Fear of Allah Sermon: The Foundation of Both Worlds

Fear of Allah is the believer's strongest guardian against sin. It is not a fear that paralyses but a reverence that elevates; not a dread that extinguishes hope but a majesty that nourishes it. This sermon explores the source of khashyah — reverent awe of Allah — through the example of the Prophets, the believer's balance between fear and hope, and the practical fruits of taqwa in the believer's daily life.

Fearing Allah As He Deserves to Be Feared

Allah Almighty introduced Himself first by His majesty, then defined the measure of reverent fear:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ

O you who believe! Fear Allah as He deserves to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

— Surah Al-Imran 3:102

"Haqqa tuqatih" — "as He deserves to be feared" — anchors the measure of fear to the majesty of Allah Himself. It means the believer never forgets, even for a moment, that they stand in Allah's presence. Humanity was given intellect and will, raised above other creatures — but with that elevation came responsibility. From the age of accountability until death, every word and deed will be questioned.

How will our deeds be known on that Day? First, Allah Himself watches:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَخۡفَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ شَيۡءࣱ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ

Nothing is hidden from Allah, whether in the earth or in the heavens.

— Surah Al-Imran 3:5

Beyond this, angels record every action, the limbs themselves will testify on the Day of Judgment, and the book of deeds will be opened. The more deeply a believer carries the awareness "Allah sees me," the more resistant they become to sin.

Fear None But Allah

Allah liberates the believer from the pressure of human beings and ties their fear to a single point:

إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوۡلِيَآءَهُۥ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمۡ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ

It is only Satan who frightens his allies. So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers.

— Surah Al-Imran 3:175

This verse reorganizes the believer's heart: all fears converge on one centre — Allah. The one who truly fears Allah no longer fears anyone else. Under the harsh stones of Ta'if, under the Bedouin's sword at Najd, under the persecution of Mecca — the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) carried this single fear and was free from every other.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَٰلَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَخۡشَوۡنَهُۥ وَلَا يَخۡشَوۡنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا ٱللَّهَۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبࣰ ا

Those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him, and fear none but Allah — Allah suffices as a reckoner.

— Surah Al-Ahzab 33:39

Only the Learned Truly Fear Allah

Who fears Allah most? Those who know Him best. That is why the deepest reverence (khashyah) belongs to the Prophets and the scholars who walk in their footsteps:

إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

Among His servants, only those of knowledge fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.

— Surah Fatir 35:28

The "scholar" here is not merely one who has read books but one who has perceived the majesty, wisdom, power, and justice of Allah. As knowledge grows, so does reverent fear; as fear grows, so does taqwa. Surah Az-Zumar pictures this inner trembling:

تَقۡشَعِرُّ مِنۡهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُمۡ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمۡ وَقُلُوبُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ

The skins of those who fear their Lord shudder at it; then their skins and hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah.

— Surah Az-Zumar 39:23

Between Fear and Hope

The believer is neither fully secure nor entirely despairing. The imams call this balance "between fear and hope" — bayn al-khawf wa al-raja.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet entered upon a young man on his deathbed and asked: "How do you find yourself?" The young man replied: "O Messenger of Allah, I hope in Allah's mercy and I fear my sins." The Prophet said:

When the heart of a believer combines hope of forgiveness and fear of punishment in such a moment, Allah grants him what he hopes for and secures him from what he fears.

— Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Jana'iz, no. 983

This hadith is the most direct reply to those who confuse fear of Allah with despair. He is both severe in punishment and the One who says "I am as My servant thinks Me to be."

Stories

The Prophet's Tears

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet once said: "O Ibn Mas'ud, recite the Qur'an to me." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, how can I recite to you when it was revealed to you?" He said: "I love to hear it from another." I began Surah an-Nisa'. When I reached the verse "How will it be when We bring a witness from every community and bring you, O Prophet, as a witness against these?" (an-Nisa' 4:41), the Prophet said: "Enough." I looked at him, and his blessed eyes were brimming with tears.

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Fada'il al-Qur'an, no. 5050

This is the reverent fear of the one sent as mercy to all creation: hearing the verse that announced he would stand as witness over his community on the Day of Judgment, his eyes overflowed. The one who knows Allah best holds the deepest awe.

The Prayer of Prophet Ibrahim — A Sound Heart

Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) spent his life seeking to know his Lord. He looked at stars, moon, and sun — saw each one set — and said: "I do not love what sets" (al-An'am 6:76-78). He turned his gaze instead to the unseen Creator. His reverent fear is visible at every stage of his life. In his old age he prayed:

وَلَا تُخۡزِنِي يَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُونَ ۞ يَوۡمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالࣱ وَلَا بَنُونَ ۞ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَتَى ٱللَّهَ بِقَلۡبࣲ سَلِيمࣲ

And disgrace me not on the Day they are resurrected — the Day when neither wealth nor children will avail, except him who comes to Allah with a sound heart.

— Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:87-89

Ibrahim was the intimate friend (Khalil) of Allah, one of His most beloved servants. Yet the fear of being disgraced before Allah on the Day of Standing never left him. True khashyah is not anchored in the past or the present but only in standing before Allah.

The Funeral of Uthman ibn Maz'un

Umm al-'Ala (may Allah be pleased with her), a woman of the Ansar, narrates: When the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina, the immigrants were distributed among the Ansari families. Uthman ibn Maz'un was assigned to our household. He fell ill and passed away. At his funeral, the Prophet came to us, and I said: "O Abu Sa'ib (Uthman's kunyah), may Allah have mercy on you. What I bear witness to is that you have certainly attained Allah's grace and generosity."

The Prophet asked: "How do you know that Allah has honoured him?" I replied: "O Messenger of Allah, may my parents be ransomed for you — if Allah does not honour such a believer and obedient servant, whom would He honour?" The Prophet said:

— "Uthman ibn Maz'un has died. By Allah, I do hope for goodness and happiness for him. But by Allah — though I am a Prophet of Allah — I do not know what Allah will do with me on the Day of Judgment."

Umm al-'Ala said: "By Allah, after that I never declared anyone purified again."

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Ta'bir, no. 7003

The Fear That Yusuf Chose Over Prison

Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him), in the palace of the Egyptian official, the doors locked, no one of his people in sight, at the height of his youthful strength and beauty, faced a great trial. When the mistress of the house called him to wrong, his single reply was: "Ma'adh Allah" — I seek refuge in Allah. Then he chose prison over compromise.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) listed seven types of person whom Allah will shelter in His shade on a Day with no other shade. One of them is: "A man who is called to wrong by a noble and beautiful woman and says, 'I fear Allah.'"

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Adhan, no. 660

Yusuf's fear was faith in the seeing Eye no one else can see. This is the practical power of khashyah — even when the door is closed and the opportunity is in hand, the believer says "Allah sees me" and turns from sin.

The Fruit of Reverent Fear — Furqan and Forgiveness

Allah promises three blessings to those who fear Him:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن تَتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ فُرۡقَانࣰ ا وَيُكَفِّرۡ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلۡفَضۡلِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ

O you who believe! If you fear Allah, He will grant you a furqan (a criterion to distinguish right from wrong), expiate your sins, and forgive you. Allah is the Possessor of great bounty.

— Surah Al-Anfal 8:29

Furqan — the discernment that separates truth from falsehood. The greatest gift of the God-conscious believer is this clarity. In confusing times, when one path is what Allah loves and another is what the lower self craves, Allah grants the means to see the difference.

The Turkish poet Mehmet Akif captured this truth memorably in his Safahat: "Neither learning nor conscience can raise a person's character — that virtue rises from the fear of Allah. Remove the awe of God from human hearts, and neither learning nor conscience will hold."

The source of virtue in human beings is fear of Allah. Without it, neither knowledge nor conscience can stand against evil. That is why the Prophet himself supplicated: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, and from a heart that does not fear You."

The End of Fear — Paradise

Allah promises the greatest reward for those who fear Him:

وَأَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِۦ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفۡسَ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ هِيَ ٱلۡمَأۡوَىٰ

But as for him who feared standing before his Lord and restrained his soul from desire — paradise will be his abode.

— Surah An-Nazi'at 79:40-41

The "fear" here is not a passive feeling but an active choice — restraining the soul from desire. Fear and deed interlock: fear without deed is hollow; deed without fear is shallow.

Putting Khashyah Into Practice With VAAZ

The 99 Beautiful Names of Allah collection in the VAAZ app features Al-Jabbar (the Compeller), Al-Muntaqim (the One who exacts justice from oppressors), and Al-Hafiz (the Preserver of deeds) — names that open windows to the divine majesty. The dua archive holds the prayer "O Allah, I ask You for fear of You in private and in public", the most beautiful supplication of the believer who wants to fear Allah in both the seen and the unseen.

For the companion virtue of taqwa, see Sermon on Taqwa; for the balancing virtue of divine love, see Sermon on Loving Allah. Without fear of Allah, neither learning nor conscience can shield the soul; with it, every deed of the believer aligns to one measure alone.

References

1. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Imran 3:5, 3:102, 3:175.
2. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Ahzab 33:39.
3. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Fatir 35:28.
4. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Az-Zumar 39:23.
5. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:87-89.
6. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Anfal 8:29.
7. The Noble Qur'an, Surah An-Nazi'at 79:40-41.
8. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Fada'il al-Qur'an, hadith no. 5050 (The Prophet's tears).
9. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Ta'bir, hadith no. 7003 (Uthman ibn Maz'un's funeral).
10. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Adhan, hadith no. 660 (Seven in Allah's shade).
11. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Jana'iz, hadith no. 983 (Between fear and hope).
12. Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Safahat, on the source of virtue.

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