The Fear Factor

The Qur’an praises:
مَّنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ
“Those who FEAR the RAHMAAN (Merciful i.e. God).” [50:33].

Some people think that its a contradiction to “fear” a “merciful” God, but it is not.

Al-Ghazali said in “Al-Ihyaa”, (4/142):

فإن الرجاء والخوف جناحان بهما يطير المقربون إلى كل مقام محمود ومطيتان بهما يقطع من طرق الآخرة

Meaning: “fear” and “hope” are like the two wings of a bird, if either of them is missing, the bird cannot fly.

Similarly, a combination of “fear” and “hope”, carries a believer to its destination: Paradise.

Without “hope” we will dispair, without “fear” we will sin.

But scholars say: when we reach our death bed, our “hope” should overpower the “fear factor”…