The Role of Fear In Religion

[searchingsoul]

what makes you think you can't have both? And on what grounds do you "feel" what God does or does'nt expect? A healthy dosis of fear keeps a person on the right path. As opposed to love wich isn't sufficient to maintain piousness constantly high.

Perhaps you can have both. Personally, I prefer to live life without fear.

I haven't been convinced that God expects us to fear him.

I disagree with you Steve, I believe that love is far more powerful than fear. I find that love alone is able to keep me on a straight and narrow path. By loving other people, I desire a good life for myself and others.

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim gave the following example of worship in Islam in his Madarij As-Saalikeen:

The heart in its journey towards Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, is like a bird whose head is love, and hope and fear are its two wings. When the head and the two wings are sound and healthy the flight of the bird is good, but when the head is cut off, it immediately dies, and when either or both wings are deficient, the bird cannot properly fly and may become victim of any hunter or snare. The righteous predecessors preferred to strengthen the wing of fear during good times when heedlessness is feared, and to strengthen the wing of hope at times of calamity and when near death.​

So just as the head is superior to the wings and is the primary part, so is love the foundation of the worship and the primary matter. The wings of hope and fear allow us to carry our love in flight towards our Creator.

 

[searchingsoul]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim gave the following example of worship in Islam in his Madarij As-Saalikeen:

The heart in its journey towards Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, is like a bird whose head is love, and hope and fear are its two wings. When the head and the two wings are sound and healthy the flight of the bird is good, but when the head is cut off, it immediately dies, and when either or both wings are deficient, the bird cannot properly fly and may become victim of any hunter or snare. The righteous predecessors preferred to strengthen the wing of fear during good times when heedlessness is feared, and to strengthen the wing of hope at times of calamity and when near death.​

So just as the head is superior to the wings and is the primary part, so is love the foundation of the worship and the primary matter. The wings of hope and fear allow us to carry our love in flight towards our Creator.

I like what Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim had to say. Fear of God may not be bad if it is a fear used to keep oneself centered. When fear prohibits people from enjoying life, I see it as an ill.

 

[Abdul Fattah]

I like what Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim had to say. Fear of God may not be bad if it is a fear used to keep oneself centered. When fear prohibits people from enjoying life, I see it as an ill.

Religion always prohibits certain enjoyment, regardless of the presence of fear. A religion has a set of rules, that believers should follow. Fear makes it easyer to follow them. To say that fear becomes problematic once it inhibits (certain) enjoyment is an upside down world.

 

[searchingsoul]

Religion always prohibits certain enjoyment, regardless of the presence of fear. A religion has a set of rules, that believers should follow. Fear makes it easyer to follow them. To say that fear becomes problematic once it inhibits (certain) enjoyment is an upside down world.

I think it would only be an upside down world for those who fear enjoyment.

 

[Abdul Fattah]

I think it would only be an upside down world for those who fear enjoyment.

but religion doesn't say one should fear enjoymetn. Islam makes it very clear: Fear only Allah. That means that the enjoyments that Allah has made legal have nothing to be feared for.

 

[searchingsoul]

but religion doesn't say one should fear enjoymetn. Islam makes it very clear: Fear only Allah. That means that the enjoyments that Allah has made legal have nothing to be feared for.

What if by fearinig Allah one would have to "fear" those things they do not feel are sinful?

 

[Abdul Fattah]

What if by fearinig Allah one would have to "fear" those things they do not feel are sinful?

Something is either sinful or or not. This sinfulness of matters isn't decided by our personal feelings. Wheter or not something is sinfull is determined by Allah and can be derived from the qur'an and the hadeeth. We do not derive the sinfullness of something from our personal feelings. An alcoholic might have a personal feeling that alcohol is "ok". But that doesn't make it any less forbidden. and both us and him will have to accept he'd be better of without his booze, therefor it wouldn't do him any harm to fear this booze.
So lets look at your question again:

What if by fearinig Allah one would have to "fear" those things they do not feel are sinful?

there's two possible answers:
1. The matter is not sinfull, and the person does not need to fear Allah for doing this specific matter (it would still help him in difrent matters to have a general fear though)
2. The matter is really sinfull. Wheter or not the person feels like it is sinfull, in fearing a sinfull thing he will be better of (since he will be inclined to avoid it).

 

[Woodrow]

Fear takes many forms. I personaly feel that what is entailed by "Fear of Allah(swt)" can not be understood by the word Fear.

Let us look at what is generaly meant by fear.

One type of Fear is that we feel in situations like this:
You know that a powerfull creature that you are defensless against is tracking you down. You know it will find you and cause you extreme bodily harm and pain. You know you can not escape.

Another type of fear we would feel in this situation:
There is a person you have great love for and that person loves you even more. You have deliberatly done something you know is going to pain the person when that person learns of it. You know you can never undo what you did and it is just a short time before the person you love learns of what you did.

Another fear would be in this situation:
You are living under a very powerfull ruler that will punish you severly for any transgression against his rules. You know there is no escaping any violation and any indiscretion will be found out. You tremble at the thought of ever doing wrong.

I brelieve "Fear of Allah(swt) encompasses all of those and more. A person who has comitted a grave sin and refuses to repent, probably feels more like the first scenario.

A person with great love of Allah(swt) probably feels more like the second scenario.

And another group are people that don't do evil only out of fear of punishment probably feel more like the third scenario.

 

[Chuck]

I haven't been convinced that God expects us to fear him.

You believe in Bible? Then here is something for you.

Lev 25:17 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.

Deut 6:13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 3:7-8 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Luke 12:4-5 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

 

[Zulkiflim]

Salaam,

To love god but not to fear god.

And thus the error set in that what every they do god will forgive casue they THINK god loves them.

Instead of being wary of every step wiht a thought of the consequence of our actions,we fall into the sin of arrigance to think that god loves us to forgive our every action..

Thus they forget that Allah is JUST....and Just does not require love nor hate.

ALLAH is the most Just.