Al-Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyi al-Din Ibn ‘Arabi (God be pleased with him) said in his Wasaya (counsels) in the final volume of his al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya:

Have a good opinion of your Lord in all situations and do not have a bad opinion of Him. With each breath you take you do not know if it is to be your final breath before you die and meet Allah; so have a good opinion of Allah and do not have a bad opinion of Him, for perhaps—and unbeknownst to you—Allah will take your soul during that exhalation. Pay no mind to what some people say, that you should have a bad opinion during your life and a good opinion of Allah at the time of your death. According to the knowers of Allah, this is inconceivable, for they are with Allah in their every breath.

   Moreover, this counsel contains another benefit and knowledge about Allah: that by having a good opinion of Allah you fulfill right of the Real, since one of the rights of Allah upon you is that you have faith (iman) in His statement “and bringing you into being again in what you know not.” (56:61) So perhaps Allah will bring you into being again during that breath you take whilst you think death and return are coming to you, and in that time you have a bad opinion of your Lord, and as a result you meet Him in that state.

   It is related that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, in what he related from His Lord, “I am as My servant thinks of Me, so let him think good of Me.”[1] Allah did not specify one time over another. So let your opinion of Allah be based on the knowledge that He pardons and forgives and relents. Let the divine call for your good opinion of Him be His words “O My servants who have transgressed against their own selves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy…” He has forbidden you from despair, and it is incumbent upon you to abstain from what He has forbidden. Then Allah informed—and His informing is true and not subject to abrogation, for if it were then it would be a lie, and lying is impossible for Allah—saying “Verily Allah forgives all sins entirely.” He did not specify one sin over another. He emphasized His statement by saying “entirely.” Then He completed it by saying “Verily He”—bringing the pronoun that refers to Him—“is All-Forgiving, Compassionate” (39:53–54) for His mercy has preceded His wrath. Likewise Allah says “who have transgressed…” and does not specify what form the transgression takes. Then He mentions “their own selves” which encompasses everyone who transgresses. He also ascribes the servants to Himself because they are in fact His servants—just as the Real said, quoting the righteous servant ‘Isa (upon whom be peace) “If You punish them then verily they are Your servants…” (5:118) Here Allah also ascribed them to Himself, and being ascribed to Allah Most High is sufficient as an honor!

[1] Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim without the phrase “so let him think good of Me.”