ABU Bakr Al-Siddiq, on his deathbed, called Umar and said:

Fear Allah, O Umar. Know that there are deeds to be done in the day which Allah will not accept if done at night, and there are deeds to be done at night which He will not accept if done during the day. He will not accept extra (Nafl) deeds unless you fulfill the obligatory ones.

The scales of some will be weighty on the Day of Resurrection only because they followed the truth in this life and it was weighty to them. And the scales on which the truth will be placed tomorrow truly deserve to be heavy. The scales of some will be light on the Day of Resurrection only because they followed falsehood in this life and it was a light matter to them. And scales in which falsehood will be placed tomorrow truly deserve to be light.

Allah the Exalted has mentioned the people of Paradise and mentioned them in the context of their best deeds, and overlooked their evil deeds, so when I remember them I say to myself: I fear that I will not be included among them.

And Allah the Exalted has mentioned the people of Hell and mentioned them in the context of their worst deeds and rejected their best deeds, so when I remember them I say: I hope I won’t be amongst them. Allah’s worshipers should always be in a state of hope and fear, they shouldn’t entertain flimsy wishes about Allah and neither should they despair of Allah’s mercy.

If you keep to this advice of mine, no one who is not with you now should be more beloved to you than death – and it is sure to come to you. But if you disregard this advice, no one who is not with you now should be more hated to you than death – and you cannot escape it.

– Abu Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliya Vol.1 p18; and Ibn Al-Jawzi, Sifah Al-Safwah.