By
Umm Isam – Freelance writer Hiba magazine
- Does your heart fear Allah (swt)?
There was once a wealthy man from the Bani Israil, who had indulged in sin throughout his life. When his death was near, he instructed his children to burn him after his death, crush his bones and scatter his ashes on a windy day by the sea. After he died, his children did just as he asked. Allah (swt) then gathered his ashes together and asked him: ‘What made you do that?’ The man replied: ‘Fear of You.’ And so Allah (swt) forgave him. (Bukhari)
This was before Prophet Muhammad (SA), the Quran and Islam were sent. Now we have clear divine guidance to facilitate us to worship, love and fear Allah (swt).
Allah (swt) describes such people in the Quran: “The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith and upon their Lord they rely.” (Al Anfaal 8:2)
In a world, where people have varied anxieties and fears such as that of poverty, loss of a loved one, failure in education or career, aging and loss of beauty, a ruthless enemy, etc. a believer’s greatest fear is knowing the absolute status, power and control of Allah (swt). He understands that nobody can save or defend him if he disobeys Allah (swt).
Similarly pondering upon the Quran, the divine scripture grants him strength of the heart and a courageous resolve to live successfully. The mention of Allah (swt)’s Majesty makes the believer’s heart beat faster, shrink in size and tremble in awe. This fear of Allah (swt) motivates him to rely upon His Creator and believe in himself.
- Does your heart soften at the remembrance of Allah (swt)?
“Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent book where in is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord, then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance (i.e. mention) of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He Wills. And one whom Allah sends astray – for him there is no guide.” (Az Zumur 39:23)
Following a believer’s fear, Allah (swt) grants him hope too that fills his heart with tranquility, mercy, compassion and guidance to act right.
When a believer’s heart shudders, goose bumps grow on his skin, tears flow from his eyes, it is not the same as watching a horror film, or being scared of an animal, or expecting the worse of a merciless enemy.
The fear is a combination of disappointment with self for sinning and a worry of distancing from Allah’s (swt) mercy and guidance that obedient hearts otherwise receive for success in the world and the hear after. When hearts do not fear Allah (swt), they harden and become blind and misguided.
Omar (rta) once said: “If a caller from heaven announced that all people would enter paradise together but one man, I would fear that I am him. And if a caller announced that all people would enter hellfire together but for one man, I would hope that I am him.”
This should be the delicate balance between hope and fear where our heart resides with Allah (swt) always.
- Does your heart submit before Allah (swt)?
The Sahabah were a glorious example of submission before Allah (swt). They were not fair weather friends or opportunists who only allied with Prophet Muhammad (sa) for status, wealth or power.
They bore hunger, physical and verbal assaults, wounds and deaths in wars, economic and social boycotts, separation from their families for Allah (swt).
For them the code was simple. They heard and obeyed. It was a life of acquiring divine knowledge of the Quran and the Sunnah and acting upon it every day in every sphere of their life. Their heart was able to overcome desires or lusts of the world. It submitted to Allah (swt) in Dunya, to one day be in His exclusive company in Jannah, witnessing Allah’s (swt) beautiful and magnificent face.
Allah (swt) asks the believers: “Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the scripture before and a very long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened and many of them are defiantly disobedient.” (Al Hadid 57:16)
- Does your heart heed to the truth?
“And so those who were given knowledge may know that it is the truth from Your Lord and (therefore) believe in it and their hearts humbly submit to it. And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path.” (Al Hajj 22:54)
Think about it. Would you opt for a highway with well-constructed roads, lights, signs and alerts about imminent danger that would lead you to your destination? Or would you like to take a path that is dark, thorny, twisted, full of enemies, and hazardous?
That is the difference between a heart that heeds to Allah’s (swt) commands and lives it’s life in this world verses a heart that rejects the true guidance and refuses to submit in spite of clear warnings of eternal doom.
- Does your heart turn to Allah (swt) in repentance?
Our fear of Allah (swt) must be built upon knowledge. The more knowledge we acquire about Allah’s (swt) Majesty through His Al Asma Al Husna (Beautiful names), more we turn to Him in repentance.
Fatimah b.Abdul Malik was asked about the worship of her legendary husband the rightly guided caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz after his death. She replied, “By Allah he was not the one who prayed or fasted the most amongst the people. But, by Allah I have not seen anyone more fearful of Allah than him. He would remember Allah in his bed and would twitch like a sparrow out of fear, until we would say, that in the morning, the people will no longer have a caliph (i.e. he would die).”
Allah (swt) states: “And paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far, (it will be said), ‘That is what you were promised – for every returner (to Allah) and keeper (of His covenant) who feared the most Merciful in the unseen and came with a heart returning (in repentance).” (Qaf 50:31-33)
Fear of Allah is the (swt) most effective motivator that enables our heart to stay alive and keep moving forth towards Him. On the contrary Allah (swt) warns us about the losers in this world. They are not the ones who sin or make mistakes, because that is human and Allah (swt) knows and expects us to sin. Losers are the ones who refuse to fear Allah (swt) and hence never repent.
“Say, ‘Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the day of resurrection. Unquestionably that is manifest loss.’ They will have canopies (i.e. layers) of fire above them and below them, canopies. By that Allah threatens (i.e. warns) His servant’s: ‘O My servants then fear Me!’” (Az Zumur 39:15-16)
Make Dua: (Muslim) اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ
O Allah! I seek refuge with Your pleasure from Your anger. I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek refuge from You from You. I cannot count Your praises, You are as You have praised Yourself.
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