that must never be extinguished.

Hope is also a cure—yes, a cure for many ailments of the soul, including physical diseases that baffle doctors. These illnesses cannot be treated without a strong sense of hope in the patient, enabling them to overcome their ailment and experience health and wellness. Many cases deemed hopeless by physicians have seen recovery through the sheer willpower and hope of the patient, fueled by a burning desire for life. These noble and profound feelings often serve as the mysterious antidote to healing, leaving doctors puzzled.

For this reason, the Quran associates the absence of hope with disbelief, as Allah says: “And despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.” (Yusuf: 87) A disbeliever— and only a disbeliever—loses hope when their desires are thwarted time and again. They fail to see beyond worldly causes, allowing grief to consume them, sometimes to the extent of insanity or death by their own hand.

On the other hand, a believer is always optimistic, focusing on the full rather than the empty part of the cup. They acknowledge the virtue of others, smiling at life, believing that tomorrow will bring better things, and that brighter hopes will dispel today’s hardships.

Our Enemies Seek to Kill Hope

Today, our enemies are doing everything in their power to extinguish hope in our hearts. They strive to convince us that it is impossible for our nations to regain their strength and rightful place under the sun. Through chaos, wars, and tragedies, they instill in us feelings of futility and despair, creating a deceptive belief that power lies solely in the hands of the West or America to wield as they please. They dismiss our hopes of victory for our religion and our nation as mere illusions, even when backed by Prophetic promises or insightful readings of history and experience.

However, if hope is deeply rooted in our hearts, stemming from our faith in the truth we carry, the light we follow, and the numerous glad tidings from the authentic teachings of our Prophet, it becomes a rock against which all attempts to plant doubt, despair, and weakness in our hearts shatter.

Hope lights the path to victory, shielding us from falling. Indeed, many who falter on the path of striving for Allah and working for His cause do so because their wellspring of hope has dried up. They fail to keep the blessed tree of hope alive within them—a tree that bears fruit of steadfastness, certainty, and optimism, producing the conviction that the coming days will be better than the dark past and the painful present. Relief follows patience, ease accompanies hardship, and there is always light at the end of the tunnel, calling us to continue the journey toward the rewards of effort, patience, and perseverance, where the arches of triumph and the laurels of glory await.

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She asked her elder sister, lying on her bed, watching a tree near her window, "How many leaves are left on the tree?"

Her sister, with tears in her eyes, replied, "Why do you ask, my dear?"

The sick girl answered, "Because I know my days will end with the falling of the last leaf!"

Her sister smiled and said, "Then until that time, let's enjoy our lives and live beautiful days."

Days passed, and the leaves fell one by one until only one leaf remained.

The sick girl continued to watch it, believing that on the day it fell, her illness would end her life.

Autumn passed, then winter, and the year went by, yet the leaf did not fall. The girl remained happy with her sister and began to recover her health until she was completely healed. The first thing she did was to see the miracle of the leaf that never fell!

She found it was a plastic leaf pinned by her sister to the tree!

Yes, it's hope that plants another optimistic spirit, creates miracles, and instils contentment and happiness in the heart.

Here, we speak of hope in Allah, relying on Him, and having faith that He only wants what's best for us.

Reflect on the poet's wise refrain:

 "A decree you heed, a decree you heed,

 In it, the cherished hides, in it, woes may breed.

Hidden is love within His decree,

In hardship, His wisdom you'll see."

Our trust in Allah is great, and Allah will not disappoint our hopes, as He has said, "Allah will soon grant relief after hardship." (Quran, 65:7). It is said that if all the despair of the world were gathered in your heart, faith in this verse would dispel it.

Listen to what Al-Shinqiti said: "By Allah, no one ever knocked on the door of goodness except that Allah opened it for him, and no one ever followed a path of obedience except that Allah made it easy for him."

So, if you live for Allah, with Allah, and in Allah, confident, reliant, and optimistic, certainty will prevail in your heart, and know that whoever acts with certainty in Allah, Allah will manifest miracles for them.

Therefore, we say to you:

Breathe with "There is no god but Allah."

Reprimand yourself with "I seek forgiveness from Allah."

Feel pain with "There is no power nor strength except with Allah."

Be amazed with "Glory be to Allah!"

Rejoice with "Sending blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad."

Grieve with "Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return."

Start with "In the name of Allah."

And end with "All praise is due to Allah."

Let your deeds be for Allah, and with Allah; when you are with Allah, Allah will be with you.

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