Sayyiduna Imam Ghazali عَـلَـیۡـهِ رَحْـمَـةُ الـلّٰـهِ الۡـوَالِی has said, ‘High hopes are an obstacle in the path of righteousness and obedience. Furthermore, (high hopes) become the cause of every mischief and harm.’ (Minhaj-ul-‘Aabideen, pp. 118, summarized)

Six difficulties!

Dear Islamic brothers! Due to high hopes a person suffers from six difficulties:

First difficulty: High hopes makes a person heedless and lazy, that’s why before performing good deeds this thought enters his mind that ‘I will do it after a while, I still have sufficient time, I will not miss the opportunity of worship’. Hence, due to laziness a person wastes the opportunity of performing good deeds. (Minhaj-ul-‘Aabideen, pp. 81)

Second difficulty: Due to high hopes, a person falls prey to evil practices. Sayyiduna Dawood Taa`ee رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has truthfully said, ‘The person, who has fear of Allah’s warning, considers distance as something near and the person who suffers from high hopes, becomes a victim of evil practices.

(Minhaj-ul-‘Aabideen, pp. 81)

Third difficulty: Due to high hopes it becomes difficult for a person to perform good deeds. Sayyiduna Yahya Bin Mu’aaz Raazi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said, ‘Hopes for the world’ restrict a man from every good deed; ‘greed’ restricts a man from every truth; ‘patience’ leads to goodness and satisfying the desires attract (him) to every harm and evil. (Minhaj-ul-‘Aabideen, pp. 81)

Fourth difficulty: Due to high hopes a person becomes habitual of delaying in making repentance, that’s why these thoughts enter the mind, ‘I will repent now, I still have sufficient time, I am still young, I am now very young, I have the power/authority to repent all the time, I will do it whenever I want.’ (Ibid)

Fifth difficulty: Due to high hopes, the heart of a person becomes hard, reducing the passion for good deeds; it increases sins and greed. A person becomes habitual of worldly luxuries and pleasure, and his heart becomes heedless of pondering over Hereafter. (Minhaj-ul-‘Aabideen, pp. 82, summarized)