A Few Miscellaneous Stories On The Fear of Allah

It is very difficult to cover all that is said in the Qur'an and the Hadith about the importance of fearing Allah. It may, however, be understood that fear of Allah is an essential step towards all spiritual advancement.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"Fear of Allah is the root of all wisdom."

Abdullah ibn Umar RA used to weep so much with the fear of Allah that he lost his eyesight. He said to somebody watching him:

"You wonder at my weeping. Even the sun weeps out of the fear of Allah."

On another occasion, Abdullah ibn Umar RA is reported to have said:

"Even the moon weeps with His fear."

The Prophet Muhammad SAW once passed by one of the Sahabah who was reciting the Qur'an.

When he came to the verse:

"And when the heaven splitteth asunder and becometh rosy like red hide." ( Surah 5: Ayat 37)

- the hair of his body stood on end, and he was nearly choked, with excessive weeping. He would cry and say:

"Alas, what will happen to me on the day when even the Heaven splitteth asunder. Woe is me!"

The Prophet SAW said to him:

"Your crying has made even the angels weep."


Once an Ansari sat and wept after Tahajjud, saying:

"I cry to Allah for protection from the Fire of Hell."

The Prophet SAW said to him:

"You have made the angels weep today."


Abdullah bin Rawahah RA was once weeping. His wife also began to weep on seeing him in this condition. He enquired of her:

"Why are you weeping?"

She replied:

"Whatever makes you weep makes me weep too."

He said:

"The idea that I have to cross the bridge of Sirat across Hell makes me weep. I don't know whether I shall be able to cross over or fall into Hell."


Zurarah bin Aufa RA was leading the Solat in a Musjid. When he recited the verse:

"For when the Trumpet shall sound; Surely that day will be a day of anguish!" (Surah 74: Ayat 8 & 9)

- he fell down and expired. People carried his body to his house.


Khulaid RA was saying his Salaat. During his Qirat (recitation), when he reached the verse:

"Every soul will taste of death." (Surah 3: Ayat 185)

- he began to repeat it again and again. He heard a voice from a corner of the room saying:

"How often are you going to repeat this verse? Your recitation has already caused the death of four Jinns."


There are many stories of this type. Fudhail RA, a famous Sheikh, says:

"Fear of Allah leads to everything that is good."


Shibli RA, another Sheikh of high position, says:

"Whenever I have felt Allah's fear in me, I have found a fresh door of knowledge and wisdom opened for me."


In a Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith), the Prophet Muhammad SAW is reported to have said that:

"Allah says: 'I do not impose two fears on my slave. If he does not fear me in this world, I shall give him fear in the next, and if he fears me in this world I shall save him from all fears in the Hereafter'."


The Prophet Muhammad SAW says:

"All things fear a person who fears Allah, while everything is a source of fear to him who fears somebody other than Allah."


Yahya bin Ma'az RA says:

"If a man fears Hell as much as he is afraid of poverty then he may enter into Paradise."


Abu Sulaiman Daarani RA says:

"There is nothing but ruin for a heart that is devoid of fear of Allah."


The Prophet SAW says:

"The face that gets wet with the smallest drop of tear from the fear of Allah is safe from entrance into the fire of Hell."


The Prophet SAW also said:

"When a Muslim shivers with the fear of Allah, his sins fall away from him like the falling leaves of a tree."


The dear Prophet SAW has said:

"A person weeping with fear of Allah cannot go to Hell until milk goes back into the teats (which is an impossibility)."


Hadhrat Uqbah bin Amir RA once inquired of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:

"What is the way to salvation?"

The Prophet SAW replied:

"Hold your tongue, stay indoors and cry over your sins."


Ummul Mu'mineen, A'ishah RA once inquired of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:

"Is there anybody among your followers who will go to Paradise without reckoning?"

The Prophet SAW replied:

"Yes - the person who often cries over his sins."


There is another Hadith, in which our dear Master, Muhammad SAW has said:

"No drop is more dear to Allah than two drops: a drop of tear shed in the fear of Allah; and a drop of blood shed in the path of Allah."


It is said in a Hadith that seven persons would be under the shade of the Arsh on the Day of Judgement. One of them would be the person who remembered Allah when all alone by himself, and tears flowed from his eyes with awe of Allah and in repentance for his sins.

Saiyidina Abu Bakr As-Siddiq RA says:

"One who can weep should do so, and one who cannot should make the appearance of a weeping person."


It is reported of Muhammad bin Munkadir RA that, when he wept, he smeared his tears over his face and beard saying:

"I have heard that the Fire of Hell does not touch the place touched by these tears."


Thabit Banani RA was suffering from a disease of the eyes. His doctor said to him:

"Your eyes would be all right, provided you do not weep in future."

Thabit RA replied:

"What is the good of an eye if it cannot shed tears."


Yazid bin Maisarah RA says:

"There can be seven reasons for weeping i.e. - extreme joy, insanity, extreme pain, horror, artifice, intoxication and Fear of Allah. A single tear shed in the Fear of Allah is sufficient to quench oceans of Fire of Hell."


Ka'ab Ahbar RA says:

"By Him who holds my life in His (hands), I love to weep for fear of Allah, with tears flowing down my cheeks, rather than spend a mountain of gold in charity."


There are numerous other sayings of the Sahabah RA and the pious people of the past - all indicating that weeping because of the Fear of Allah, and over one's sins, is very effective and beneficial in attaining spiritual elevation.

Nevertheless, we should never loose hope in Allah. Allah's Mercy is All-Embracing. Allah SWT is the Most Merciful out of all those capable of showing mercy.


Saiyidina Umar Al-Khattab RA says:

"If it be announced on the Day of Judgement that all except one individual shall go to Hell - my expectation of the Mercy of Allah would make me hope that I may be that chosen one. Again, if it be announced on that day that all except one individual shall go to Paradise - then my sins would make me fear that I may be that condemned one."


It is therefore necessary for us to have fear and hope placed together in our hearts. Especially when the time of death is approaching, we should have more hope than fear.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW says:

"None of you should die, except with a strong hope in the Mercy of Allah."

When Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal RA was about to approach his end, he sent for his son and asked him to read to him the Ahadith that induce hope in Allah and His Mercy.