INTRODUCTION

At this point, you are not alone in the room where you are reading this website. Even at times when you think you are alone you have never really been alone. Allah's appointed angels are constantly monitoring and inscribing everything that you do. The moment you say a word they write it down. Your every step, every thought, everything that you do, including obligations which have been postponed, are all recorded without omission.
These angels do not discriminate between minor or major actions. Even when you are asleep they are constantly with you. They fulfil their obligations without error. They are never forgetful or erroneous, they carry out their task faultlessly. By the same token, your appointed angels of death are also waiting. What are they waiting for? For your predestined time to be fulfilled. When your appointed time of death reaches you, it is they who will take delivery of your soul.
As well as these, there are other witnesses which we have not yet mentioned, the ones you do not think about, these are your secret witnesses; your hands and skin. On the Day of Judgment, all these witnesses will congregate, and with Allah's permission they will speak and give their testimony about you. If you happen to be one of those who did not fear Allah, or if you were not a cautious person they will, testify against you.
Humanity has been created to worship Allah and is constantly being tested. A person's temporal existence on average is about sixty years, it is not much time before one is eventually brought before Allah to give account for every second of one's life. When everyone learns of what they have earned on Earth through the evidence provided by these witnesses, Allah will then decide on the kind of eternal life appropriate for them. If a person possesses good deeds he will be given his Book in his right hand and that person will be eternally saved. However, if he is among those whose Books are given in their left hands, he will then say:

… If only I had not been given my Book and had not known about my Reckoning! If only death had really been the end! My wealth has been of no use to me. My power has vanished. (Surat al-Haqqa: 25-29)

From here on he will be apprehended, dragged facedown and taken to Hell, never to be released.
The reason behind this terrible end, is that people never imagined that their every action would be recorded and would one day be revealed and accounted for, hence they passed their lives carelessly without fearing Allah or His warnings. A person such as this who does not possess a definite form of belief in the Hereafter, in the Day of Judgment or in a terrorizing place of punishment for wrong actions and careless behavior, like Hell, will not mind ignoring Allah's boundaries.
This is why fear of Allah is a very strong indicator of faith in Allah and an important indicator of what to expect in the eternal Hereafter. The only way to safety is founded upon fearful awareness of Allah and scrupulous caution.
The Day of Judgment is a fearsome reality to be reflected upon with awe so that it becomes impossible to remain unaffected by it. However, this fear is only applicable to people of faith and is a particular type of fear because Allah has described what will happen on the Day of Judgment in numerous Qur'anic verses; the scribes, witnesses and the enormous congregation of people. This is an absolute certainty, which is unconditionally accepted by true believers who are fearful of facing such a terrifying ordeal.
Everything you do is immediately recorded, even as you are reading this website. You are fast approaching the day when you will be called by Allah to account for your actions. So we hope to be amongst those who have earned Allah's pleasure through fearful awareness of Him:

... Take provision; but the best provision is taqwa of Allah. So have taqwa of Me, people of intelligence! (Surat al-Baqara: 197)

(Taqwa means consciousness, awe or fear of Allah, which inspires a person to be on guard against wrong action and eager for actions which please Him. In this website, it will be translated as "fearing Allah" or "guarding against evil" or "righteousness" according to the context.)

ALLAH COMMANDS IN THE QUR'AN THAT HE BE FEARED

Fearing Allah is not, as assumed by some people, an exclusive trait of prophets and those who are especially near to Him but rather it is a feeling carried within the hearts of all believers, and a feeling that should be held by all humanity. Allah's command in the Qur'an is clear:

You who believe! Fear Allah and let each self look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Hashr: 18)

Allah is not the kind of fear some people assume it to be. It is the meticulous avoidance by a believer, who loves Allah very much, who has wholeheartedly submitted himself to Allah and who does not take any friends and guardians other than Him, of the kind of attitude and morality with which Allah will not be pleased, asking and striving for His mercy and good pleasure.

Our Prophet (saws) also called attention to this issue in many of his sayings, reminding the believers always to fear Allah:

"Fear Allah wherever you are; if you follow an evil deed with a good one you will obliterate it; and deal with people with a good disposition." (Tirmidhi)

Allah has created all humanity and knows them better than they know themselves. He knows what everybody keeps secret even within the most secret of secret recesses of their beings. He is very well aware of the types of misgivings the soul experiences and types of games that will be played out by the self because He is the Creator of every soul and has given it boundless ability to do evil, and inspiration to avoid such evil so that it may be justly tried. Allah has also created satan as part of this test and has granted him a set of specific qualities to be used in the pursuit of his objective.

It is for this reason that a believer's greatest support in life's trial is fear of Allah because this will enable a person to behave as Allah requires, to work towards pleasing Allah, to protect oneself from the temptations of satan and the lower self with awareness of and resistance to their stratagems and games. Such a disposition does not suit satan's attempts to manipulate the limitless desires of a person's lower self.

It is for this reason that a person's lower self, with satan's encouragement, will before all else try to distance him from fearing Allah. They will want to introduce distractions which turn people away from fearing Allah and caution with respect to Him by falsely suggesting that this is unnecessary or even incorrect and that love of Allah and possessing a pure heart is what really matters. However, a conscientious reciter of the Qur'an will see with ease that suggestions such as these have no realistic basis, and that they contain a totally deviant and deceptive objective, because Allah has commanded believers to fear him in the Qur'an in the clearest form possible:

... Fear Allah and know that Allah is fierce in retribution. (Surat al-Baqara: 196)

... So fear Allah. And know that you will be gathered back to Him. (Surat al-Baqara: 203)

... Fear Allah and know that Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Baqara: 231)

... Fear Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara: 233)

You who believe! Fear Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 35)

As in the case regarding every other subject a believer will unreservedly and unconditionally strive to fulfill this command of Allah. Unlike those who are unaware of the Qur'an and who question the necessity or relevance of fearing Allah, they are not misled by the suggestions and promptings of satan which give rise to confusing anxieties as to why a person who loves Allah should fear him. While the five daily prayers and fasting are obligatory practices to be fulfilled in the best possible manner, fear of Allah is an essential spiritual state which the believer must strive with sincerity to engender within himself. Together with this, Allah has revealed in detail in the Qur'an the divine wisdom as to why man should fear Him.

Our Prophet (saas) says this about his fear of Allah in one hadith:

Our Lord has commanded me nine things: To fear Allah both openly and secretly, to speak justly in anger and in consent, to be economical in wealth and in poverty, to be friends with those who abandon me, to give to those who deprive me, to forgive those who oppress me, to reflect when silent and repeat the names of Allah when I speak, for my glance to be an examplary and for me to command what is good and true. (Qutbi Sitte, Concise Translation and Explanation, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 16, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 317)

What should the fear of Allah be like?

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Ekin TV
(March 2nd, 2009)

The fear of Allah is like the fear of a crazed lover who refrains from displeasing Allah, who fears to be deprived of Allah's consent.  A lover refrains from displeasing the beloved because he fears that this will destroy their love: this is what the fear of Allah is like. There is no other meaning in this. He may go to Hell and burn in its fire but what in fact makes him uncomfortable is his inability to express his love for Allah. So, this is how Allah tells the lover what the lover needs.  If a person has a deep fear of  Allah, he will be very meticulous to obey His commands; he will love Him and behave very respectfully. For example, he will not be self-centered and selfish, but compassionate and caring.  He will not give in to his lower-self or seek his own ends, but he will be forgiving; he will fear Allah and be forgiving to others. For instance forgiveness is a force that fosters love, compassion is a force that fosters love. For the sake of Allah's approval you take care of your beloved, take pains about what he eats and drinks and about the exercises that person should do. This is all a manifestation of one's love for Allah. But the person who does not fear Allah becomes self-centered and selfish, thinking only of himself; he becomes unforgiving and reacts harshly when his own interests are at stake. For instance such person would be skeptical, self-centered; he would be not generous and would not be able to put his life for Allah when he should. That is to say, lots of negative attitudes piles up on him. But in the case of fear of Allah, every sort of goodness comes upon him; that is to say every sort of goodness that ensures love and beauty fits perfectly on fear of Allah.

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Cay TV
(March 18th, 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: A devout Muslim fears Allah and never behaves improperly in respect of courtesy towards Him. He speaks in perfect respect. We are beings who may die any second. We are the manifestations of Allah and Allah makes us speak in a tiny space and shows us images.

… If a person has lots of faith and fears Allah much, he doesn't even feel sleepy because of the joy he experiences. I mean he bursts with joy: the joy of Paradise, the joy of knowing that moral values of Islam will prevail the world, the joy of seeing that the words of blessed people come true, the joy of good morals, there are so many joys to experience, the joy of the blessings given by Allah. But above all else, there is the joy of Allah's existence, I mean we all are under the control of an endless power. That is such a great blessing, praise be to Allah! Let people experience these joys. Of course, as a result of this, such a person becomes lively, vivacious but this is not the purpose.  That is a blessing of Allah upon us for having done such beautiful deeds.

FEARING ALLAH AS DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN

You who believe! Fear Allah the way He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims. (Surah Al 'Imran: 102)

The verse "fear Allah the way He should be feared" proclaims a subject which has been treated in the Qur'an in the most open and detailed manner. What form of fear, what level of spiritual state, and the severity of the injunction have all been individually expounded in Allah's verses. Without doubt, it is one of the most important objectives of Qur'anic revelation:

This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they may be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence will pay heed. (Surah Ibrahim: 52)

Now we will see how Allah should be feared through the verses of the Qur'an.

How does fear of Allah increase?

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Interview On Denge TV
(December 9th , 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: The fear of Allah does not develop without rhyme and reason. There are causes for its development: for instance being generous, helping the poor are things that help increasing one's fear of Allah. Postponing a poor person's debt or clearing it off completely are singled out in the Qur'an as a moral quality. If these are done, and  the Qur'an is read and the depths of the Qur'an is comprehended, people's trust in Allah will develop. Trust in Allah brings blessings and inner peace. For example, trees put their trusts in Allah; He gives them sustenance where they are; while wolves and foxes do not have this trust in Allah and so they always wander in the mountains in hunger; they go for days without food because they are greedy. Not putting trust in Allah does not befit a human being; a human being should submit to Allah, recognize that his sustenance comes from Allah and banish this panic and stress completely from his mind.

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Cay TV
(January 19th, 2009)   

ADNAN OKTAR: When a deep thinking person decides to consider, he will use the great blessing that Allah has given him—sincerity. And he will use his conscience. When he sincerely considers the structure of a cell or the life of a mosquito, for example, he sees an exciting structure that takes his breath away. When we look into a cell, again it takes our breath away. A human cell is just like a city. It reminds you of Istanbul. It has a structure like that. It amazes us. Being amazed by it increases our fear of Allah. When our fear of Allah grows, our carefulness about Islam, the path Allah has shown us, also grows. And we attain moral perfection.

To fear Allah to the best of one's ability

So fear Allah, as much as you are able to, and listen and obey… (Surat at-Taghabun: 16)

In the Qur'an, Allah has explained in detail to humankind His eternal might, majesty and superiority, as well as the severe punishment He has prepared for those who have rebelled against Him. With this in mind one is expected to reflect profoundly on these realities with sincerity, and both one's intentions and actions should reflect an informed attitude towards them. This must be attempted actively, as indicated in the Qur'anic verse, to the best of one's ability. That is to say, one must appreciate Allah's might to the best of one's ability, and be mindful of His warnings of eternal punishment in Hell. In this way; fear of Allah will become a natural reality in one's heart. Similarly, a believer should, to the best of his ability, be fearful and cautious about not fulfilling obligatory worship as described in the Qur'an, as well as committing unlawful acts, because the things to be fearful and cautious about have also been explained in detail in the Qur'an:

In this way We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an and explained therein in detail some of the warnings so that hopefully they will guard against evil or it will spur them into remembrance. (Surah Ta Ha: 113)

Here is another very important point to be clarified: fear of Allah is not a feeling which can only be achieved by going through numerous and difficult spiritual stations. On the contrary, it is a deepfelt sensation inevitably felt by anyone who reflects with an open mind. A person wishing to possess a true fear of Allah could achieve this through one sincere act of reflection. That is to say, a person who reflects even for a second about death and the consequences to be faced after death can develop this combined sense of fear, awe and respect. This is entirely dependant on the person's insight and their capacity for sincerity.

Fearing Allah in the unseen

To avoid confusion with other earthly fears, Allah has also described in the Qur'an the emotions and state of spirituality of a believer who fears Allah. A believer's fear of Allah is a fear that does not resemble any other fear; this fear is extremely deep and full of awe. This type of fear is unlike other fears and is not intended to give rise to pain and discomfort. Quite the opposite, it reminds people of their humility and servitude to Allah and opens and broadens the awareness and the intellect. This fear enables a person to attain a very high level of upright conduct.
This fear will increase a believer's ardent desire for the Hereafter and incite hope and eagerness. Fear of Allah also increases many times over a believer's closeness to and love of Allah;it is an essential feeling which allows the experience of great spiritual pleasures. The Qur'an makes mention in many verses of the deep awe that believers possess:

Those who fear their Lord in the Unseen will have forgiveness and an immense reward. (Surat al-Mulk: 12)

[People of intelligence are] …afraid of their Lord and fear an evil Reckoning. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 21)

[The Garden is for] those who fear the All-Merciful in the Unseen and come with a contrite heart. (Surah Qaf: 33)

[Prophets are] those who convey Allah's Message and fear Him and do not anyone but Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat al-Ahzab: 39)

Feeling hope with fear

Although a believer fears Allah, he should never forget Allah's compassion, mercy and forgiveness, or that He is the One Who due to His generosity accepts repentance. This will in turn be the reason for possessing a sincere sense of hope, whilst experiencing genuine fear. A deep fear of Allah will give rise to a profound level of reflection on these attributes of Allah, enabling Allah's superiority and greatness to be even more keenly appreciated, resulting in a greater closeness to Allah. One will acquire a greater perception of Allah's mercy, His grace and His immense forgivingness.
Therefore, a true believer will turn and supplicate to Allah in a spiritual state full of fear and hope:

Their sides eschew their beds as they call on their Lord in fear and ardent hope. And they give of what We have provided for them. (Surat as-Sajda: 16)

This is an indication that fear of Allah has never been a feeling to cause hopelessness and pessimism. In many verses of the Qur'an it is declared that a Muslim should be in a constant state of hopefulness:

Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. Allah's mercy is close to the good-doers. (Surat al-A'raf: 56)

Say: "My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." (Surat az-Zumar: 53)

On the other hand, hopelessness is a characteristic of disbelievers, which is also indicated in various Qur'anic verses:

Those who reject Allah's Signs and the meeting with Him, such people can despair of My mercy, such people will have a painful punishment. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 23)

You who believe! Do not make friends of people with whom Allah is angry, who have despaired of the Hereafter as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves. (Surat al-Mumtahana: 13)

The true source of peace and happiness is the fear and love of Allah

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kral
Karadeniz TV (January 16th, 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Happiness comes from the love and fear of Allah. Without this the human heart cannot find peace. Allah has made this clear. I take shelter in Allah from satan, Allah states that "hearts find peace only in the remembrance of Allah." A person cannot be happy in any other way. 

The traits the fear of Allah bring about in Muslims

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kral
Karadeniz TV (March 30th, 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Yes. The fear of Allah is the most important force that directs our activities and all our characteristics with regard to having good morals. For instance without the fear of Allah, a person may not feel the need to be patient or be able to endure hardship. He may not forgive. He may not use his will in many instances. He may say, "Allah will forgive me anyways." This rationale is also stated in the Qur'an as you know; he may say, "In any case I will go to Heaven". But with the fear of Allah, everything is brought under control. For example, he may not wake up for the morning prayers, or fast, or make any sacrifices for his loved ones... These are the foundation of love and passion; without them all of these (concepts) are demolished. That person becomes utterly empty. With the fear of Allah, a person develops wonderful details. That is to say, he gains traits like diligence and honesty. With the fear of Allah, for instance, a person tells the truth. Without the fear of Allah, a person may easily tell lies for his own gain.

INTERVIEWER: That's what is going on today.

ADNAN OKTAR: Of course, the fear of Allah is at the root of honesty. A person tells the truth because he fears Allah. For instance such person is a truthful witness. The fear of Allah prevents various dissension, depravity, tumult and the anarchy in the individual's soul. It allows us to take much more pleasure from Heaven. Without it, a person is beset by a stiff dullness.

WHY DO BELIEVERS FEAR ALLAH?

To understand why believers fear Allah, it is very important to understand that fear of Allah is a feeling which incites a believer's faith, eagerness, love and respect for Allah. This fear guards a person against adopting attitudes which Allah does not approve, curbs the overflowing desires of the self and reigns in boundless evils. When experienced from a positive perspective, this fear gives constant rise to good actions and attitudes.
This fear distances the believer from Allah's punishment, and draws him towards Allah's pleasure and mercy, which results in great spiritual satisfaction. It inspires in a believer the need to respect Allah's boundaries, gives him an uncompromising determination in seeking Allah's approval and a constant vigilance. Subsequently, the fear of a believer in this world will save him from the fear of the Last Day and the eternal fear and terror of Hell. A Qur'anic verse declares:

Those who give away their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 274)

Believers who fear Allah's warnings and punishment and who adhere with absolute vigilance to His order and judgment will possess a superior morality, which Allah approves of: modesty, tolerance, thoughtfulness, devotion, a pure intellect and a deep awareness of the surpassing excellence of Allah's creation. Such people will display exemplary conduct and possess a high awareness and great sensibility. In essence, fear of Allah spiritually enriches the believer. It increases their inner sight, and engenders a noble spiritual state enhanced by subtle intimations of divine wisdom; it is the key to eternal reward and happiness.

They fear Allah's Majesty

A believer who has an awareness of Allah as described in the Qur'an and who sincerely reflects on His attributes will immediately begin to experience that inner awe that is due to Allah's Majesty and superiority. Allah's majesty, vastness and infinite power will create within the believer a fear full of absolute awe and amazement.

This fear is a natural fear, which grows in the heart of a believer who is conscious of Allah's high and Majesty. The levels of this fear will increase in proportion to the depth of a person's faith and capacity for reflection. This kind of fear is referred to in the Qur'an as hashyat (to fear with awe).

Allah is the possessor of infinite strength, infinite knowledge and possesses infinite wisdom. He does what He wills when He wills. He will not be questioned about what He does, but He will question people about what they have done. Our Lord is rich beyond need of any being. However, all of creation is dependent on Him. Everybody and everything is created from nothing and it is Allah Who ensures their existence. He is the owner of everything and everybody. If He willed to do so, He could exterminate everyone and replace them with other creatures. He never forgets anything. If Allah wishes for something to be, He merely says, "be" and it will be. Nothing can ever tire Him. For an intelligent person to adopt an attitude of indifference toward Allah for even a moment would be out of the question, let alone taking up a rebellious stance against Him Whose superiority is infinite.

A person who recognizes Allah as described in the Qur'an and who appreciates His strength will be overwhelmed with awe at His vastness and adopt the attitude of humility and caution that is due to Him. A believer who knows Allah's greatness, majesty and strength is also aware of His other attributes such as "The Avenger" "The Compeller" "The Punisher" and "The Degrader." He will also know that any attitude or speech which is contrary to His commands will not be without response from Him. The believer will act in the knowledge that Allah is at all times aware of everything, that He is all surrounding and all encompassing, and that He is closer to him than his jugular vein.

As a result of the believer's sincerity, Allah will reward him by His infinite Mercy with affirmation in this world, and in the Hereafter with Paradise:

For those who fear the Station of their Lord there are two Gardens. (Surat ar-Rahman: 46)

Most certainly, to appreciate Allah as is due, it is necessary to possess a very good understanding of His Qur'anic signs (verses) as well as being able to recognize His signs in the physical world. From the tiniest atom or cell to the greatest stars or galaxies, possessing detailed knowledge in relation to Allah's creation increases a person's fear of Him. By being aware of these things one gains an even greater appreciation of Allah's infinite wisdom, power and knowledge as manifested in the intricacies of the countless things He has brought into existence, and one is also better able to grasp the utter uniqueness of His power to create. This in turn would serve as a means of increasing many times over the fear of Allah. Thus, Allah reveals this secret in the Qur'an:

… Only those of His servants with knowledge have fear of Allah. Allah is Almighty, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir: 28)

They fear Allah's warnings

Allah has promised to those who do not believe in and obey Him, who never pay regard to what is pleasing to Him and who do not recognize His commands and prohibitions, an endless, spiritual and physical punishment. A true believer knows that no one in this world is safe from Allah's punishment. It is because of this that he is fearful of being subjected to the intolerable and infinite punishment of Hell, which Allah has promised to those who repudiate belief. The spiritual state of the true believers is described in the Qur'an in the following manner:

[Believers are] those who affirm the Day of Judgment. Those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord. No one is safe from the punishment of his Lord. (Surat al-Ma'arij: 26-28)

The souls of those believers who truly fear Allah tremble on reciting those verses of Qur'an which refer to the Fire. On the other hand, those who refuse to believe cannot properly comprehend the meanings of the Book of Allah, even if they do read it. Therefore, only true believers will perceive in these Qur'anic verses Allah's warning to them of the torments of Hell. The only people who will pay heed to the Qur'an, fearing Allah's punishment and act cautiously, are the true believers. As a result, they model themselves not on other people, but rather, on those God-fearing believers who are praised in the Qur'an, and the prophets.

These people do not grow arrogant or over confident, thinking to themselves, "these verses cannot possibly apply to me, since I am a believer."As a result of their faith, they will constantly hope for redemption and Allah's mercy, but this hope will be one mixed with fear, as emphasized in the following verse:

… they call on their Lord in fear and ardent hope. (Surat as-Sajda: 16)

About this issue, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) said:

"When the heart of a believer is filled with these two feelings of hope and fear, Almighty Allah fulfils his hope and saves him from what he fears." (Ibn Majah)

In order to protect people from Hell, Allah's numerous warnings and reminders are to be found in the Qur'an. In the hope that the rejectors may become fearful and become cautious in their behavior, they have been warned with the punishments they will face in the Hereafter. This is emphasized in the Qur'an:

… "The real losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Rising." Is not that clear loss? They will have awnings of Fire above them and awnings below them. By that Allah strikes fear into His servants: "O My servants, fear Me!" (Surat az-Zumar: 15-16)

The reality is that Allah has warned people, either through His verses or by the mediation of His prophets or even through particular incidents which occur as warning experiences. He will invite them and frighten them with His punishment. "… We frighten them, but it only increases them in their excessive insolence." (Surat al-Isra': 60) The verse clearly shows that for those who persistently reject faith, Allah's warnings are of no benefit, rather they encourage them to greater outrageousness. When the time comes, the punishment they have denied will manifest as certain truth. Allah declares in verses:

Woe to you, and woe! Then woe to you, and woe! Does man reckon he will be left to go on unchecked? (Surat al-Qiyama: 34-36)

Those who distanced themselves from fear of Allah during their time on Earth and denied Allah's punishment, will be given their records in their left hand after they are called to account, at which time they will be judged accordingly and will be sentenced to infinite punishment and driven to Hell in groups. They will be in a state of total psychological collapse as they are dragged to the gates of Hell. Allah describes the moment in His verses in the following manner:

Those who do not believe will be driven to Hell in companies and when they arrive there and its gates are opened its custodians will say to them, "Did Messengers from yourselves not come to you, reciting your Lord's Signs to you and warning you of the meeting on this Day of yours?" They will say, "Indeed they did, but the decree of punishment is justly carried out against the disbelievers." They will be told, "Enter the gates of Hell and stay there timelessly, for ever. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!" (Surat az-Zumar: 71-72)

In this manner, they will enter through the gates of Hell to remain there forever. The gates of Hell will be drawn closed and locked. There will be no possibility of escape, and their bodies and souls will be subjected to infinite, unbearable pain. However, none of the punishments they will be subjected to will kill them. After each exposure to the Fire their scorched flesh will be renewed and the punishment will continue. They will long for the punishment to come to an end, but they will receive the following answer:

They will call out [to the custodian of the Hell], "Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "You will stay the way you are." (Surat az-Zukhruf: 77)

The punishment of Hell is of different types, each one of which is beyond human powers of imagination. The deviators will be firewood for Hellfire, they will be tormented by it. Their faces will be rolled over in the Fire, with hands tied they will be thrown into a narrow space in the fire where they will be boiled and branded. Whilst in this state they will be scourged with cudgels made of iron, they will wear shirts of tar and will sleep on beds of fire covered with fire. They will eat bitter thorny bush and poisonous zaqqum and will drink blood and scalding pus. The boiling water they will be made to drink will lacerate their bowels, the Fire will sear their faces, their lips will be drawn back from their teeth, and they will sigh and gasp. All these are just one perspective on the physical punishments of Hell.

The people of Hell will also be subjected to the psychological equivalent of the pain they suffer physically. Simultaneously they will feel helplessness, hopelessness and remorse, and they will be subjected to degradation, disgrace, abasement, humiliation, anger, rage and quarrel. At the same time, the punishments inflicted upon them will devour, and destroy them.

Under this multiple onslaught of pain and suffering, each one of them will be alone as enemies one to another. They will constantly curse one another. Their insane screaming, bawling, begging, moaning and groaning will merge into a deafening howl.

It would be easy to imagine that those subjected to this punishment are creatures of another kind. However, this is not so, they are people who once inhabited the Earth who you may have seen walking along the street, some of whom you may recognize and know personally. Nothing has changed except that at a time they least expected, the angels of death have taken their souls and they have found themselves answering and paying for the sins they have committed. Amongst Allah's creatures, it is only the true believers who are aware of Allah's great warning and whose condition is one of fear and hope:

[The servants of the All-Merciful are] those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell, its punishment is inescapable pain." (Surat al-Furqan: 65)

In addition, there is another hadith from our Prophet (saas) as a mercy from Allah:

The Prophet (saas) said: "Anyone with even a peck of faith in his heart will emerge from the fire." Abu Said said: "Whoever falls into doubt (of the fact related by this notice) must read this verse: "Allah does not wrong anyone by so much as the smallest speck." (Surat an-Nisa, 40) (Tirmidhi, Sıfatu Cehennem 10, (2601))

They fear losing Allah's approval and love

The true believer who possesses an intimate and profound love of Allah knows very well that the most important nourishment for this love is again an intimate, profound fear which is full of respect. True believers, who have tasted the indescribable spiritual pleasures of loving Allah, are very afraid of committing any offence or error that might endanger that love or, worse still, arouse the displeasure or enmity of their Most Beloved, Allah.
Fear of Allah is inextricably linked to love of Allah. Love of Allah can only be achieved with nearness to Allah, which becomes a reality when one develops an intimate and sincere attachment to Him. However, nearness to Allah is not possible without His love and approval, and this is gained by protecting His boundaries and fulfilling His commands. This however, is not a position that can be arrived at without first establishing fear of Allah, because the soul of a person who does not fear Allah will constantly be drawn towards doing things which Allah does not approve of and being neglectful and indifferent towards those things which Allah desires of us. It is for this reason that the only way to gain Allah's approval is through fear of Him.

This order of things is established by Allah. Hence, to imagine that one will earn His love and approval before one has acquired fear of Him is a sign of great self-deception. Before all else, Allah has ordered people to fear Him. To overlook this imperative and to say that one only needs to love Allah makes no sense. People who assert that they love Allah whilst they remain indifferent to what may be displeasing to Him are, in reality, deceiving themselves in their attempts to ease their own consciences. The love of Allah they refer to is a figment of their imagination and is superficial in nature. People who truly love Allah are extremely meticulous and decisive when it comes to the matter of adhering to His commands and prohibitions. Arguing that fear of Allah is unnecessary is in fact no different from saying, "there is no need for fasting, prayer and worship." Such people resort to a variety of excuses not only on the matter of fearing Allah but also in order avoid fulfilling many of Allah's other commands.

They know that Allah could respond even on Earth

The Qur'an is full of references to Allah punishing some people as a result of the sins they have committed on Earth. Despite Allah's providing them with ample opportunities to avoid it, those who have persisted in their denial of belief have suffered the consequences of Allah's response whilst still on Earth for what they have done and have remained as prime examples for other people.
A prime example of this is the story of Qarun, who was given great wealth by Allah. As a result of this vast wealth he became arrogant and developed an exaggerated sense of his own self-importance. People were initially convinced of Qarun's great power and were in total admiration of him, however, later on, when he met his demise as a result of his fierce pride, they finally understood the truth. In a totally unexpected and unprecedented manner, Qarun was destroyed as a direct result of his rebelliousness, and made a clear object lesson for all mankind to learn:

He went out among his people in his finery. Those who desired the life of this world said, "Oh! If only we had the same as Qarun has been given! What immense good fortune he possesses." (Surat al-Qasas: 79)

We caused the Earth to swallow up both him and his house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped. Those who had longed to take his place the day before woke up saying "Allah expands the provision of any of His servants He wills or restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness to us, we would have been swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the unbelievers are nor successful." (Surat al-Qasas: 81-82)

The story of Qarun and other accounts in the Qur'an of many a magnificent and powerful community that have been unable to protect themselves from Allah's punishment draw particular attention to the fact that Allah has punished them here on Earth. This reality is explained in many Qur'anic verses:

Have they not travelled in the Earth and seen the final fate of those before them? They had greater strength than them and cultivated the land and inhabited it in far greater numbers than they do... (Surat ar-Rum: 9)

… Did he not know that before him Allah had destroyed generations with far greater strength than his and far more possessions?... (Surat al-Qasas: 78)

How many generations We have destroyed before them who had finer furnishings and a better outward show! (Surah Maryam: 74)

The thing that distinguishes a true believer from other people is their consciousness of all these issues, they fear Allah with inner awe and behave cautiously. When they make a mistake or even commit a wrong action, they are aware that Allah could respond immediately and so they turn to Him in a state of remorse and repentance, begging Him for forgiveness.
A true believer is very fearful of Allah but at the same time puts his trust in Allah's infinite mercy. This sensibility comes purely as a result of reflecting on the Hereafter.
In the Qur'an Allah makes mention of those people who have quite the opposite attitude. Even though the coming punishment is plain to see, they fail to connect it to the reality of their own predicament and persist in their wrongful conduct. Their situation is described in the Qur'an as follows:

When they saw it as a storm cloud advancing on their valleys they said, "This is a storm cloud which will give us rain." No, rather it is what you desired to hasten-a wind containing painful punishment, destroying everything at its Lord's command! When morning came you could see nothing but their dwellings. That is how We repay the people of the evildoers. (Surat al-Ahqaf: 24-25)

In conclusion when we look at the Qur'an we see that bad deeds, as long as the one who commits them doesn't repent and cease immediately as is due to Allah's exalted justice, do not go unpunished. However, this punishment sometimes reaches people here on Earth, and sometimes is revealed on the Day of Reckoning. Those who show ingratitude and persist in what they do, are never safe from the punishment that Allah is able to inflict upon them within an instant. This reality is described as follows in the Qur'an:

Do you feel secure against Him causing the shore to swallow you up or sending against you a sudden squall of stones? Then you will find no one to be your guardian. Or do you feel secure against Him taking you back into it another time and sending a violent storm against you and drowning you for your ingratitude? Then you will find no one to defend you against Us. (Surat al-Isra': 68-69)

The Prophet Muhammad (saas) expresses Allah's exalted justice as follows:

"By Him in Whose hand my soul is, you must enjoin what is reputable and forbid what is disreputable, or Allah will certainly soon send punishment from Himself to you. Then you will make supplication and not receive an answer." (Tirmidhi)

People cannot live their entire lives irresponsibly, because they are accountable to Allah. To go against this would be to incur the severity of Allah's punishment. To persist consciously with such behavior is clear evidence of failure to appreciate the totality of Allah's power. If Allah willed, He could at any moment withdraw all of the blessings He has bestowed upon mankind. This is referred to in the Qur'anic verses cited below:

If We wished, We could put out their eyes. Then, though they might race for the path, how would they see?

If We wished, We could transform them where they stand so they would neither be able to go out nor return. (Surah Ya Sin: 66-67)

The reality is that everything a person owns, every breath he takes, every second of his life he owes to Allah, and because true believers are aware of these realities they are constantly mindful of exceeding Allah's limits.

They fear being caught ill-prepared for death

Death is a reality. On average, a person will remain on Earth for approximately sixty years following which the eternal life commences. This eternal life will be lived either in the Garden (Paradise) endowed with endless blessings, or in the Fire (Hell), which has been created especially to inflict pain on body and soul. Whenever Allah wills, He can end a person's life on Earth and move him to the Hereafter and there is no doubt that this decision can become a reality within a blink of an eye.

A person can never know when he will die, the time his trial will end or the moment of his final judgment. As a result he should be quite fearful and cautious about being caught out unprepared when that moment arrives, being unable to account for his actions and being burdened with obligations that he has either neglected or postponed and not taken seriously. When the angels of death arrive there is no further possibility to complete unfinished obligations or to compensate for work that should have been completed. The deeds done up to that moment will either be to one's profit or loss and one will be called to account and held responsible for them or rewarded for them, as the case may be.
Death is a reality from which there is no return. Every person is allowed to "live long enough for anyone who was going to pay heed to pay heed" (Surah Fatir: 317). When the appointed time of death arrives, no matter how much a person begs and pleads he will not be given another chance. No additional time will be granted him to fulfill the responsibilities towards Allah that he had not fulfilled up to that time. To prevent true believers from becoming heedless and negligent Allah has cautioned them:

Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give charity and be one of the righteous!" Allah will not give anyone more time, once their time has come. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Munafiqun: 10-11)

People should never be satisfied with themselves and what they have done insofar as they remain conscious of death becoming a reality at any moment and being caught ill-prepared for an end that has no return. One should spend every moment striving to protect Allah's limits.

Thinking about death increases one's fear of Allah

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview
On Tempo TV (January 13th, 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Death is a great blessing. It is  a door opening  to the Heaven for the believers, for people to attain Allah, insha'Allah. And it is a clear proof that destroys desire for this world. Death is one of the first amongst the reasons which discipline human beings and is one of the most important causes for composing  good manners.  Death deeply affects people, it deeply affects all the humans. And the fear from Hell, that is  the fear of Allah. When these are present, a person becomes kinder, more compassionate, merciful; he becomes more intelligent, tender, agreeable and easy-going. And this is the foundation and root of a good moral life. For this reason, we regard death as a means to draw us close to Allah, and as a  means to Heaven. And in this way, we know that it is a blessing, insha'Allah.

They fear the Day of Judgment

The fear of Allah and the Day of Judgment nurtured by those possessing faith is described in the following Qur'anic verse:

Those who fear their Lord in the Unseen and are apprehensive about the Hour. (Surat al-Anbiya': 49)

In addition, in another Qur'anic verse Allah makes mention of the inner fear of the believers:

In houses which Allah has permitted to be built and in which His name is remembered, there are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the performance of prayer and the giving of alms; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. (Surat an-Nur: 36-37)

For both the people who have remained far removed from fearing Allah throughout their lives, and those who believed and have behaved cautiously, their earthly actions will be shown to them one by one. Furthermore, without omitting even the slightest detail, on that day those who have lived an irresponsible life without fearing Allah and without acting cautiously will understand what they are destined for:

That Day people will emerge segregated to see the results of their actions. Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (Surat az-Zilzal: 6-8)

As a result of their fear and remorse, they will want to die and cease to exist. Their ruinous existence is described in the following verses of Qur'an:

But as for him who is given his Book in his left hand, he will say, "If only I had not been given my Book and had not known about my Reckoning! If only death had really been the end! My wealth has been of no use to me. My power has vanished." (Surat al-Haqqa: 25-29)

But as for him who is given his Book behind his back, he will cry out for destruction but will be roasted in a Searing Blaze. He used to be joyful in his family. He thought that he was never going to return. But in fact his Lord was always watching him! (Surat al-Inshiqaq: 10-15)

Following this, the deeds contained in the individual records will be weighed on sensitive scales, which Allah has prepared for the Day of Judgment. Not an atom's weight of injustice will be done. If one is not amongst the cautious, one's scales will be light and one will be apprehended, chained and sent to the place one deserves. Not only will nobody help each other, one will not even be able to help oneself. The pain of one's helplessness will engulf one's entire being:

But as for him whose balance is light, his motherland is Hawiya. And what will convey to you what that is? A raging Fire! (Surat al-Qari'a: 8-11)

On that day, people who lead their lives on Earth without fear of Allah will have all their sins laid before them one at a time. Not only the deeds committed but also all the evil deeds that they may have intended. When that time comes they will not be able to do anything about the remorse they will experience Even their attempts at denial will fail since their hearing, sight and skin will begin to speak in evidence against them as decreed by Allah:

It may be that those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. (Surat al-Hijr: 2)

The fear that true believers feel ensures that they continue to behave cautiously and conscientiously, being fully aware that Allah's verse will be manifested on that day. It is for this reason that so long as one remains on the Earth one must be wary of involvement in anything that one cannot give an acceptable account for. In fact, it is inconceivable that a person possessing a sound intellect could act contrary to this. Allah's knowledge is everywhere and envelops and penetrates everything. He is closer to a person than his own jugular vein, whilst specially assigned angels record even the slightest detail. For a person to be preoccupied with the worthless and transitional affairs of this world at the expense of forgetting the Day of Judgment is the greatest heedlessness possible.

From the moment we open our eyes in the morning it means that Allah has created a new day and another chance for us. We should be mindful of the moment when we will be accountable to Allah, and start the day with sincere intentions. Our intention however, should be to distance ourselves from behavior and actions which Allah does not approve of. No one would like to find himself amongst those who when the moment arrives will be apprehended and sent to an endless punishment crying, "If only..." and "How I wish...."

Mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when no father will be able to atone for his son, or son for his father, in any way. Allah's promise is true. So do not let the life of this world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you concerning Allah. (Surah Luqman: 33)

WHAT KIND OF MORAL VALUES DOES A PERSON WHO FEARS ALLAH POSSESS?

Children of Adam! We have sent down clothing to you to conceal your private parts, and fine apparel, but the clothing of righteousness -that is best! That is one of Allah's Signs, so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Surat al-A'raf: 26)

In numerous verses of the Qur'an many examples have been provided of the attitudes and behavior of true believers who fear Allah. In the light of these examples the basic moral values possessed by those who fear Allah will be examined below.

They only fear Allah

In accordance with command in the verse "… you should not fear them but rather fear Me-and so that I can complete My blessing to you so that hopefully you will be guided" (Surat al-Baqara: 150), the true believer does not fear anyone or any community other than Allah. He will know that benefit and loss, good and bad can only come from Allah, that all the incidents he will encounter are only the will and creation of Allah in accordance with the fate predetermined for him by Allah.
This particular quality could be seen in all of the prophets who while communicating Allah's religion were on most occasions opposed by entire nations but made not even the slightest concession. Allah mentions this quality in the verse cited below:

[Prophets are] those who convey Allah's Message and fear Him and do not anyone but Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat al-Ahzab: 39)

A person who has faith in Allah will take on and implement for himself the superior example of the prophets.

They strive to please Allah alone

A true believer lives his life in the knowledge that Allah is the judge of everything; that He is the sole owner of power and strength, and everything comes into existence by His will. For this reason true believers will know that to seek the approval of created beings who, in reality, do not possess power or strength, is of no use whatsoever. To fear Allah and seek His approval in this world will provide protection from the terrifying punishment of the Hereafter:

Is someone who pursues the pleasure of Allah the same as someone who incurs displeasure from Allah and whose refuge is Hell? What an evil destination! (Surah Al 'Imran: 162)

A time will arrive when every deed, big and small, will be revealed and when a person's hands and skin will testify against him. A true believer lives his life according to this reality and will absolutely never compromise under any circumstances.
The attitude of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) (as) is a very good example. The Prophet Yusuf (as) was able to preserve his chastity against a powerful woman who desired him. Despite all her threats and intrigues, he preferred to go to prison rather than overstep Allah's boundaries. Allah informs us of Yusuf's (as) superior strength of character in the Qur'an:

She [the governor's wife] said, "You see! It's him you blamed me for. I tried seducing him but he refused. If he does not do what I order him, he will be put in prison and brought low." He [Yusuf] said, "My Lord, the prison is preferable to me than what they call on me to do. Unless You turn their guile away from me, it may well be that I will fall for them and so become a man of ignorance." (Surah Yusuf: 32-33)

They always act conscientiously

A person who is a servant of Allah will not put his own needs and desires above the expectations of his Lord. He knows that if he does so despite knowing the truth, he may incur Allah's punishment on Earth and in the Hereafter. As long as he remains fearfully aware of this danger, he will be safe from displaying the kind of attitude that would bring him within the range of the verses cited below:

However, those who do wrong pursue their whims and desires without any knowledge. Who can guide those whom Allah has led astray? They will have no helpers. (Surat ar-Rum: 29)

Have you seen him who takes his whims and desires to be his god-whom Allah has misguided knowingly, sealing up his hearing and his heart and placing a blindfold over his eyes? Who then will guide him after Allah? So will you not then be mindful? (Surat al-Jathiyya: 23)

They emulate all the good qualities described in the Qur'an

A person who fears Allah will display those attitudes that relate to good character such as loyalty, faithfulness, righteousness, honesty and sincerity. The Qur'an makes frequent mention of true believers who exhibit superior character traits. They are models of humanity that all believers should all strive to emulate. However, as long as someone has no fear of Allah, they can never truly appreciate these characteristics because the moment they meet with a conflict of interest they will inevitably sink to the level of their own immediate advantage, instead of rising to the best of conduct as described in the Qur'an. They are simply unable to experience the kind of anxiety over displeasing Allah, or being accountable to Him, or entering Hell and facing the consequences of their bad behavior, that would enable them to behave better.

They observe Allah's limits even if no one is looking

Someone who is profoundly aware of Allah will again be fearfully cautious about doing anything that would displease Him, whether anyone else is present or not, because they are aware that any wrongdoing they commit Allah will know of it, whether it is done openly or in secret. Allah knows both the open and the hidden, and even the most secret of secrets and will be revealed and accounted for. Those who are fearfully aware of Allah know that He will present them with situations intended to test the sincerity of their caution. In one of His verses, Allah directs the true believers to:

Abandon wrong action, outward and inward. Those who commit wrong action will be repaid for what they perpetrated. (Surat al-An'am: 120)

In every situation they turn to Allah

True believers who are fearfully aware of Allah are extremely sensitive when it comes to receiving a response from Him. When any negative incident happens to them or when they feel their work is going badly, or when they are experiencing distress, they will immediately examine themselves as to whether or not they have done anything to displease Allah. Through their supplications they will seek and beg forgiveness from Him. The combination of their longing to gain Allah's approval with the fear they feel at the prospect of incurring His displeasure, has developed into a superior perceptiveness.
In this regard the attitude of the Prophet Dawud (David) (as) constitutes a great example. In the Qur'an the profound respect displayed towards Allah by the Prophet Dawud (as) is revealed by the following incident as related in the Qur'an:

Has the story of the litigants reached you? How they climbed up to the Upper Room and came in on Dawud who was alarmed by them. They said, "Do not be afraid. We are two litigants, one of whom has acted unjustly towards the other, so judge between us with truth and do not be unjust and guide us to the Right Path. This brother of mine has ninety-nine ewes and I have only one." He said, "Let me have charge of it," and got the better of me with his words. He [Dawud] said, "He has wronged you by asking for your ewe to add to his ewes. Truly many partners are unjust to one another-except those who believe and do right actions, and how few they are!" Dawud realized that We had put him to the test. He begged forgiveness from his Lord and fell down prone, prostrating, and repented. So We forgave him for that and he has nearness to Us and a good Homecoming. (Surah Sad: 21-25)

Although the Prophet Dawud's (as) decision was absolutely just and there was no doubt about it, he turned to Allah with fear of displeasing Him and nevertheless sought His pardon. It is not possible to imitate an inner fear such as this, which is pure and sincere. Such fearful awareness is only for those who measure Allah as He should be measured, who fear the loss of His approval because of their love and awe of Him.

When we look at the conduct of the prophets and true believers, we see that they are all servants who respectfully fear Allah and who strenuously avoid His punishment. However, at the same time, there is present behind this awe, a very intimate love and friendship. Their continuous and consistent praise and exaltation of Allah is an indication of their total love and attachment to Him.

THE QUALITIES THAT A BELIEVER GAINS BECAUSE HE FEARS ALLAH

A high standing with Allah


… The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the most righteous. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat: 13)
Without a doubt a person's standing with Allah will be in accordance with his appreciation of Him, the amount of his good actions, his implementation of the Qur'an's injunctions, his goodness of character and the sincerity of his belief. Without fearful awareness of Allah, one cannot fulfill these qualities of character and behavior. Hence, the degree of fear of Allah in someone's heart is a key indicator of his rank with Allah.

The ability to discriminate between right and wrong


You who believe! If you fear Allah, He will give you discrimination and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. Allah's favor is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal: 29)

The ability to distinguish right from wrong and the increase in understanding that goes with it are, without a doubt, the greatest and most valued blessings to be bestowed upon a true believer on Earth.

If someone is granted the intelligence to be able to distinguish right from wrong, their every word, their every attitude, their every decision and their every reaction will be insightful and correct. Because someone who fears Allah can immediately distinguish between right and wrong, they will behave in accordance with what is most pleasing to Allah in everything they do. They will not be affected by indecision, uncertainty, hesitation, anxiety, or confusion. In total contrast to this however, those who have not been given the ability to discriminate are destined for ruin, both on Earth and in the Hereafter.

A double share from Allah's mercy


You who believe! Fear Allah and believe in His Messenger. He will give you a double portion of His mercy and grant you a Light by which to walk and forgive you. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Hadid: 28)

In the Qur'an Allah promises to all His servants who fear Him and behave cautiously that their lives will be blessed, both temporally and spiritually. As Allah informs us in the Qur'anic verse: "… Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 119) For a true believer, that Allah should include him in His mercy is without doubt above everything else.

It should not be forgotten that during our lives on Earth, Allah may grant us happiness, abundance, blessing, comfort, and security. In the Hereafter, however, those who fear Allah will receive His infinite mercy and will be provided with far greater blessings, which those on Earth could never be compared with.

Acceptable worship


Recite to them the true report of Adam's two sons when they offered a sacrifice and it was accepted from one of them but not accepted from the other. The one said, "I shall kill you." The other said, "Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him]." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 27)

Here one of the sons of the Prophet Adam (as) states that Allah accepts the deeds of those who fear Him. Someone who does not possess fear of Allah is, by definition, unable to give the acknowledgement due to the omnipotence of Allah, and is unable to feel the respect he should feel towards Him. As a result of their distorted view of existence and the inevitable corruption of character and behavior that goes with it, the efforts of people such as these will almost certainly amount to nothing in Allah's sight. For this reason, Allah requires above anything else that an individual's character be built upon fearful awareness of Him and seeking His approval. Any approach based upon denial of this will no doubt end in disappointment, as indicated in the Qur'an:

Who is better: someone who founds his building on fear of Allah and His good pleasure, or someone who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the Fire of Hell? Allah does not love wrongdoers. (Surat at-Tawba: 109)

It is not possible that the worship of people who do not possess fearful awareness of Allah and whose conduct is unacceptable, will be as devoted and sincere as it ought to be. Behind every task or act of worship they undertake there will lie the desire to show off or to impress, or to project a better image than others. Therefore, everything they do throughout their lives will amount to nothing if they do not turn to Allah and change their ways.

The enjoyment of ease in one's affairs


… Whoever fears Allah-He will make matters easy for him. (Surat at-Talaq: 4)

Allah will always enable true believers who are mindful of His disapproval and who observe His limits, to enjoy His mercy, protection and support. He will open the way for them in all of their undertakings. In the words of another Qur'anic verse: "We will ease you to the Easy Way." (Surat al-A'la: 8) Allah, openly or otherwise, will make matters easy for His servants in every way, be it worldly or spiritually.

Allah provides the way out of difficulty


… Whoever fears Allah-He will give him a way out. (Surat at-Talaq: 2)

For Allah's pious and fearful servants, no predicament is ever insoluble or insurmountable. By Allah, they are capable of overcoming every obstacle by using the intelligence and understanding He has provided them with. Even in the apparently most difficult situations, Allah will eventually show them a way out, and however long their difficulty lasts, they will not be left alone. This is Allah's promise to the believers.

Allah erases their wrong actions, forgives them and multiplies their reward

That is Allah's command which He has sent down to you. Whoever fears Allah-He will erase his bad actions from him and greatly increase his reward. (Surat at-Talaq: 5)

After their death when they are called to account, for true believers there will be an easy reckoning. This is because believers have lived their lives on Earth in accordance with the guidance of our Lord Who created them. Most certainly they are not without fault, they may even have sinned but Allah, the Possessor of infinite mercy, has stated in the Qur'an that He will forgive them:

Say [from Me]: "My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." (Surat az-Zumar: 53)

Therefore, those people whom Allah has forgiven will receive an even greater reward for what they have done on Earth; they will be admitted to the Garden which is full of countless blessings.

Allah's infinite compassion will be demonstrated to the true believers even on Earth. As a result of their fearful caution, their attachment to Him and the good actions they have carried out, the reward for their kindness and sincere behavior will be increased many fold. Even though they owe a debt of worship and obedience anyway for the life He has given them in the first place along with all of the countless blessings that go with it, Allah by the vastness of His generosity sees fit to reward them purely from His matchless kindness and benevolence.

THE FINE REWARDS FOR THOSE WHO FEAR ALLAH

They are given joyful tidings whilst on Earth

As for those people who lead their lives on Earth without fearful awareness of Allah, we will examine below, in the light of the Qur'an, the inexplicable fears they experience and the awesome severity of Allah's majesty. Those, on the other hand, who fear Allah and are cautious, will, in direct contrast, attain in the Hereafter total security from all types of fear and lead their lives under Allah's protection and grace. Those true believers who throughout their lives have felt a deep foreboding at the prospect of the Fire when the Day of Judgment arrives, will be kept far away from every kind of fear and will be absolutely safe. Whilst Allah gives these glad tidings in the Qur'an, on the Last Day He will address His servants and announce many more glad tidings:

"My servants, you will feel no fear today; you will know no sorrow." As for those who believed in Our Signs and became Muslims: "Enter the Garden, you and your wives, delighting in your joy."

Platters and cups of gold will passed around among them and they will have there all that their hearts desire and their eyes find delight in. You will remain in it timelessly, for ever.
"That is the Garden you will inherit for what you did."

"There will be many fruits in it for you to eat." (Surat az-Zuhkruf: 68-73)

In other Qur'anic verses, Allah will give these glad tidings through the mediation of his angels, which will be without a doubt an incredible joy for believers who so intensely hope for the Garden:

The angels descend on those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then go straight: "Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the Garden you have been promised. We are your protectors in the life of this world and the Hereafter. You will have there all that your selves could wish for. You will have there everything you demand. Hospitality from One who is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Surah Fussilat: 30-32)

The Qur'an stresses that these glad tidings, which last for eternity and are full of goodness, will be attained by those who truly believed during their lives on Earth.

A beautiful life

The lives of those who do not believe in Allah, who do not fear him and who do not behave cautiously will, in keeping with the punishment they deserve, be deprived of the abundance and blessings reserved for believers:

If only the people of the cities had believed and guarded against evil, We would have opened up to them blessings from heaven and Earth. But they denied the truth so We seized them for what they earned. (Surat al-A'raf: 96)

However, those who believe in Allah with fearful awareness, and have shown good character in their conduct, will be given glad tidings in the life Hereafter of Heaven, and in this world will benefit in the best possible manner from Allah's kindness and abundance:

Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)

Similar to the way in which the infinite punishment of the disbelievers begins whilst on Earth, for cautious, true believers, the promised infinite goodness will also begin to manifest. As a result of abundance and beauty being amongst the foremost features of the Garden, Allah will provide His beloved, fearful servants with a taste of these blessings during their lives on Earth in order to increase their longing and desires for the Garden.

By the same token, Allah will protect the believers from every form of anxiety and distress during their lives because of their adherence to His commands and prohibitions, because of their living according to His religion and, most importantly, because of their constant reliance on Him, their patience, and their longing for the Hereafter. Instead of distress, Allah causes to descend upon their hearts a feeling of peace and security. In every act of worship or good conduct, big or small, they are aware that Allah is watching them and, that the recording angels record it all in the book of their deeds, hence, they experience a tranquillity that is brought about by the knowledge that in the Hereafter they will be rewarded for it all.

On the other hand, however, there is another point that should not be forgotten: the world is a place of trial. Most certainly, a true believer could be confronted with various hardships and crises. However, whatever the situation, for a believer who fears Allah these difficulties turn out to be a mercy and a reward. A good example of this is the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (as) who, having been accused of lying and in spite of being on the point of being thrown into the fire by his people, he did not make even the slightest compromise in his beliefs or waver in his submission or in his trust in Allah.

Without doubt being burnt alive is a terrible punishment but in the case of Prophet Ibrahim (as) Allah had ordered the fire to be "coolness and peace" for him and it did not cause him any pain or suffering. Distress, harm and misfortune are a punishment or warning which occur only as a result of a person's own incorrect manner and bad behavior: "Any disaster that strikes you is through what your own hands have earned…" (Surat ash-Shura: 30).

Otherwise, for a sincere believer who fears Allah to the best of his ability and who is constantly mindful of Allah's approval in his conduct, punishment is not an issue.

All the hardships which true believers experience in this world are confronted as tests which only enhance the respect and fearful awareness they have towards Allah, as well as further increasing their desire for the Garden. A true believer is aware that these hardships are created for him as a trial and a learning experience, and as opportunities for displaying good conduct, exercising patience and as long as he relies on Allah, as an opportunity for reward in the Hereafter. The Qur'an mentions the particular quality of being able to view all events as an opportunity, in connection with those who truly believe and who are fearfully aware of Allah. Allah states as follows in one of His verses:

When those who fear Allah are asked, "What has your Lord sent down?" their reply is, "Good!" There is good in this world for those who do good, and the abode of the Hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of the righteous [who fear Allah]. (Surat an-Nahl: 30)

The death of a true believer who has lived on Earth in righteousness will be good and easy, his afterlife will commence with the welcoming of angels, and its continuation will be the comfort and ease that awaits every true believer.

An easy reckoning

True believers will compete for good deeds throughout their lives because of their fear of facing a dreadful reckoning in the Hereafter. They will guard Allah's boundaries meticulously. The Qur'an describes this fear of the true believers thus:

They fulfil their vows and fear a day whose evil will spread far and wide. They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captive [saying], "We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks. Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day." (Surat al-Insan: 7-10)

In the Hereafter Allah will brighten the faces of those who fear Him and the accounting they will give to Him will be eased. The book of their deeds will be given to them in their right hands and the reckoning they feared will be made easy:

As for him who is given his Book in his right hand, he will be given an easy reckoning and return to his family joyfully. (Surat al-Inshiqaq: 7-9)

When the reckoning comes to an end, true believers will be in a state of happiness for having escaped the punishment of Hell. As indicated in the verse above, they will return to their loved ones with joy.

An everlasting life in the Garden

But those who fear their Lord will have Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever: hospitality from Allah. What is with Allah is better for those who are truly good. (Surah Al 'Imran: 198)

What is the Garden promised to the righteous [who fear Allah] like? It has rivers flowing under it and its foodstuffs and cool shade never fail. That is the final fate of the righteous [who fear Allah]. But the final fate of the disbelievers is the Fire. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 35)

Believers who fear an encounter with the infinite punishment of Hell, and who are mindful of not rebelling against Allah, will gain the reward of those who fear and act cautiously as Allah has promised, and they will be sent to enter their eternal home:

And those who feared their Lord will be driven to the Garden in companies and when they arrive there, finding its gates open, its custodians will say to them, "Peace be upon you! You have done well so enter it timelessly, for ever." They will say, "Praise be to Allah Who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in the Garden wherever we want. How excellent is the wage of those who work!" (Surat az-Zumar: 73-74)

For the true believers who enter the Garden, the most joyful surprise and the greatest source of happiness and excitement above all else, will be a verbal salutation from Allah:

"Peace!" A word from a Merciful Lord. (Surah Ya Sin: 58)

Allah will address the true believers in the Garden as follows:

My devotees, you will feel no fear today; you will know no sorrow. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 68)

Allah, Who created mankind, is more aware than we are of what we would enjoy most as a reward for having believed in Him, and these very things are what will await the believers in the Garden. Hence, the immense blessings of the Garden and the wonders it contains lie far beyond the scope of human imagination. Infinite blessings will be offered to believers the likes of which no eyes have ever seen and no ear has ever heard; for the rest of eternity everything they encounter will meet with their every desire:

… They will have whatever they wish for with their Lord. That is the great favor. (Surat ash-Shura: 22)

The Qur'an describes every aspect of everlasting life for the believers in the Garden, such as their places of residence, their clothing, their spouses, the beauty of the surroundings, the foodstuffs and various other delights that await them.

In one Qur'anic verse the eternal lives led by those who fear Allah and the terrifying end to be faced by those who do not fear Allah are compared:

An image of the Garden which is promised to the righteous [who fear Allah]: in it there are rivers of water which will never spoil and rivers of milk whose taste will never change and rivers of wine, delightful to all who drink it, and rivers of honey of undiluted purity; in it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from their Lord. Is that like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling water to drink which lacerates their bowels? (Surah Muhammad: 15)

There is no doubt that someone who is conscious and aware needs only to reflect on the scenario for a moment in order for both hope in and fear of Allah to intensify.

The greatest reward: Allah's eternal satisfaction with them


Allah has promised the men and women of the believers Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever, and fine dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. And Allah's good pleasure is even greater. That is the great victory. (Surat at-Tawba: 72)

The greatest spiritual pleasure experienced by believers when they enter the Garden is the reality that from that moment on Allah is pleased with them, that He loves them, that He will never punish them, and that they will be His friends for eternity. To have gained Allah's approval will be the source of a joy and happiness infinitely superior to any earthly comparison. Allah's pleasure is what brings the ultimate sweetness to the blessings of the Garden. Although the rewards of the Garden are wonderful in themselves, what is more delightful still is the joy of being affirmed by The Lord of all the Worlds as being worthy of receiving His kindness. The Qur'an states:

O self at rest and at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleasing and well-pleased! Enter among My servants! Enter My Garden. (Surat al-Fajr: 27-30)

THE REASONS FOR FAILING TO FEAR ALLAH

Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?"


They will say, "Allah." Say, "So will you not guard against evil?" (Surah Yunus: 31)

As openly revealed by Allah in His verses, when those people who possess only superficial belief are asked about it, they will admit their belief in Allah, but the fearful awareness of Him will be found wanting. The clearest proof of their condition is that neither in their speech nor in their behavior do they display the least sign of fear or caution with respect to Allah. There are well-known reasons underlying this.

The lack of a true appreciation of Allah

Generally amongst the populace an understanding of religion based on hearsay is widespread. The majority of people have not familiarized themselves with Allah's own descriptions of Himself and His attributes as they appear in the original source of religion, namely the Qur'an and the hadith of our Prophet (saas). Yet Allah has introduced Himself to us in the Qur'an in the clearest and most authentic manner possible. The knowledge of most people regarding Allah consists of what they have heard from their respective families, relatives and from here or there. As a result of this, people's understanding regarding Allah varies widely.

The interesting point about this is that it has never occurred to a great many people that the things they have heard and been taught in their immediate environments could be incomplete or even totally incorrect. Even if it has occurred to them, they would be most unlikely to go out of their way to do the research that would be required in order to ascertain the truth. This is a serious mistake which could result in going to the Fire as a consequence of not identifying Allah correctly or giving proper recognition to His many great attributes.

This kind of people think of Allah in general terms with respect to His attributes of The Forgiver (Al Ghaffar), The Helper (An Nasr), The Provider (Ar Razzaq), the Subtle One (Al Latif), The Preserver (Al Hafiz), The Merciful (Ar Rahim) and The Protector (Al Muhaymin). Limiting their focus to attributes such as these simply results in an unbalanced sense of comfort and complacency, since Allah has other attributes such as The Avenger (Al Muntaqim), The Punisher (Al Muazzib) and The Subduer (Al Qahhar). However, the people mentioned above would not know what these attributes of Allah actually mean. They cannot think of our Lord in these terms. They do not realize that these attributes will be brought to bear upon their actions, their behavior and their conversations.

Even though they may be aware of some of Allah's attributes by name, they remain unaware of their full import and the manner in which they are going to impinge upon their eternal lives. Either they have a one-sided view of Allah's many attributes, or they imagine that they do not apply to them in any way.

For example, if an injustice has been perpetrated on them, they believe that in the Hereafter Allah, with His infinite justice will seek retribution for this injustice. However, they fail to realize that they too will be faced with Allah's punishment if they do not believe in the Qur'an and act by it as they should. Mankind was created to worship Allah, but if they reject the purpose of their creation, they will without doubt face the consequences of this disbelief. The most severe of punishments is required for such an enormous transgression, hence the existence of Hell. Hell, being the most terrible place ever created is the arena for punishments whose severity lies far beyond man's powers of imagination. It subsumes and surpasses many times over the greatest agonies imaginable on Earth.

These people we describe do not have fearful awareness of Allah and behave carelessly; they are heedless of their own consciences and are completely lacking in understanding. They have no proper perception of Allah's strength and His power, His majesty and His vastness, His exaltedness and His greatness. Hence, they fail to experience the kind of inner awe and deep trepidation appropriate to the prospect of being exposed to His wrath. As a result of this, they do not strive to earn Allah's approval or to implement His commands to the best of their abilities. Neither do they abide by His prohibitions, preferring to lead carefree lives. They fail to show the gratitude and appreciation required for the blessings Allah has given them, therefore ungratefulness becomes a permanent feature of their beings. In the end however, the price for living a careless life on Earth will be paid with an eternal life of fear and torment.

The mistaken beliefs of the disbelievers about the Hereafter

As well as being unable to give Allah the recognition due to Him, many ignorant people also possess deficient knowledge and many false beliefs about the Garden and the Fire. Some of these people enjoy their lives on Earth to their hearts' desire, they rebel against Allah and then, they assume they will be forgiven after spending a short period in Hell. However, the end that awaits them is much more painful than they assume, because Hell is an abode of punishment which may last for eternity for those extreme disbelievers who do not heed Allah's warnings. Allah emphasizes that Hell has been created for disbelievers and for those people who persist in their disbelief. The Qur'an makes it clear that there is no way back for them:

Hell lies in wait-a homecoming for the profligate, remaining in it for countless aeons. (Surat an-Naba': 21-23)

The pain and sufferings of Hell are beyond imagination. Hell is a frightening environment where Allah's attribute as the Subduer (Al-Qahhar) becomes manifest in all its severity and where the punishments that are inflicted far exceed anything imaginable on Earth. For an individual who is barely capable of withstanding the pain of a drop of boiling water, or cold temperatures or even the slightest hunger, to claim that they could bear such forms of punishment without too much difficulty is a clear indication of their complete lack of awareness and understanding. As we have said from the outset, anyone who imagines that Allah's punishment is a matter to be taken so lightly, is someone who has no idea whatsoever of the reality of Allah's power.

Being fooled by their allotted time on Earth

In order that people might be properly tested, Allah has granted us all a fixed period of time in the temporal world. He sends us warnings and grants us every opportunity to repent and to correct the mistakes we may have made. However, for people who do not live by the religion, this very generosity is yet part of what lies behind their inability to fear Allah as they should. In order to avoid the consequences of their actions, people are in general extremely careful when it comes to behavior which brings an immediate comeback. Let us look at the following example.

Let us suppose that a person is working for a company on a good salary, and has been given an important set of targets to meet, knowing that failure to achieve these targets would be likely to result in the termination of his employment with this company. It requires no great stretch of the imagination to guess how much sheer effort and determination would go into the task. The very thought of the loss he would face in the event of losing his job would ensure that any lesser approach to it would be entirely out of the question. He would do everything possible, even to the extent of sacrificing his comfort, his sleep and even abandoning other assignments in order to meet his objectives and escape the enormous distress that would result from failure. This is all very well but the question is whether such people feel the same level of urgency with respect to the much greater reality of having to account to Allah? The truth is that the vast majority do not because they do not see death and the Hereafter as imminent realities, according to them the life they are leading is much more realistic.

Yet in a Qur'anic verse the allotted time on Earth given to people is referred to as follows:

If Allah were to take mankind to task for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature crawling on it, but He is deferring them until a specified time. Then, when their time comes, Allah sees His servants! (Surah Fatir: 45)

These people imagine that when they do something which Allah does not consent to they will instantly be punished with "raining brimstone," when this turns out not to be the case they ignorantly see it as a licence to continue with their excesses. This illogical thinking can be seen in people of the disbelieving communities who have lived at every period throughout history, and whose reasoning is described by Allah in the Qur'an in the following way:

… And [they] say to themselves "Why does Allah not punish us for what we say?" Hell will be enough for them! They will roast in it. What an evil destination! (Surat al-Mujadala: 8)

This distorted point of view is held by the majority of people who do not believe and people whose belief is only superficial. These people who think they will not be punished for their actions, and who therefore think they are allegedly extremely clever, are in fact being gradually pulled towards their punishment from a direction unknown to them:

But as for those who deny Our Signs, We will lead them, step by step, into destruction from where they do not know. (Surat al-A'raf: 182)

In similitude to those open and obvious punishments which Allah has mentioned in the Qur'an, subtle and hidden punishments can overtake a person at any time, even whilst still on Earth. An example of such a case is when someone who is in the habit of displaying attitudes or moral conduct which are offensive to Allah, is suddenly struck by a debilitating illness. Needless to say, these afflictions are not confined to the physical senses; the fear which Allah will cause to grip the heart or just sheer stress, will suffice in order to make an individual's existence extremely uncomfortable. Therefore Allah has drawn attention in the Qur'an to fear being a type of punishment:

Allah makes an example of a city which was safe and at peace, its provision coming to it plentifully from every side. Then it showed ingratitude for Allah's blessings so Allah made it wear the robes of hunger and fear for what it did. (Surat an-Nahl: 112)

Whilst behaving in a manner which Allah does not approve of, no person can ever be sure that misfortune is not hovering above him, ready to strike at any moment. There is no protection against any of Allah's punishments. Allah has informed us of this reality in the Qur'an:

Do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the night while they are asleep? Or do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the day while they are playing games? Do they feel secure from the plan of Allah? No one feels secure from the plan of Allah except for those who are lost. (Surat al-A'raf: 97-99)

The same warning is reiterated in another verse:

Do you feel secure against Him causing the shore to swallow you up or sending against you a sudden squall of stones? Then you will find no one to be your guardian. Or do you feel secure against Him taking you back into it another time and sending a violent storm against you and drowning you for your ingratitude? Then you will find no one to defend you against Us. (Surat al-Isra': 68-69)

It should not be forgotten that mankind is in a state of helplessness, and that we are completely dependent on Allah for everything. The distresses of trials and hardships can only be faced by relying on Allah and receiving strength from Him. However, those who do not accept the reality of their limited capacity and who do not fear Allah are left by themselves to confront their punishments and misfortunes, both the overt and the hidden ones. Given that the human make up does not posses the capacity to withstand these afflictions, the only safe and successful route is to fear Allah to the best of one's ability and to lead a life consciously based on fearful awareness of these realities.

Assuming that only the very rebellious will be subjected to punishment

Despite the majority of people knowing that following their death, Allah will call them to account for the lives they have led, and that after this reckoning they will be sent to either the Garden or the Fire, they make no preparation for their life in the Hereafter. Although these people assert their belief in the existence of the Hereafter, the lifestyles they lead are hardly any different from those of the outright disbelievers. Furthermore, they display not the least hint of embarrassment about it.

The lifestyles of both groups are, to all intents and purposes, identical in appearance, attitudes, behavior, goals and ambitions. The only difference between them is that the one claims to be Muslim, while the other makes no such claim. In spite of the former group's willingness to assert their belief in the Qur'an, their failure to abide by the judgments of the book they claim to believe in causes them no sense of discomfort or awkwardness whatsoever.

The reason for their apparent state of indifference to the openly contradictory nature of their position is their further assertion that their hearts are pure and that they cause no harm to anyone.

Their attitude is based on the confident belief they will never be sent to the Fire, in other words they view themselves as certain candidates for admission to the Garden. What is also particularly interesting are the criteria they have come up with in order to define the type of person who will enter the Fire, and the corresponding arrogance with which they declare everyone else as fit for the Garden.

According to them, the people deserving of the Fire are the criminals and delinquents one generally sees on television or in the papers such as murderers, thieves, terrorists, and assorted deviants who are determined to cause harm to others. Those excluded from this list, the "average person," who constitute the majority of humanity however, assume all their sins will be immediately forgiven.

It is the nature of the criteria they themselves have selected which has given rise to the assumption that they are of the people of the Garden, given that they have not committed murder or stolen anything and that they are not terrorists. Thus despite their claims to being Muslims, neither their willingness to commit all forms of transgression, nor their unwillingness to worship, nor their unwillingness to abide by the Qur'an and to lead their lives safely within the limits established by Allah, arouses within them any sense of fear or nervousness. The simple reason for this is their mistaken assumption that none of these actions or omissions constitute sufficient cause to be sent to the Fire.

However, this is a terrible mistake, which may drag them to the pits of the Fire. These ignorant people conjure up values and priorities in the name of Islam, which are very different from those contained in the Qur'an and related bu our Prophet (saas). In other words, matters on which Allah places the greatest importance end up, according to their facile reasoning, being considered as marginal. Thus, their self-invented religious perspectives offer them a lifestyle which is false and completely at odds with a genuine fear of Allah. In the following Qur'anic verse Allah draws attention to the corrupt logic of these people:

Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?" They will say, "Allah." Say, "So will you not guard against evil?" (Surah Yunus: 31)

These people cannot adhere to the commands and prohibitions of the true religion because of their determined commitment to their own superstitious version of things. Hence, they continue to lead their lives under a false sense of security induced by the fatal misapprehension that they are destined for the Garden; they are merely fooling themselves. However, no matter how much they deceive themselves their conscience will always remind them of the true reality. When confronted with the realities of the Qur'an, they find it impossible to admit that they have wasted their entire lives with sins and grave mistakes, they absolutely refuse to listen to anyone who tries to clarify the situation for them. Therefore, in order not to have to dwell on it, they consciously distract themselves by focusing on other issues. In other words, when anything comes up or a thought enters their minds that might cause them fear or anxiety, they immediately turn their attention elsewhere, preferring to remain in a state of imaginary safety. They attempt to block out thoughts of Allah, His threats, and His punishment, in other words, they exist in a state of perpetual denial of the reality of their predicament: the impossibility of escaping the inescapable justice of Allah. However hard they try, their mindless determination to avoid the truth will not save them from the fearsome conclusion awaiting them.

The false idea that "Allah will forgive us anyway"


An evil generation has succeeded them, inheriting the Book, taking the goods of this lower world, and saying, "We will be forgiven…" (Surat al-A'raf: 169)

As indicated in this verse, despite not leading a life as prescribed by Allah, people assume that they will nevertheless be forgiven. Without a doubt, the foremost reason for this assumption is their inability to properly comprehend Allah's attributes and His justice due to their reliance on a form of reasoning which has little or no Qur'anic foundation. Although Allah is forgiving and will forgive the wrong actions of His servants, the prerequisite for this forgiveness is outlined by Allah in the Qur'an as follows:

Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly repent after doing it. Allah turns towards such people. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. There is no repentance for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, "Now I repent," nor for people who die disbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa': 17-18)

However, there are those who, having been repeatedly warned both openly and secretly, are aware of the truth and yet remain far removed from fearing Allah, and persist with their distorted claim that Allah will forgive them nevertheless. This kind of misapprehension is a clear example of satan's ability to mislead and deceive people. It is one of his many lures, which leads to all forms of wrong actions and falsities being continuously committed. Furthermore, Allah's declaration that, "No one is safe from the punishment of his Lord" (Surat al-Ma'arij: 28), is clear proof that no one is guaranteed forgiveness in this way.

Assuming themselves as deserving of the Garden

There can be no doubt that a distorted understanding of the Qur'an will give way to a similarly distorted view of the Hereafter. Hence, the majority of ignorant people share the common belief that they are worthy of the Garden. Many of these people possess no concept of being questioned for their actions following their death. According to them, even if such a possibility existed they think that they would be met with a positive outcome, thereby fooling themselves into a false sense of security.

Allah has given an example in the Qur'an of a garden owner who was arrogant and self-assured. He did not fear Allah and because of his wealth was extremely spoilt. The high yield of his gardens as well as their beauty served as a basis for his self-assurance. The sensation of power he derived from this seduced him into ignorantly believing that his possessions were indestructible and everlasting, and he adopted a stance of absolute insolence:

He entered his garden and wronged himself by saying, "I do not think that this will ever end. I do not think the Hour will ever come. But if I should be sent back to my Lord, I will definitely get something better in return." (Surat al-Kahf: 35-36)

The owner of the garden serves as an example to people nowadays who in essence have forgotten the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment, and who have perpetrated excesses and disrespected the boundaries set out by Allah. Furthermore, faced with the prospect, as they see it, of eternal non-existence or entering the Fire and facing its punishment, they deceive themselves with the idea that they will eventually enter the Garden. The behavior of those people whose shallow mentality permits them to deny the Day of Judgment when it suits them, and who by the same token, manage to imagine themselves worthy of the Garden, is a clear indication that they lack fearful awareness of Allah.

They assume it to be sufficient to say that they love Allah

Another reason why some people do not fear Allah and act cautiously is their claim that they love Allah. However, the true love of Allah requires respect and distancing oneself from those things that the beloved dislikes, but what is interesting is that when we examine the lifestyle of these people none of these signs can be found. A person who sincerely loves Allah will above all else be extremely sensitive towards Allah's boundaries, he will love the things He loves and will be extremely cautious of those things that Allah dislikes. In every detail of his life, he will seek to please Him by demonstrating his deep respect, trust, and submission with absolute devotion. However, someone who professes that he loves Allah despite leading a life, which transgresses Allah's boundaries, cannot be speaking with sincerity. This insincerity will inevitably attract retribution and a severe punishment.

The important point here is that a verbal declaration of love of this kind is nothing more than an exercise in self-deception and an outward display of over confidence. Such attitudes are in complete opposition to the spirit and the message of the Qur'an.

True Muslims fear Allah and strive to punctiliously abide by His commands. One of the finest examples of this is the Muslim women who lived in the time of our Prophet (saas). The female believers of the time embraced Almighty Allah's command regarding covering their heads with great enthusiasm and desire, and immediately obeyed. The following is narrated from Hazrat Aisha regarding the excellent behavior of women at the time when the verses regarding the headscarf were revealed:


When the verse "they should …draw their head-coverings across their breasts." was revealed, they tore their capes and covered themselves with those." (Ibn Kathir, Commentary on the Hadith and the Holy Qur'an Tefsiri, Vol. 11, p. 5880)


The Muslims who came after also obeyed this command with great enthusiasm and determination.

Fear based upon ignorance

Allah is well acquainted with people's circumstances and every hope, prayer and thought that goes through their minds. This being so, what needs to be done is to turn to Allah with sincerity and to seek His friendship. A sincere inner fear produces a predisposition that will ensure submission, encourage a state of positive morality and progress towards gaining Allah's love.

The fear of the people who do not live by the religion however, is different. Their sense of fear is temporary. When they are tested with a difficult situation, they remember Allah's wrath and fear the consequences. However, no sooner does Allah save them from their predicament, than they revert to their previous state of denial. With regard to this matter the Qur'an gives the following example:

It is He Who conveys you on both land and sea so that when some of you are on a boat, running before a fair wind, rejoicing at it, and then a violent squall comes upon them and the waves come at them from every side and they realize there is no way of escape, they call on Allah, making their religion sincerely His: "If You rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful." But then, when He does rescue them, they become rebellious in the Earth without any right to do so. Mankind, your rebelliousness is only against yourselves. There is the enjoyment of the life of this world and then you will return to Us and We will inform you about what you did. (Surah Yunus: 22-23)

As seen from the above example the fear of such people will not benefit them. In direct opposition to the believers, they will not learn and take heed or reflect upon the meaning of such events. Therefore, Allah informs us in the Qur'an that it is those who experience fearful awareness that will take heed:

He who has fear will be reminded. But the most miserable will shun it. (Surat al-A'la: 10-11)

Here we see that the insincere people mentioned in the above verses are from the second group of people. That is because they do not have a sense of profound inner fear towards Allah. The incidents they are confronted with will not lead them towards the right path. Allah has informed us in the Qur'an of the conduct of these people in countless verses. For example:

Say: "To whom does the Earth belong, and everyone in it, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "To Allah." Say: "So will you not pay heed?" Say: "Who is the Lord of the Seven Heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne?" They will say: "Allah." Say: "So will you not guard against evil?" Say: "In Whose hand is the dominion over everything, He Who gives protection and from Whom no protection can be given, if you have any knowledge?" They will say: "Allah's." Say: "So how have you been bewitched?" The fact is that We have given them the truth and they are liars. (Surat al-Muminun: 84-90)