Fear elements may have saved you much trouble. We ask Allah to beautify our manners with kindness and to protect us from falling into harshness. If a believer does not properly fear Allah, he may behave arrogantly, be selfish or proud or watch out for his interests. If he does not properly fear Allah, he may lack the strength within himself. 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.” (Surat Ali Imran 3:173)

He is the only Protector. What a believer should do is to behave as Allah wants him to: fulfilling his responsibilities but waiting to see the result, believing that it has already been planned by Allah. He may be overcome by his lower self and offend others. Allah says:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Say: If you love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins, for Allah is forgiving and merciful.” (Surah Ali Imran 3:31)

To be humble when he is in the right, to eliminate evil through good, to speak well at all times and to behave virtuously. In this regard, the Prophets (PBUH) set an example on fear of Allah as His Lord described him in His Holy Book.

Here are some reasons for the signs of fear of Allah in Islam:

1. The fear of Allah revealing one’s secret in one’s state of oblivion
2. The fear of losing one’s softness in the heart and its hardening
3. The fear of the questions of Munkar and Nakir in the grave
4. The fear of Allah doing good deeds because of conceit
5. The fear of being punished early (i.e. in this world)
6. The fear of being disgraced at the time of death
7. The fear of not living up to one’s repentance
8. The fear of allowing temptations to dominate
9. The fear of Allah make one’s self-responsible 
10. The fear of Allah is to save oneself from anything
11. The fear of being beguiled by the glitter of this world
12. The fear of being distracted from Allah by other creation
13. The fear of being questioned about every little thing in life
14. The fear of being stamped with a bad death at the time of death
15. The fear of being led to an evil ending through excessive bounties

أَأَمِنتُم مَّن فِي السَّمَاءِ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَمُورُ

“Do you feel secure that He who is in heaven would not cause the earth to swallow you and suddenly it would sway?” (Surat Al-Mulk 67:16)

Love is the driving force for humans to make any forward movement toward a goal that involves the heart. This love can be driven by physical, mental and spiritual elements. The love for God starts on a mental level and it is further elevated to the spiritual level by proper nurturing and practices. Islam teaches this through the best manual – the Quran. Allah says:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins. Verily, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)

Fear rips away desires and middens luxuries so that cherished sins become reprehensible, just as a honey lover is repelled by it when he learns that it has poison in it. This is how fear burns desires; disciplines the organs; subordinates the heart and gives it tranquillity.

Fear Allah or are oblivious of Him through some simple tests:

• We should replace jealousy with well-wishing and care for Muslims
• We should engage our tongues in the remembrance of Allah
• We don’t perform them for anyone else except Allah
• We should be concerned about the good deeds
• We should expel hatred, enmity in the heart
• We should not walk towards haram places
• We should not wander off to look at haram objects
• We should not extend our hands for haram purposes
• We should be careful about what we put in our stomachs
• We should recitation of the Qur’an and in circles of knowledge
• We engage in frivolous gossip, it shows that there is very little concern

Great depth will be reflected in all the actions, speech, expressions of a believer who feels love and fear of Allah in his heart. With his immaculate moral values, deep love of Allah and all His creations, with his love, cleanliness, sincerity, kindness and unshakable faith in Allah, our Prophet (PBUH) is a role model for all believers. Allah says:

الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا

“Wealth and children are the only adornments of the worldly life, but enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for one’s hope.” (Surah Al-Kahf 18:46)

Fear of Allah causes a reduction of sin and man’s wakefulness and vigilance and is itself a cause of warning against negligence in man at the time of deviation and error. It is for this reason that the fearful and dreadful of Allah have been praised and a promise of reward has been promised for fear of Allah. Allah says:

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

“They arise from their beds and they supplicate their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend from what We have provided them.” (Surah As-Sajda 32:16)

Train your tongue to praise and remember Him often no matter where you are and what you are doing to the point where it becomes a habit. But do not become a repeating machine. He has power over all, so remember him in behaviour and awe and humble yourself over His greatness and majesty.

The Fear Of Allah in The Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:

• “Verily, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.” (Quran 3:159)
• The fear of remembering Allah Often, Allah says, “O ye who believe, remember Allah much. And glorify Him morning and evening.” (Quran 33:41-2)
• The fear of showing off, for Allah says, “They have been instructed to worship Allah sincerely; religion is for Him Alone. “ (Quran 98:5)
• The fear of preserving the good deed because Allah says, “Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times its reward. “ (Quran 6:161)
• The fear of being deserted in performing good deeds, for Allah says, “My reconciliation (with good) is only through Allah; it is upon Him that I trust and it is to Him that I resort.” (Quran11:88)
• The fear of not being accepted because Allah says, “Allah only accepts from those who fear.” (Quran 5:27)

Fearing Allah becomes an honourable state of a worshipper which will lead him to a much higher state than the ordinary person. The believers should be aware of this big reality, therefore they should never act as those who deny it. Having understood that life is just “watching the destiny”, they should never get disappointed or afraid of anything, they should be confident and patient. Allah says:

إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا وَأَكِيدُ كَيْدًا فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا

“Verily, they are planning a plan and I am planning a plan. So give respite to the unbelievers, deal gently with them for a while.” (At-Tariq 86:15-17)

The fear of Allah revealing one’s secret in one’s state of oblivion; the fear of being stamped with a bad death at the time of death; the fear of the pangs of death; the fear of the questions of Munkar and Nakeer in the grave. In any case, the level of the derivation of pleasure is related to the standard of knowledge and affection and love of an individual to Allah. 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)

So, their consciousness of Allah, makes their hearts so soft and become in full submission at the recitation of His words. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his pure blessed family and companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment. May Allah enable us to see the Truth and practise Islam in the real sense of the word. Ameen.