Thus out of there fear for Allah (SWT) in the past, they were saved in the present. Fear of Allah (SWT) is a core characteristic of a Muslim, and it will help Muslims remain steadfast in Islam.
O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Quran (3:102) [Y. Ali]
Now that we have understood that Fear and Hope are necessary for the success of any Muslim we should also understand that balance between both is equally important. There is an old Arabic poem which means: Hope and Fear are like the two wings of a dove They need to be in balance in order to fly. Allah(SWT) mentions hope and fear together in the ayah:
“Call upon Him with Fear and Hope.”
Quran (7:56)
The Importance of Fear and Hope is emphasized even by the scholars. In the book Enjoy Your Life by Dr. Muhammad ‘Abd Al-Rahaman Al-‘Arifi, he speaks about a friend who is a fellow scholar who lost 11 members of his Family. The man was always in the remembrance of Allah (SWT) and reminded himself and others that from Allah (SWT) we came and to him we will return. Dr. Muhammad said had he not been content with Allah (SWT) and the hope of Jannah (paradise) for his loved ones, he surely would have died from his grief.
Importance of both fear and hope is also given in numerous psychology studies, like the one done by AD Hathaway ((International Journal of Drug Policy (Volume 12) – 2001)) in which they found that fear tactics are useless unless they are coupled with an rational alternative. Thus, according to this study the fear of Hell would render useless unless it was coupled with the hope of Paradise (rational alternative).
Another study by Barry Schwartz titled Pitfalls on the Road to a Positive Psychology of Hope he indicates that the study of learned hopelessness ((According to researcher Marlena Plavšic’, “learned helplessness” refers to the passive acceptance of unpleasant situations, nullifying the natural reactions, which normally cause attempts to escape or to control the situation. “Learned hopelessness” is a state of deep depression, brought on by prolonged immersion in a reality of learned helplessness.)) could be reversed so that people can have learned optimism only by having something that wa
s permanent in eliciting a positive desire. In Islam this permanent positive desire would be paradise and thus learned optimism is quite plausible for the Muslim.
In conclusion, fear and hope are essential for all humans and are part of the core characteristics of a Muslim. Having both will lead to success in this life and the next.
Thus, the next time you fear something lurking in the dark or being judged by a professor, always remember that true fear is only for Allah (SWT) and this belief will set us free from the mental prisons of fear we have created within ourselves.
Lastly next time you see someone complaining about their situation, tell them “Cheer up buddy! Put your hope in Allah (SWT) and no matter how much your problems are holding you back, the promise of paradise will always keep you moving forward!”
And Allah (SWT) knows best.
Lo! those who say: “Our Sustainer is Allah”, and, then steadfastly pursue the way of righteousness. The angels descend upon them (from time to time); Saying: “Fear you not nor grieve! But receive the Glad Tidings of the Paradise that which you were promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There you will have (all) that your souls desire, and therein you will have (all) for which you pray! – A hospitable gift from the One, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!”
Quran (41:30-32)
