FEAR

Fear is to be frightened and is a result of expecting something which will bring about destruction, harm or injury, and Allaah, the one free of all imperfections and the Most High, forbade having fear of the allies of the Satan, and He commanded fear of Himself alone. Fear is of three types:

TYPES OF FEAR:

1.     This fear is a form of worship, glorification and inner fear.

It is the fear of the worshiper for the one s/he worships. It is done with submission to, humbling one’s self for, and glorifying the one worshipped. Allah must be feared in this manner and it is Major Shirk if done for other than Allah. 

فَـلَا تَخَافُوْہُمْ وَ خَافُوْنِ اِنْ کُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِیْنَ

«Do not fear them but fear Me, if you are believers»

Qur’an (3:175)

2. Natural Fear :

Natural fear, such as a person’s fear of predatory animals, fire, or drowning. This is something for which a person is not to be blamed. Allaah, the Most High, said about Moosaa,

فَاَصْبَحَ فِی الْمَدِیْنَۃِ خَآئِفًا یَّتَرَقَّبُ

“So he entered in the morning in Pharaoh’s city in a state of fear, awaiting events.“

[Soorah al-Qasas (28): 18]

3. Prohibited fear: 

Losing hope in the mercy of Allah or obeying a created being while disobeying the Creator. This is prohibited;

However if this fear is, as mentioned by the author, a cause of his leaving an obligation or doing something forbidden, then it is forbidden. Since whatever causes an obligation to be abandoned, or causes something forbidden to be done is itself forbidden (haraam). The evidence here is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, “So do not fear them, but fear Me and beware of disobeying Me, if you are truly Believers.”

[Soorah Aal-‘Imraan (3):175]

Furthermore fear of Allah, the Most High, is sometimes something praiseworthy, and is sometimes something that is not praiseworthy. It is praiseworthy when it prevents you from being disobedient to Allaah, and causes you to fulfil the obligatory duties and to avoid what is forbidden. So if this goal is reached, then the heart settles and is at peace, and is dominated by joy at the blessings of Allaah and hope for His reward.

It is something that is not praiseworthy when it causes a person to despair of Allah’s Mercy and to give up hope altogether. In such a case the person will give up and may continue in sin due to the fact that he totally gives up hope. 

فَـلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَ اخْشَوْنِ

“And they were witnesses thereto. So do not fear the people but fear Me”

[SURAH MAI’DAH:05]

Fearing Allah, may He be exalted, by doing acts of obedience and worship,

Fearing Allah, may He be exalted, by doing acts of obedience and worship, and refraining from evil deeds and prohibited things This will instil fear in the heart and revive hearts after they had been (spiritually) dead; it will fill them with love of Allah, the desire to seek His pleasure, and fear of His wrath.

 Respecting the sacred limits of Allah

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

” The level of fear that is praiseworthy and appropriate is that which prevents a person from transgressing the sacred limits of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted; if the fear passes that limit, there is the risk that it will led to despair and despondency.”

 Abu ‘Uthmaan said:

“True fear is that which makes a person refrain from sins both outward and inward.”

 I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah sanctify his soul) say:

“Praiseworthy fear is that which keeps you from transgressing the sacred limits of Allah.”

{ End quote from Madaarij as-Saalikeen (1/510) ·}

 Knowing Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, by His names and attributes

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The more a person knows of Allah, the more he will fear Him.”

 Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“Fear of Allah is sufficient indication of knowledge. Lack of fear of Allah is due to a person’s lack of knowledge of Him. The most knowledgeable of people are those who fear Allah the most. If a person knows Allah, he will feel more shy before Him, will fear Him more and love Him more. The more his knowledge increases, the more his shyness, fear and love of Him increase.”

 End quote from Tareeq al-Hijratayn (p. 283)

Fear of Allah, may He be exalted, may be the result of knowing Allah, may He be exalted, and knowing His attributes, and that if He wanted to destroy all of creation, He could do so, and no one could prevent Him from doing that. Or it may be due to one’s committing sins. And it may be both, and the more a person is aware of his own faults and the more He recognises the majesty of Allah, may He be exalted, and that He is completely self-sufficient, the more he will fear Him. The one who fears his Lord the most is the one who knows himself and his Lord best. 

End quote from Ihya’ ‘Uloom ad-Deen (4/155).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

 Fear (of Allah) stems from three things:

  1. Being aware of one’s offence and how abhorrent it is

 2. Believing the warning, and that Allah has prescribed the punishment for the sin.

 3. Remembering that one does not know: perhaps one will be prevented from repenting, and something may bar one from doing so if one commits the sin.

By means of these three things, fear of Allah will be instilled, and depending on how strong or weak they are, one’s fear of Allah will be stronger or weaker. What pushes a person to commit sin is either his lack of knowledge of its abhorrent nature, or his lack of knowledge of its evil consequences, or both factors are present, but what pushes him to do it is the fact that he is relying on the idea of repenting (at some future time). This is usually the case with regard to sins committed by believers. But if a person is aware of the abhorrent nature of the sin and of its evil consequences, and he is afraid that the gate of repentance may not be opened to him – rather he may be prevented from repenting – then his fear will be greater.  This applies before committing the sin. If he does commit it, then his fear will be even greater. To sum up, if a person constantly remembers the hereafter and its requital, and he remembers sin and the warning of punishment for it, and that there is no guarantee that he will be able to repent sincerely, then this will instil fear in his heart that he will have no control over, and this fear will remain in his heart until he is safe. 

 End quote from Tareeq al-Hijratayn (p. 283) 

REFRENCES:

[1] BOOK: “THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES”

By the Noble Shaykh: “MUHAMMAD IBN SAALIH AL UTHAYMEEN”

 

[2] BOOK: “THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES”

EXPLANATION BY “Sheikh Haytham ibn Muhammad sarhan”

Teacher at the prophet’s mosque.

 

[3] https://islamqa.info/en/answers/220547/how-can-we-fear-allah-may-he-be-glorified-and-exalted