HAVE NO FEAR, AND YOU SHALL NOT GRIEVE

‘Whoever fears Allah ... is feared by everything.’ —Hadrat Ali (ra)

Fear is similar to having cancer; it hides inside us, sapping our strength and energy. Fear or worry drains our minds of power and over time it injures our soul. To fear is one thing, but to allow fear to control our destiny is a different matter. We must not allow this to happen. Faith in Almighty Allah, reading the Noble Qur’an with understanding and following the Sunnah of our noble Messenger Muhammad (S), will empower us to build our resistance against the challenges in life. Almighty Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur’an in Surah al-Baqarah: ‘Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, establish regular salat and give regular charity will have their reward with Allah: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve’ ([2]:277).

Fear is a dominant emotion in the world today. The fear of loss, of tomorrow, of failing in life, of hurt or harm are phobias created by evil forces to divert humankind from faith in Almighty Allah. In Surah al-Imran, Almighty Allah warns humankind: ‘It is Iblees who prompts people to fear his allies: have no fear of them, but fear Me if you are truly committed [to Me]’ ([3]:175).

Almighty Allah tells us that He is the only power to be feared. Faith in Almighty Allah makes Iblees and his allies impotent. Almighty Allah’s power is the only power that the evil forces fear. Almighty Allah promises the truly committed who follow His law in every thought and action, perform the salat, give charity, act righteously and seek the pleasure of Almighty Allah, that they will have no fear, nor shall they grieve. In every thought and action, we must seek the pleasure of Almighty Allah.

The antidote to fear is faith in Almighty Allah. Start now; read the Noble Qur’an regularly and with understanding; action is a builder of confidence. Action closes the door to fear. We are trapped in fear and worry, which can lead to a host of diseases. Life is filled with uncertainty; ninety per cent of our confrontations in life are with imaginary predators we are trying to fight. Faith in Almighty Allah is the saviour. Do we associate with people who are fearful, fault-finding and negative? Be cautious of negative associates who always complain about life.

Hadrat Ali (ra) says: ‘Keep company of the people of good and you will be one of them, and keep away from people of evil and you will be separated from them.’

154             PART THREE: BELIEVE YOUR FEARS AWAY

The number of people from all walks of life oppressed by fear is disturbing. Fear of poverty, ill-health or old age are signs of evil! Fear is a negative force that drains our energy. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) encouraged this dhikr to overcome fear and worries: ‘The servant who makes this dhikr in the morning and evening, every day three times, nothing will cause him harm.’

‘Bismillaahil-ladhi laa yaduru ma’asmihi shay’un fil ardi wa laa fissa maa; wa hu wa samee‘ul ‘aleem.’ ‘In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth nor in the heavens harms, and He is All-hearing, All-knowing.’

In this du‘a Almighty Allah undertakes that by having faith in Him, nothing on this earth can harm His faithful servants. Fear is the greatest spiritual hindrance that keeps people from committing themselves to Almighty Allah and enjoying an abundant, successful, fulfilling life. Almighty Allah is the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. What calamity can cause us grief if we have Almighty Allah on our side?

The Noble Qur’an is overflowing with verses that promise good and success to those who ‘follow the guidance of Allah’. In Surah al-Baqarah, Almighty Allah reminds the believer: ‘Whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve’ ([2]:38).

By reading the Noble Qur’an we establish our faith in Almighty Allah and remove negative emotions. These negative emotions—fear, jealousy, hatred, envy, revenge, greed, superstition and anger—are replaced with emotions of desire, faith, love, enthusiasm and hope. We must resist fear by controlling our thoughts and expecting good in life. We must never carry grudges, rather think pleasant thoughts and swiftly or immediately forget unpleasant incidents or encounters.

To learn how to conquer fear, read the Noble Qur’an daily. Lack of belief in Almighty Allah produces a spirit of timidity, reluctance and hesitation. Absence of faith and courage causes thousands to live weak, apologetic lives. We must be free of fear and live with the guaranteed knowledge that Almighty Allah, our Creator who brought us into this world, is with us at all times.

In Surah al-Baqarah Almighty Allah says: ‘Nay, whoever submits his whole self to Allah and is doer of good, he will have his reward with Allah; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve’ ([2]:112).

Fear that disciplines us is good. We cannot be good unless we respectfully fear the displeasures of Almighty Allah. Fear of Almighty Allah makes us follow His laws, and develop love for Him. Almighty Allah says in the Noble Qur’an, Surah al-Imran: ‘O ye, who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared’ ([3]:102).

Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) (as) said: ‘The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Allah.’ Fear of Almighty Allah is one of the qualities of the soul. Restoring order to the soul begins with instilling fear of earthly desires. This fear is akin to love;

156             PART THREE: BELIEVE YOUR FEARS AWAY

it is the fear of losing the pleasure of Almighty Allah. We must strive for His mercy and love by following His commands as explained in the Noble Qur’an and as exemplified by the Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S).

The fear of expectation is a fear that causes us to expect the worst: ‘We get what we expect’ and ‘we attract what we fear’. A person motivated by this fear will think more about what can go wrong than what can go right. When we concentrate on what we fear or want to avoid, we increase the likelihood of its happening. We must always replace negative suggestions with positive ones.

Always expect good; expecting good will bring comfort and strength. Remember we get what we expect! The Noble Qur’an is prolific with verses that promise good for humankind who follow Almighty Allah’s guidance: ‘On the faithful shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.’ If we follow Almighty Allah’s laws and have faith in Him, no fear can befall us in any way. What calamity can there be to cause grief? Almighty Allah promises success to those who believe and fulfil His commands.

We must always focus our attention on success. We must not compromise when confronted with difficulties. These come to everyone, but the successful and fearless person acknowledges the difficulties as stepping-stones to advancement. The best way to adapt to change and lead a successful life is to view difficulties or crises as opportunities. Almighty Allah works in wonderful ways, especially if we have absolute faith in Him, He will bless us with success because He knows what we need. The only prerequisite is to have faith in Almighty Allah, only when we have faith will He respond. When Almighty Allah helps us succeed, He wants us to understand that difficulties in life are His challenges that take us to the next level on our road to success.

We must always pray to Almighty Allah and have faith in Him. We live only one short life that will soon pass. Only the deeds we do for Almighty Allah in His Name will last. Almighty Allah has promised if we believe in Him, life will be a pleasure, free from fear. Those who trust in Almighty Allah will be free of fear, grief and will be safe. There is safety and deliverance in Almighty Allah; serve Him without fear.

The love of Almighty Allah and our fellow human beings will cast out fear. When love controls, we defeat and conquer fear because of our concern for the needs of others. Almighty Allah blessed us with Love and Guidance to overcome and conquer fear. The Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) teaches us the same things.

Almighty Allah addresses the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) to enjoy this life by choosing only what is wholesome, that elevates human beings and makes them grow and enjoy this life in purity and enables us to establish a bond with Him. Almighty Allah encourages us to live successfully and enjoy life. In Surah al-Muminoon He says: ‘O ye Apostles; enjoy (all) things good and pure’ ([23]:51).