The fears of Allah making one’s self-responsible for doing good deeds because of conceit; the fear of becoming arrogant and egotistical due to the abundance of bounties; the fear of being distracted from Allah by other creation; the fear of being led to an evil ending through excessive bounties. Allah says:
الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
“Those to whom the people said: Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them. But it only increased them in faith, and they said: Sufficient for us is Allah and He is an excellent guardian.” (Surah Al Imran 3:173)
The moral values of the Quran need to pervade all of life and the believer needs to apply every moment of life. Deep love and fear of Allah and a strong will to follow conscience also need to be instilled in the child’s heart. Allah says:
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
“Fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:281)
Fear of Allah is not the kind of fear most people imagine. Fear of Allah means that a believer who loves Allah, who is genuinely devoted to Him and takes Him as his friend, will never behave in a way of which He will disapprove and strictly avoid any behaviour with which Allah would not be pleased. There is no doubt that in this brief test, fear of Allah will be the greatest support for the believer. Allah says:
إِنَّا أَنذَرْنَاكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنظُرُ الْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَابًا
“Verily, We have warned you of a near punishment on the Day when a man will observe what his hands have put forth and the disbeliever will say: Oh, I wish that I were dust!” (Surah An-Naba 78:40)
To fear Allah is the beginning of all. The more one fears Allah, the more superior he becomes in the presence of Allah. And since this has no limits, one can increase this fear if he desperately requires it from Allah. Qur’an gives examples of prophets. The believers can compare themselves with the prophets and understand that they really can increase their fear of Allah. Allah says:
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
“Verily, they would hasten to good deeds and supplicate to Us in hope and fear, and they were humbly submissive to Us.” (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:90)
Allah wants people to fear Himself as strong as can be. To gain that, many various ways can be found, for example; spending in Allah’s way, doing good deeds, taking the prophet as our example, obeying him, being attentive to the rules of Allah. The highest point of belief in Allah is not reached by only loving Allah or fearing Him. Both of them should be together.
There are many reasons why we should fear, the following are a list of a Fearing Allah:
- Fear of Allah revealing one’s secret in one’s state of oblivion
- Fear of losing one’s softness in the heart and its hardening
- Fear of the questions of Munkar and Nakir in the grave
- Fear of Allah doing good deeds because of conceit
- Fear of not being able to fulfil Allah’s obligations
- Fear of being disgraced at the time of death
- Fear of not living up to one’s repentance
- Fear of allowing temptations to dominate
- Fear of Allah make one’s self-responsible
- Fear of being beguiled by the glitter of this world
- Fear of awe during the presentation in front of Allah
- Fear of being distracted from Allah by other creation
- Fear of being questioned about every little thing in life
- Fear of being stamped with a bad death at the time of death
- Fear of being led to an evil ending through excessive bounties
Two eyes are very valuable in the presence of Allah. One is the eye that cries due to his sins fearing Allah. The other is the one who keeps guard to protect the honour, property, and lives of Muslims from the enemy and to defend the country. Allah says:
فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ
“Speak to him mildly that perhaps he may remember or fear Allah.” (Surah Ta-Ha 20:44)
It is Allah, who creates and directs all the events; how they will begin and how they will end. It is again Allah who determines every movement of every star in the universe, every state of every living thing on Earth, the way one will live, what one will say, what one will encounter with, as expressed in the verses: Allah says:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ
“When My servants ask you concerning Me, then indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186)
The believer should be connected to His Allah, Whose bounties, grace, and generosity are endless, with great love and respect; he should think that His compassion and mercy surrounds everything, and he should not give up hope of being forgiven no matter what his sins are. Allah says:
وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
“He is with you wherever you are, for Allah sees what you do.” (Surah Al-Hadeed 57:4)
All those who appraise Allah with true appraisal do fear Him and are aware of His Supreme Status. Indeed, even the angels are conscious of their Lord and are obedient to His orders. Allah loves kindness and gentleness in all matters, so we should manifest these qualities even when we face abuse and cruelty.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
- “And fear none but Me.” (Al-Baqarah 2:40)
- “Therefore fear not men but fear Me.” (Al-Maidah 5:44)
- “They have eyes wherewith they see not, …” (Al-Araf 179)
- “So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers.” (Al Imraan 3:175)
- “Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure.” (Qamar 49)
- “And they fall on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility.” (Al-Isra 17:107-109)
- “They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.” (An-Nahl: 50)
- “If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? in Allah, then, Let believers put their trust.” (Al-Imran 160)
- “Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector” and on Allah let the believers put their trust.” (Al-Tawba 51)
- “O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.” (Al-Imran 102)
فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَارْجُوا الْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
“O my people, worship Allah and hope for the Last Day and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.” (Surah Al-Ankabut 29:36)
Someone who has no love can have no sincerity, and someone with no sincerity can have no love. Love, sincerity, reason, fear of Allah and behaving in line with the Quran, therefore, go hand in hand. When these are tightly bound together, the moral values of paradise that are pleasing to Allah grow within the believer. Allah says:
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللَّهِ
“They worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah.” (Surah Yunus 10:18)
Allah created all things and to His Greatness, all things are humbled. The fear of being questioned about every little thing in life; the fear of the bridge (over Hell) and its sharpness; the fear of the fire, its chains, and its torment. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ
“Only those who fear Allah among His servants are those with knowledge. Verily, Allah is Almighty and Forgiving.” (Surah Al-Fatir 35:28)
Since Allah is the decision-maker, every happening is in favour of the believers: because everything has been planned for the benefit of religion and the hereafter of the believers. For that reason, believers trust and rely only on Allah. That makes the believer emit radiance wherever he is, with his luminous face, light, and morals.
