Flee From God, To God

Flee From God, To God – ابن رجب الحنبلي

The Qur’an says:
فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ
“So flee to God.” [Qur’an 51:50].

Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali writes:

فَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا خَافَ مِنْ مَخْلُوقٍ، هَرَبَ مِنْهُ، وَفَرَّ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مِنَ اللَّهِ، فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ مَلْجَأٍ يَلْجَأُ إِلَيْهِ، وَلَا مَهْرَبٍ يَهْرُبُ إِلَيْهِ إِلَّا هُوَ، فَيَهْرُبُ مِنْهُ إِلَيْهِ، كَمَا كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي دُعَائِهِ لَا مَلْجَأَ، وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ

“When a person fears another person, he flees from him, to someone else.
However, when someone fears God, there is nobody he can flee to for shelter, except God Himself.
So he flees FROM GOD, TO GOD.
The Prophet said in his supplication:
“There is neither fleeing from You nor refuge but with You.”

[‘Jaami al-‘uluum’, 2/118].