Is It Sinful To Fear Anyone Other Than Allah?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
Answer
I pray you are well.
No, it is not sinful to fear things besides Allah. Fear and anxiety are physical responses that Allah has created in our bodies, and many things – such as thunder and horror stories – can trigger these responses in us.
Fear is a test from Allah: “We will certainly test you with some fear…” (Quran, 2:155) Fear of something can be used positively as a means to motivate oneself. This is why there are vivid descriptions of the Day of Judgement and the Hellfire in the Quran, so we do our best to avoid them. The fear of being distant from Allah is what motivates the righteous to do good deeds.
Fear of others is blameworthy when it is placed ahead of fear of Allah. When someone needs to do what Allah has commanded, but fear of people criticizing one stops a person, he is acting incorrectly.
We ask Allah to make us people to fear Him as He has commanded.
Related Links
- How Do I Balance Between Fear and Hope?
- How Do I Deal With Excessive Fear Of Death?
- 23: Divine Oneness, Hope & Fear – Renewal by the Book: Quran Tafsir Based on Imam Ghazali’s Ihya – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
- 25: Patience & Thankfulness, Fear & Hope, Poverty & Abstinence – Renewing Religion: Overview of Ghazali Ihya – Ustadh Amjad Tarsin
- Embracing Excellence – 28 – Hope and Fear – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
- Don’t Fear, Truly God Is With Us The Unconditional Hope- Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital, and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.
