What does fearing Allah mean?
2026-09-21
F49 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز
Original Q&A · Complete published question and answer
The complete item as published on the official site is included. Its original question begins “The third meaning”; the preceding questions are not part of this published item.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
المعنى الثالث: الخوف من الله؟
الجواب
المؤمن يخاف الله في كل شيء لا يكون آمن، الله يقول سبحانه: أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ فَلا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ[الأعراف:99]، ويقول: فَلا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ [آل عمران:175]، ويقول: فَلا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ [المائدة:44] ويقول عن عباده الصالحين: إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ [الأنبياء:90]، ويقول سبحانه: أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ [الإسراء:57]، ويقول: فَلا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ [آل عمران:175].
فالواجب خوف الله مع فعل ما أوجب الله وترك ما حرم الله، يكون خوف يحمل على فعل الأسباب، يخاف الله خوفًا حقيقيًّا، يحمله على أداء الواجب، وعلى ترك المحرم، كما يرجوه أنه يدخله الجنة وينجيه من النار إذا أدى حقه، فهو يخاف الله فيعمل ما أوجب الله ويدع ما حرم الله، وهو يرجو الله ويحسن الظن بالله مع قيامه بحق الله وتركه ما حرم الله، هو يرجو ويخاف لكن مع العمل، مع أداء الواجبات وترك المحارم.
هذا هو الصادق الذي يخاف الله ويرجوه، هو الذي يخاف ويرجو مع العمل، مع أداء الفرائض وترك المحارم والوقوف عند حدود الله، يرجو ثوابه ويخشى عقابه سبحانه وتعالى، هكذا جاءت الرسل وهكذا جاء القرآن الكريم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
The third meaning: fear of Allah?
Answer
The believer fears Allah in everything; he does not feel secure. Allah, glorified is He, says: “Do they feel secure from Allah's plan? None feel secure from Allah's plan except the losing people” [al-Aʿrāf 7:99]. He says: “Do not fear them; fear Me, if you are believers” [Āl ʿImrān 3:175], and: “Do not fear people; fear Me” [al-Māʾidah 5:44]. Of His righteous servants He says: “They used to hasten to good deeds and call upon Us in hope and fear, and they were humble before Us” [al-Anbiyāʾ 21:90]. He, glorified is He, says: “Those whom they invoke seek the means of nearness to their Lord, striving to be nearest; they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment” [al-Isrāʾ 17:57]. He says: “Do not fear them; fear Me, if you are believers” [Āl ʿImrān 3:175].
It is therefore obligatory to fear Allah while doing what Allah has made obligatory and leaving what He has forbidden. This must be a fear that leads one to take the necessary means: he truly fears Allah, and that fear moves him to fulfil his obligations and leave what is forbidden. Likewise, he hopes that Allah will admit him to Paradise and save him from the Fire if he fulfils His right. He fears Allah, so he does what Allah has made obligatory and leaves what Allah has forbidden. He hopes in Allah and thinks well of Him while fulfilling Allah's right and leaving what He has forbidden. He hopes and fears, but with action: fulfilling obligations and avoiding prohibitions.
This is the truthful person who fears Allah and hopes in Him: the one who fears and hopes while acting, fulfilling the obligatory duties, avoiding prohibitions and keeping within Allah's limits, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment, glorified and exalted is He. This is what the Messengers brought and what the Noble Quran brought.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website fatwa 8664
الموقع الرسمي للشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز
Official website of Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz
Arabic checked against the complete official published transcript. Text is preserved; spacing is normalized and legacy honorific glyphs are expanded. The English translates every displayed paragraph; Quran quotations are translations of their meanings.