Quranic Verses on the Fear of God
The fear of God represents true security in this life and the hereafter. When a servant fears Allah, the Exalted, they turn to Him in acknowledgment of their need for His support. This fear of Allah is a source of strength, while distancing oneself from Him leads to weakness, defeat, and downfall. Below are some Quranic verses that emphasize the fear and reverence of God:
- Allah, the Exalted, says: (And for whoever fears the position of his Lord are two gardens.)
- Allah, the Exalted, says: (O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the trembling of the Hour is a tremendous thing.)
- Allah, the Exalted, says: (The mosques of Allah are only to be inhabited by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give zakah and do not fear except Allah. For it is expected that those will be among the rightly guided.)
- Allah, the Exalted, says: (O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you, and fulfill My covenant, I will fulfill your covenant, and Me alone fear.)
- Allah, the Exalted, says: (Satan only frightens his allies. So do not fear them, but fear Me if you are indeed believers.)
Prophetic Sayings on the Fear of God
There are several sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the fear of Allah, including:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: (Seven are shaded by Allah in His shade on a day when there is no shade except His: A just ruler, a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, a man whose heart is attached to the mosques, two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that.)
(And a man who was called by a woman of high status and beauty, but he said: “I fear Allah,” and a man who gives in charity and conceals it until his left hand does not know what his right hand has spent, and a man who remembers Allah while he is alone, and his eyes overflow with tears.)
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) remarked: (No one who weeps out of fear of Allah will enter the Fire until milk returns to the udder, nor will dust from Allah’s path and the smoke of Hell coexist.)
Thoughts on the Fear of God
Many righteous individuals have expressed profound thoughts on the fear of Allah, including:
- Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The more a servant knows about Allah, the more they will fear Him.”
- Ibn Mas’ud stated: “The fear of Allah is sufficient knowledge. The decrease in the fear of Allah is due to a decrease in the servant’s understanding of Him. The most knowledgeable individuals fear Allah the most. Whoever knows Allah well will be filled with shame, fear, and love for Him; and the more they increase in knowledge, the greater their humility, fear, and love become.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) elaborated: “The praiseworthy fear is that which prevents its owner from violating the prohibitions of Allah. When one exceeds that, there arises the fear of hopelessness and despair.” Abu Uthman remarked: “True fear is the abstaining from sins both outwardly and inwardly.” I heard Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah sanctify his soul) say: “The praiseworthy fear is that which prevents you from the prohibitions of Allah.”
- Al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) noted: “Fear of Allah may arise from knowledge of Allah and His attributes, knowing that if He were to destroy the worlds, it would not matter to Him and that no one could stand against Him. At other times, it may stem from the abundance of the servant’s sinfulness due to committing wrongs. Or it can arise from both of these aspects simultaneously, according to the servant’s understanding of their own shortcomings and their knowledge of Allah’s greatness and self-sufficiency. Therefore, the most fearful of people towards their Lord are those who know themselves and their Lord the best.”