Reasons for Fear of God – Golden Article

Reasons for the Fear of God

There are numerous reasons that motivate a Muslim to fear God Almighty. These include:

Fear of missing repentance and dying before achieving it, as well as concern for inadequacies in serving God and being preoccupied with worldly distractions.
Apprehension about committing sins and worries about a bad ending.
Remembrance of the grave and its terrors, as well as the Day of Judgment and its severity.
Fear of rejection, as stated in the verse: “Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous.” Additionally, there is fear of hypocrisy and being forsaken in acts of obedience.
Consciousness of God’s greatness and majesty, combined with fear of His punishment and what He has decreed for the disobedient in this life and the hereafter.
Understanding and knowledge of God and His attributes; as numerous texts indicate that knowledge of God leads to reverence for Him. For example, Allah says: “Only those who have knowledge among His servants fear Allah.”
Awareness of God’s might and the types of punishment prepared for wrongdoers, alongside understanding His grace, mercy, and immense rewards, which encourage Muslims to refrain from sins and engage in righteous deeds. Allah has conveyed, “Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful, and that My punishment is indeed the painful punishment.” Those who firmly believe in the existence of reward and punishment on the Day of Judgment fear accountability, which compels them towards good works and submission to their Creator.

The fear of God brings many benefits to Muslims in this life, including:

Empowerment in the land and an increase in faith and tranquility, as stated in the Quran: “And those who disbelieved said to their messengers, ‘We will surely drive you out of our land or you must return to our religion.’ And their Lord inspired them, ‘We will surely destroy the wrongdoers and cause you to dwell in the land after them. That is for whoever fears My position and fears My threat.’
Inspiration to perform good deeds without seeking reward or appreciation from others, instead dedicating it solely to God, as stated: “We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we wish not from you reward or gratitude. Indeed, we fear from our Lord a Day of distress and calamity.”
Completeness of faith, soundness in Islam, and purity of heart and soul.
Guidance of the heart, distancing oneself from sins, and cultivating good character traits.
Attaining guidance, mercy, approval, and knowledge from Allah, as mentioned: “Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with Him; that is for whoever feared his Lord.”

Apart from the worldly benefits, there are numerous rewards that a believer gains in the hereafter when they fear their Lord, including:

Shade beneath the Throne of God on the Day of Judgment; the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned that among the seven kinds of people whom Allah will shade on that day is a man who was approached by a woman of high status and beauty, and he responded: “I fear Allah.”
Forgiveness of sins and entrance into Paradise, as indicated: “And for whoever feared the position of his Lord are two gardens.”
Safety from the greatest fright and rescue from the Hellfire on the Day of Judgment.

The fear of God can be categorized into several levels, which are as follows:

The fear of His punishment, which is a general fear among people that arises from belief in paradise and hell; this fear wanes with diminished faith or negligence. This is the level of beginners.
The fear of God, which characterizes the scholars; the awe of Allah necessitates reverence and fear of Him. This represents the level of the confirmed believers, and the more a Muslim knows about their Creator, the greater their fear and reverence will be.