Fear: By following our baser desires we would begin to fear unnecessarily.
With the name of Allah most Beneficient ever Merciful
Fear is something that is within our minds and it is therefore something within our control. Fear is linked to what we attach ourselves to. If we attach ourselves to life then we would always fear death, if we attach ourselves to wealth then we would fear poverty. If we attach ourselves to looking good and having more than others then we would always fear having less than others and being second class.
The Prophet ﷺ has said: “Whoever is worldly, Allah keeps up his poverty before his eyes.” Al Hadis 1:4:31:176w.
In this way whatever we attach ourselves to is what enslaves us because we have to take steps to protect our interests. On the contrary, these things that we care so much about do not care for us at all.
They can never reciprocate our love. Islam teaches that we should love Allah Subhanatallah and His Messengers. Such attachments bear fruits for they will love you in turn. When we love Allah Subhanatallah and His Messengers then we would be rightly enslaved to them and they would in turn care for us.
Loving Allah Subhanatallah and His Messengers sets us free from all other bandages and therefore all other fears. Being enslaved to Allah Subhanatallah is actually empowering.
The Prophet ﷺ has said: “Everything fears one who fears Allah and Allah makes one who is not fearful of Allah to fear everything other than Allah.” Ihya Uloom-id-din.
Wow! This Hadith is great. It is the cure for our fears. If we fear Allah then we believe in “taqdeer”. What is to happen will come to pass no matter what we do to prevent it.
“Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed.” Al Quran Sura At Tauba 9:50
If we are to be murdered–so what? Billions of people have been murdered through the passage of time, millions are facing starvation at present and everyone has to eventually die. No matter what we do to protect our families and our wealth, death will soon relieve us of it. We will take nothing to the grave.
When we realize that the life of this world and its goods is temporal then we would never attach ourselves to it or fear losing it.
“Be sure that We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of you toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Who say when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah do we belong and to Him is our return” They are those on whom (descend) the blessings from their Lord. And Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.” Al Quran 2:155.
When you love and fear Allah Subhanatallah and His Messengers then there are so many other boons that would be bestowed upon you. You would be bestowed with guidance and favor. “For those who fear their Lord there is guidance and favor” Al Qur’an 7:154
You will be short of nothing. You would have such honor that even angles would respect you. “The most honorable of you is one who is the most God Fearing.” Al Quran 49:13
Apart from bringing us good in this world, controlling our fears for worldly things and developing fear for Allah Subhanatallah and His Messengers would bring us favor in the next world as well. The Prophet ﷺ has said in a hadis a Quadsie: “Allah says: By My Honor, I will not place two fears and two securities on my servants. If he lives without fearing Me in this world, I will throw him in fear in the next world. If he fears Me in this world, I will make him free from fear in the next world.” Ihya Uloom id Deen.
As we discussed earlier – All fears stem from love and attachment. When we Love Allah Subhanatallah then we would fear displeasing Him. This fear is different to other fears that we have. The Saint Zun Nun (RA) describes this fear thus: “The fear of hell is like a drop of water when compared with the fear of separation from Allah.” This fear is not so much about His wrath but it is about not being with Him. It stems from love.
Fear of Allah Subhanatallah comes from loving Him and learning about Him and it results in wisdom. “The learned out of his servants fear Allah the most” Al Qur’an 35:28
The Prophet ﷺ has said “Fear for Allah is the root of all wisdom” Ihya Ulm id deen.
Therefore we must strive for religious knowledge and guidance and make this our greatest concern. “Say: If it be that you fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your family: the wealth that you have gained: the commerce in which you fear a decline: or the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, or the striving in His cause:…” Al Quran Sura At Tauba 9:24
The irony of fear is that those that fear Allah Subhanatallah actually become masters of the fears that worldly people have. Wealth, eternal life, power etc are actually chasing them. Those that fear the worldly things will sooner or later have to succumb to their fears and still face the wrath of Allah Subhanatallah. Their fears do not help them in their worldly life and in the eternal life.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi 2013. Author: Mohammad Hassan Gaffoor. WhatsApp: +27 84 910 1486