Some Christians claim that Allah (SWT) can only be loved and find fear of Allah (SWT) meaningless. How can we respond to those people who think like that?
If a person believes in Allah (SWT), he must believe in all of His attributes and names as well. Faith cannot be separated into parts. In other words, it is impossible to believe some and disbelieve others. Just as Allah (SWT) has the names which call for beauty for beings such as Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent), Ar-Rahim (The Merciful), Al-Kareem (The Munificent), Ar-Razzaq (The Provider), As-Shafee (The Healer), so too He has the names which call for punishment such as Al-Qahhar (The Subduer), Al-Aziz (The Mighty), Al-Jabbar (The Compeller). In the Risale-i Nur Collection, there passes a phrase, which reads as to love His beauty and stand in awe of His presence. So when to be afraid of Allah (SWT) is in question, we need to stand in awe of His names which call for punishment. This can be accomplished through refraining from sins. The criterion for the love of Allah (SWT) is to follow His orders. Accordingly, if anybody says, Allah is just loved but not feared, there underlies such a meaning:
Only Allahs (SWT) orders are followed but His prohibitions are not avoided.
Furthermore, to avoid from prohibitions is also a divine order. That is, the love of Allah and the fear of Allah can cohabit in a heart. For example, there are a number of orders in the Quran and again there are a number of threats for those who disobey these orders. To follow those orders expresses love and to refrain from not to follow those orders is the fear of Allah. While there are things to be done and not to be done even in the smallest executive unit and while there are orders and prohibitions even for any governor of little importance; to claim that Allah only has orders and to think that those who disobey His orders will remain unpunished will not be consistent with faith in Allah (SWT) in its real sense.
The most important point that those who think like that are deceived is that they think of fearing Allah (SWT) a hindrance to their joys and pleasures. Moreover, one who fears Allah (SWT) is saved from the calamitous and distressing fear of others. (The Words, Bediuzzaman).
In the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah, it is first stated that the Quran is the book; in it is guidance, sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah; and then the qualities of one who fears Allah (SWT) are given:
Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.
These we have counted here are the qualities of one who fears Allah (SWT) along with faith and good deeds. From this, we can easily deduce that: Every good deed in some respects can be included in fear of Allah (SWT).
Likewise, in the Surah Al-i Imran (134,135), the qualities of one who fears Allah (SWT) are given as follows:
To spend freely, whether in prosperity, or in adversity.
To restrain anger when angry
To pardon all men
When having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins.
Never to be obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done.
In summary, fearing Allah and good deeds are intermingled. Anyway, fearing Allah is a substantial reason leading man to good deeds.
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