Part 2

For an in-depth biography of Ibn Qudamah, please refer to the

following sources: " AlTakmilah fi Wafi'at al-Naglah by al-Mundhiri (3/107)

AF-‘Tbr fi Khabar min Ghabr by al-Dhahabi (5/79-80) Siyar ATam Al-Nubalah by al-Dhahabi (22/160-173) Al-Bidayah wa’l-Nihayah by Ibn Kathir (13/99-101) Dhay! Tabagat al-Hanabilah by Ibn Rajab (2/133-149) Shadharat Al-Dhahab by Ibn al-‘Imad al-Hanbali (5/88-92) Mu‘jam al-Baladan by Yaqit al-Hamawi (2/159) Fawat al-Wafi’'at by Ibn Shakir al-Kattabi (2/158-159) Al-Mughni - verifiers introduction (1/6-37).

The Nature of Fear

All Praises are for Allah, the Lord of the universe. The J/ah of the first and the last (of people), the Sustainer of the Heavens and Earth, the Most Merciful for this world and the next. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, who is without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

The Reality of Fear

Know that fear is a pain and burning in the heart caused by the anticipation of receiving harm in the future. The example of it is like a person who has committed a crime against a king, and then fell into his hands. So he would fear being killed, while consider-

ing the possibility that he may be pardoned. But the pain in his heart would be according to:

1. The level of his knowledge of the cause that would lead to his execution

2. The enormity of his crime 3. Its impact upon the king

Chapter One: The Nature of Fear

The weaker these causes are, the less he would fear. It may also be that fear be caused by other than a crime. It could be based on (knowing) the attributes of the one who is feared, his majesty and greatness. One may learn that if Allah were to destroy the heavens and earth, He would not have concern, and nothing could stop Him from that. Thus a person’s fear is according to his realisation of his own faults, and the greatness of Allah and His freedom from any need, and that He is not asked about what He

The most fearful of people is the one who is most knowledgeable of himself and his Lord, and this is why the Prophet (4) said, “I am the most knowledgeable of you regarding Allah, and the one who fears Him the most among you.”

And Allah, the Most High, has said,

t ae bad we ne eee

“Tris only those who have knowledge among His slaves

And if one’s knowledge is complete, the effect of the fear would become apparent. These effects would show on the heart, and then they would show on the body, such as one losing weight, the changing of one’s colour (of skin), crying and being overwhelmed. This fear could even lead to death, or it could reach the brain and effect one’s mind.

As for its effect on the limbs, then it is by them staying away

" Al-Bukhari, #4776 and Muslim, #1401.

RANKS OF THE FEARFUL

from sins, performing worship, good deeds, as a way of making up for the past and preparing for the future.

Some have said, ‘Whoever is afraid will set out (travel) at night (i.c. he will hasten to perform good deeds). ’

Another said, ‘The fearful person is not the one who cries, rather he is the one who leaves what he has the ability to do (of sins). ’

From the benefits of fear is that it controls the desires and lessens the pleasures. Therefore a person will hate a sin that he used to love, just as a person who desires honey would hate it if he knew there was some poison in it. Thus, desires are burned by fear, and the limbs are restricted (by this fear), and the heart becomes humble and submits. Arrogance, hatred, and jealousy leave him. His main focus and worry becomes his fear, and looking at the seriousness of his destination. He has no time for anything else, and no concern except to take himself to account and watch his deeds. He is stingy with each breath and each moment, and he accounts for every one of his thoughts, footsteps, or words. His situation is like that of one who fell into the claws of a predatory animal, and he does not know if it will become heedless of him so he can escape, or if it will attack him and devour him. Such a person would have no other concern but that - so the strength of a person’s monitoring and taking account of himself would be according to his level of fear. While the level of fear would be according to his knowledge of the greatness of Allah and His Attributes, and his own personal faults, and (knowing) what lies ahead of him of dangers and horrors.

The lowest level of fear that shows its effect upon a person’s action is what prevents from performing forbidden deeds. If he

Chapter One: The Nature of Fear

stays away from what could lead to something forbidden, it is

In addition, if he busies himself with this over the (temporal) luxuries of this life, than this is known as Sidq (i.e. truthfulness to oneself and the Creator).’

? Wara’: pious caution, scrupulousness. A mannerism through which the heart is purified of all that would sully it and has been excellently summarised in the saying of the Prophet (38), “From the excellence of ones Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.” It is to leave all that causes one doubt, all that does not concern him, to continuously bring oneself to account and to devote oneself to Allah. Some of the Salaf said, ‘None attains the reality of taguid until he leaves that which is harmless for fear of falling into that which is harmful.’

> Sidg: truthfulness, the conformity of the inner to the outer such that the deeds and statements of the person do not belie his beliefs and vice-versa. Sidg is the foundation of faith and results in peace of mind. Lying is the foundation of hypocrisy and results in doubt and suspicion, and this is why the two can never co-exist without being at odds with each other. al-Junayd was asked as to whether sidg and ikhlas were the same or different and he replied, ‘They are different, sidg is the root and ikblas is the branch. Sidg is the foundation of everything and ikblas only comes into play once one commences an action. Actions are only

acceptable when they combine both.’ The one who has true sidg will be free of self-conceit.

The Divisions of Fear

Know that fear is like the whip of Allah by which He drives his slaves to persist upon knowledge and good deeds, so that they can achieve closeness to Allah, the Most High, by them.

Fear can be extreme, moderate or lacking. The praiseworthy kind of fear is the moderate path, and it is like a whip that drives the cattle - for it is of benefit to cattle to be hit with a whip sometimes, but it is harmful to go to extremes in hitting them.

Likewise, it is not praiseworthy to be deficient in fear, such as a person who remembers only when he hears a verse (of the Qur’an) or some other major reason that causes him to cry and when that cause is absent from his senses, he immediately becomes heedless again. This is a deficient fear that does not have much benefit. It is like a weak cane that hits a strong animal such that it does not hurt it or drive it to the intended place. This is the kind of fear that most people possess, except for the knowledgeable and scholars, and I mean by that, the scholars of Allah and His verses. And as for the ones who merely have the appearance of knowledge, then they are the farthest of people from fear.

Chapter Two: The Divistons of Fear

In regards to the first type, which is to go to extremes regarding fear, then the example of this is a person who surpasses the level of moderation until he reaches the level of hopelessness and despait. This is also blameworthy because it stops a person from performing deeds. It could also lead to illness, depression or death, which is also blameworthy. So everything that is ordered for a purpose, then what is praiseworthy is what leads to that purpose (being fulfilled). As for what is surpassed or falls short of, that is considered blameworthy.

The benefits of fear are (instilling) alertness, carefulness, ‘aqwa, struggling, contemplation, remembrance, worship, and all of the other causes that bring one closer to Allah. All of this invigorates life, along with healthiness of the body and soundness of mind. If it negatively affects one’s life, body, or sanity, it then becomes

If it is asked, ‘What about those who have died out of fear?’ The answer is that one reaches (death in that state) by dying in that state, a level that he would not have reached if he died without any fear. But if he lived longer and reached the higher levels of righteousness, he would have been even better because the best state of happiness is for a person to live a long life in obedience to Allah. Thus everything that negates one’s life, mind, or health is considered a deficiency and loss.

The Levels of the Fearful Ones

Know that there are different levels of those who fear. Some of them are consumed by the fear of death before repenting. While others fear being misled and deceived by the blessings they are given. Others fear that they will go astray from the Straight Path, or they fear a bad end to their life, but a higher level than that is to fear living an evil life, for the ending is only a result of how one lived his life. Allah raises whomever He Wills, and lowers whomever He Wills, and He is not asked about what He does.

Allah has said, “Those are in Paradise, and it does not matter to me, and those are in the Hellfire, and it does not matter to me.”!

From the kinds of people who fear is the one who fears the stupor and severity of death, or the one who fears the questions of Munkar and Nakir in the grave’, or the punishment of the

' Hakim, a/-Mustadrak, #92 and he declared it authentic. Ibn Asakir, Zarikh Dimishg, #21909 and Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabagat, 7/135. Authenticated by al-Haythami in Majma al-Zawa’id, 7/189 and al-Hakami in Ma‘arj al-Qulab, 3/932.

? Abii Hurayrah (radiyAllah ‘anhu) reports that Allah’s Messenger (48) said,