Al-Hujuraat (The Inner Apartments)

13. O people! We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most honorable of you with Allah is that [one] who fears Allah. Indeed, Allah is Omniscient, All-Aware.

The Islamic faith rejects all racial, political, ethnological, tribal, geographical, economic, intellectual, cultural, social, and military segregations and places fear of God as the standard for distinction between virtues and vice;

(“Indeed, the most honorable of you with Allah is that [one] who fears Allah”).

The preceding Verses were addressed to believers by the phrase:

“O people!”

It is worthy of note that numerous Qur’anic Verses deal with factors leading ‘believing community’ to perils and forbids people from the same. The blessed Verse in question addresses the members of the human society and thus expresses the most significant principle guaranteeing discipline and stability and the true standard of human values against false values.

The blessed Verse is saying:

“O people! We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another.”

‘Creation of mankind from a male and a female’

indicates tracing the genealogy of mankind to Adam and Eve. Therefore, all mankind spring from the same root and taking pride in terms of genealogy and tribe is meaningless.

God Almighty created different characteristics for tribes for the maintenance of social order, since such different characteristics indentify men without which identification of people and thereby maintenance of social order in human society may not be established and chaos would encompass human society.

Following an invalidation of taking pride in ancestors and tribes predominant as the most significant source of honor and pride in the age of ignorance, the Glorious Qur’an treats of the rue standard of values by saying:

“Indeed, the most honorable of you with Allah is that [one] who fears Allah.”

Thus, all outward and material privileges are invalidated and the true standard of values is determined by fear of God saying that it is solely through fear of God that one may attain to closeness to God Almighty and the threshold of his sanctity. Fear of God is a spiritual and inward quality whose permanence in the heart and soul should precede any other quality. Besides, many people pretend to have the quality in question but only few people possess the same.

Thus the blessed Verse in question closes:

“Indeed, Allah is Omniscient, All-Aware.”

He knows the righteous quite well and is fully aware of the degree of their fear of God, sincerity of intention and purity of heart.

He endears them based upon His Omniscience and bestows rewards upon them. He also knows pretenders and chastises them.

What follows constitutes a brief discussion on fear of God Almighty. As mentioned above, the Holy Qur’an recognizes fear of God as the highest privilege and acknowledges that it is the only standard for assaying human values.

Fear of God is elsewhere¹ regarded by the Holy Qur’an as the best provision:

“And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is Fear of God (taqwa).”

Fear of God Almighty is elsewhere regarded as:

“the best garment”2 .

Numerous Qur’anic Verses consider the first principle of the Prophetic Call as fear of God and the significance of fear of God Almighty is so exalted that:

“He [Allah] is the One, deserving that mankind should stand in awe before Him and He is the One Who forgives [mankind]”3 .

Fear of God is reflected in the Holy Qur’an as Divine Light creating knowledge wherever it takes roots:

(“Be afraid of Allah and He teaches you,”)4 .

Doing righteous good deeds are considered to be on a par with fear of God;

(“Render one another help in doing righteous good deeds and fear of God Almighty”).

Besides, justice is regarded on a par with fear of God Almighty;

(“Be just and it is closer to fear of God”).

Now, let us attend to the truth of fear of God as the great spiritual capital and the most exalted of honors with so many privileges. The Holy Qur’an makes certain allusions and thereby reveals the truth of fear of God Almighty.

According to numerous Qur’anic Verses, the place of fear of God Almighty is human heart, for instance:

“Indeed, those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messenger (for the sake of good manners and their respect for him], they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested [and prepared] for [entertaining] piety. For them are forgiveness and a great reward”5 . According to the Holy Qur’an, taqwa (“fear of God Almighty”) is the antonym of fujur (“immorality, iniquity, depravation, dissolution, debauchery, licentiousness, profligacy, dissolute life”) (“Then He showed him what is debauchery for him and what is fear of God for him,”)6 .

Whatever springs from the spirit of sincerity, faith, and pure intention is regarded as a quality based on fear of God Almighty, as in the case of the Mosque of Quba opposite which the Mosque of Âirar was built by hypocrites, the Holy Qur’an says:

“Indeed the mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on fear of God is more worthy that you stand therein,”)7 .

The aforesaid Qur’anic Verses clearly indicate that fear of God is the same feeling of obligation and duty which follows the penetration of faith in heart, predominating his existence, impeding him from committing impiety and sin, calls him to good, purity, and justice, and purifying his thought and intention from impurities.

Taking a glance at the etymology of the Arabic word taqwa, we come to the same conclusion, since the root w-q-y denotes “striving toward preserving something.” The word ad hoc connotes preserving the soul from any impurity and concentrating one’s faculties in carrying out deeds in which Divine Satisfaction lies.

A number of eminent personalities consider three stages for fear of God Almighty:

1. Preservation of soul from everlasting torment through attaining to true beliefs.

2. Abstaining from committing any sin including abandonment of carrying out obligations and committing sins.

3. Restraining one’s self from entanglement in what preoccupies the mind and keeps man from remembrance of God Almighty. This is the most exalted kind of fear of God Almighty.²

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali (as) expresses clear and graphic depictions and expressions regarding fear of God Almighty in which he contrasts fear of God with sins and impurities:

“Know that sins are like wild mounts used by sinners whose reins are torn asunder thus casting sinners into the depth of Hell; whereas, fear of God Almighty is like a tamed and calm mount whose riders take their reins in their hands and gallop toward the heart of Paradise.”9

Based on this delicate depiction, fear of God is restraining and checking one’s self and overcoming one’s concupiscence against wild desires and leaving them unchecked.

Imam ‘Ali (as) also says elsewhere:

“Know O servants of Allah that fear of God Almighty is like a fortified and invincible castle, but impiety and sin are like a weak and indefensible wall which may not save those seeking refuge in it, nor may any one find security in it. Know that many may solely stay unharmed by sins through fear of God Almighty.”10

He says elsewhere:

“Grasp fear of God Almighty which is a strong cord and hold and a secure refuge.”11

The truth and the spirit of fear of God Almighty are revealed from these depictions and expressions. It is also worthy of note that fear of God Almighty is the fruit of the tree of faith. Consequently, one has to fortify the pillars of faith in order to attain to such great reward.