Hello People,
- Why do we have to fear Allah - i dont want to fear Allah but i want to love Allah. I dont think the two go - how can you fear something you love? Please dont use the example oh you should fair your parents but you love them - I think this defeats the object of a 'God'
Im sorry this is not meant to offend anyone.
My sister It is necessary that we should have fear of Allah and, at the same time we must also have hope in His Mercy and Rewards. He is the one who created us therefore we are totally depedant on his mercy and forgiveness.
He could easily have destroyed us for the sins that we commit day in and day out but does he? No my sister he waits so patiently everyday hoping that his slaves will return to him.
We have to have fear that Allah may punish us for our wrong doings in this world and the next and that he can take us at ANY time. What if he took us whilst we were sinning? If he did we would have no excuse. So we should have fear in him that he may take us whilst were sinning but at the same time have hope of his mercy and hopre that he would take us whilst we were doing good.
As servants of Allah, we must entertain love and hope in Allah with fear of His wrath, for Allah is Most Merciful and Compassionate and He is also Stern in punishment. Fear alone, without hope, is not recommended, just as hope alone, without fear, is not recommended.
The ideal way is, therefore, to combine fear of Allah with hope in His mercy. We must fear Allah in such a way that we are prompted to avoid the things that incur His wrath; while we must entertain hope in Allah’s mercy in such a way that we must never hesitate to repent and change ourselves in order to receive the mercy of Allah.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
We must love Allah, but it is wrong to suggest that love of Allah excludes fear of Him. For while we are to love Allah unconditionally, we must also be afraid of incurring His wrath. This is because of the fact that just as Allah, the Most Exalted and Glorious, is the Compassionate and Merciful, He is also the Just and Stern in punishment.
If we wish to delve deeper in to this issue, we must clarify the following:
The issue of love of Allah is not so much a matter based on reason and logic; it is, rather, something based on revelation, for the way to approach Allah is dictated by revelation and not by pure reason. It is Allah and Allah alone Who must teach us how to approach Him. Otherwise, we are simply comparing Allah with His creation, and thus we end up shaping Allah in our own mind. Therefore, there is no way for us humans to know about Allah’s nature except through His own revelation.
Allah tells us about His nature in the Qur’an: (Tell My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Compassionate, and that My torment is indeed the painful torment) (Al-Hijr 15: 49–50). And in another place, Allah describes Himself as follows: (Allah, the Mighty, the Knower, the Forgiver of sins, the Acceptor of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no deity beside Him. To Him is the final journey.) (Ghafir 40: 2–3).
Revelation tells us that as servants of Allah we must entertain love and hope of Allah with fear of His wrath, for Allah is Most Merciful and Compassionate and He is also Stern in punishment. Fear alone, without hope, is not recommended, just as hope alone, without fear, is not recommended.
The ideal way is, therefore, to combine fear of Allah with hope in His mercy. This, according to the Qur’an, is the way of prophets, the ideal role models for humanity. (They used to hasten to do good works, and called upon Us with hope and fear, and they were humble before Us)
(Al-Anbiya’ 21: 90). We must fear Allah in such a way that we are prompted to avoid the things that incur His wrath, while we must entertain hope in Allah’s mercy in such a way that we must never hesitate to repent and change ourselves in order to receive the mercy of Allah.
It is also possible to explain this rationally, for it is not hard to reason that every earnest and sincere lover must also be afraid of displeasing his or her beloved, and hence he or she will be careful not to say or do things that may directly or indirectly earn his or her anger.
Taken from Islamonline
Read this brilliant short article on "Fear,respect and love for Allah must be together":
Some people assume that love of Allah is enough for those who seek to live according to religious morals and earn Allah’s good pleasure. However, Allah informs us that His servants who possess superior morals and love Him also have a genuine fear and respect for Him. Every person who acknowledges Allah with all of His attributes and appreciates His greatness, as well as those who have intelligence and a conscience, will fear and respect Allah to the utmost degree. Allah enables such servants, who also abide by His will, to distinguish good from evil and to observe the limits that He has set for humanity. Allah informs us of the blessings He gives the believers in the following verse:
O you who believe. If you fear [and respect] Allah, He will give you discrimination, erase your bad actions, and forgive you. Allah’s favor is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal, 29)
For example, such people do not lie. Even if their self-interests suffer a loss, they will worry about not earning Allah’s good pleasure and thereby earning His retribution. Therefore, they will act in an honest manner. If they indulge in even a moment’s heedlessness and say something that is not right, they will immediately repent and undertake never to repeat that action in the future. Similarly, despite being in great need, they will not try to earn a living through unlawful means because they fear (and respect) Allah.
Every person who does not appropriately fear and respect Allah has his own private boundaries. Even if he is true and honest up to that boundary, he will act according to his own interests beyond it. Those who fear and respect Allah, on the other hand, will never stray from the straight path, regardless of how difficult their situation is. When confronted with any hardship, they immediately turn to Him in complete trust and ask Him to show them a way out.
Allah loves His servants, wills the good for them, is oft-forgiving and merciful, helps them in every instance, and bestows kindness upon His servants without seeking recompense. The idolaters and unbelievers are far away from Allah’s mercy. Our Lord, the possessor of infinite justice, provides for His pious servants who possess a genuine heart and true belief in Allah, and will reward them in this world and the Hereafter. Those who insist on unbelief will suffer the pains of Hell.
So fear [and respect] Allah as much as you are able to, and listen and obey.
(Surat at-Taghabun, 16)
Spend in the way of Allah. Do not cast yourselves into destruction. And do good: Allah loves good-doers. (Surat al-Baqara, 195)
Those who comprehend our Lord’s infinite strength and ability to punish in the Hereafter hold Allah in complete awe and respect. As a result, they are careful not to adopt an attitude that does not earn our Lord’s good pleasure. However, on the other hand, as a result of their genuine and faithful love of Allah, hoping Allah will forgive their sins and accept their repentance, they do their best to earn His good pleasure and be rewarded with Paradise for their striving in His path.
The Qur’an mentions the believers’ morals, as follows:
Those who fear [and respect] their Lord in the Unseen will have forgiveness and an immense reward. (Surat al-Mulk, 12)
O you who believe. Fear [and respect] Allah the way He should be feared [and respected], and do not die except as Muslims. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 102)
But those who have fear [and respect] of 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)
Every believer who genuinely loves Allah will feel a great awe for Allah’s punishment and, by trying not to lose His love and consent, will strive to earn His good pleasure. Allah says of those believers, who have these morals:
But as for anyone who desires the Hereafter and strives for it with the striving it deserves, being a believer, their striving will be gratefully acknowledged. (Surat al-Isra’, 19)
Source:http://www.loveofallah.com/page2.html
