INTRODUCTION

At this point, you are not alone in the room where you are reading this book. Even at times when you think you are alone you have never really been alone. Allah's appointed angels are constantly monitoring and inscribing everything that you do. The moment you say a word they write it down. Your every step, every thought, everything that you do, including obligations which have been postponed, are all recorded without omission.

These angels do not discriminate between minor or major actions. Even when you are asleep they are constantly with you. They fulfil their obligations without error. They are never forgetful or erroneous, they carry out their task faultlessly. By the same token, your appointed angels of death are also waiting. What are they waiting for? For your predestined time to be fulfilled. When your appointed time of death reaches you, it is they who will take delivery of your soul.

As well as these, there are other witnesses which we have not yet mentioned, the ones you do not think about, these are your secret witnesses; your hands and skin. On the Day of Judgment, all these witnesses will congregate, and with Allah's permission they will speak and give their testimony about you. If you happen to be one of those who did not fear Allah, or if you were not a cautious person they will, testify against you.

Humanity has been created to worship Allah and is constantly being tested. A person's temporal existence on average is about sixty years, it is not much time before one is eventually brought before Allah to give account for every second of one's life. When everyone learns of what they have earned on Earth through the evidence provided by these witnesses, Allah will then decide on the kind of eternal life appropriate for them. If a person possesses good deeds he will be given his Book in his right hand and that person will be eternally saved. However, if he is among those whose Books are given in their left hands, he will then say:

… If only I had not been given my Book and had not known about my Reckoning! If only death had really been the end! My wealth has been of no use to me. My power has vanished. (Surat al-Haqqa: 25-29)

From here on he will be apprehended, dragged facedown and taken to Hell, never to be released.

The reason behind this terrible end, is that people never imagined that their every action would be recorded and would one day be revealed and accounted for, hence they passed their lives carelessly without fearing Allah or His warnings. A person such as this who does not possess a definite form of belief in the Hereafter, in the Day of Judgment or in a terrorizing place of punishment for wrong actions and careless behavior, like Hell, will not mind ignoring Allah's boundaries.

This is why fear of Allah is a very strong indicator of faith in Allah and an important indicator of what to expect in the eternal Hereafter. The only way to safety is founded upon fearful awareness of Allah and scrupulous caution.

The Day of Judgment is a fearsome reality to be reflected upon with awe so that it becomes impossible to remain unaffected by it. However, this fear is only applicable to people of faith and is a particular type of fear because Allah has described what will happen on the Day of Judgment in numerous Qur'anic verses; the scribes, witnesses and the enormous congregation of people. This is an absolute certainty, which is unconditionally accepted by true believers who are fearful of facing such a terrifying ordeal.

Everything you do is immediately recorded, even as you are reading this book. You are fast approaching the day when you will be called by Allah to account for your actions. So we hope to be amongst those who have earned Allah's pleasure through fearful awareness of Him:

... Take provision; but the best provision is taqwa of Allah. So have taqwa of Me, people of intelligence! (Surat al-Baqara: 197)

(Taqwa means consciousness, awe or fear of Allah, which inspires a person to be on guard against wrong action and eager for actions which please Him. In this book, it will be translated as "fearing Allah" or "guarding against evil" or "righteousness" according to the context.)

ALLAH COMMANDS IN THE QUR'AN THAT HE BE FEARED

Fearing Allah is not, as assumed by some people, an exclusive trait of prophets and those who are especially near to Him but rather it is a feeling carried within the hearts of all believers, and a feeling that should be held by all humanity. Allah's command in the Qur'an is clear:

You who believe! Fear Allah and let each self look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Hashr: 18)

Allah is not the kind of fear some people assume it to be. It is the meticulous avoidance by a believer, who loves Allah very much, who has wholeheartedly submitted himself to Allah and who does not take any friends and guardians other than Him, of the kind of attitude and morality with which Allah will not be pleased, asking and striving for His mercy and good pleasure.

Our Prophet (saws) also called attention to this issue in many of his sayings, reminding the believers always to fear Allah:

"Fear Allah wherever you are; if you follow an evil deed with a good one you will obliterate it; and deal with people with a good disposition." (Tirmidhi)

Allah has created all humanity and knows them better than they know themselves. He knows what everybody keeps secret even within the most secret of secret recesses of their beings. He is very well aware of the types of misgivings the soul experiences and types of games that will be played out by the self because He is the Creator of every soul and has given it boundless ability to do evil, and inspiration to avoid such evil so that it may be justly tried. Allah has also created satan as part of this test and has granted him a set of specific qualities to be used in the pursuit of his objective.

It is for this reason that a believer's greatest support in life's trial is fear of Allah because this will enable a person to behave as Allah requires, to work towards pleasing Allah, to protect oneself from the temptations of satan and the lower self with awareness of and resistance to their stratagems and games. Such a disposition does not suit satan's attempts to manipulate the limitless desires of a person's lower self.

It is for this reason that a person's lower self, with satan's encouragement, will before all else try to distance him from fearing Allah. They will want to introduce distractions which turn people away from fearing Allah and caution with respect to Him by falsely suggesting that this is unnecessary or even incorrect and that love of Allah and possessing a pure heart is what really matters. However, a conscientious reciter of the Qur'an will see with ease that suggestions such as these have no realistic basis, and that they contain a totally deviant and deceptive objective, because Allah has commanded believers to fear him in the Qur'an in the clearest form possible:

... Fear Allah and know that Allah is fierce in retribution. (Surat al-Baqara: 196)

... So fear Allah. And know that you will be gathered back to Him. (Surat al-Baqara: 203)

... Fear Allah and know that Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Baqara: 231)

... Fear Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara: 233)

You who believe! Fear Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 35)

As in the case regarding every other subject a believer will unreservedly and unconditionally strive to fulfill this command of Allah. Unlike those who are unaware of the Qur'an and who question the necessity or relevance of fearing Allah, they are not misled by the suggestions and promptings of satan which give rise to confusing anxieties as to why a person who loves Allah should fear him. While the five daily prayers and fasting are obligatory practices to be fulfilled in the best possible manner, fear of Allah is an essential spiritual state which the believer must strive with sincerity to engender within himself. Together with this, Allah has revealed in detail in the Qur'an the divine wisdom as to why man should fear Him.

Our Prophet (saas) says this about his fear of Allah in one hadith:

Our Lord has commanded me nine things: To fear Allah both openly and secretly, to speak justly in anger and in consent, to be economical in wealth and in poverty, to be friends with those who abandon me, to give to those who deprive me, to forgive those who oppress me, to reflect when silent and repeat the names of Allah when I speak, for my glance to be an examplary and for me to command what is good and true. (Qutbi Sitte, Concise Translation and Explanation, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 16, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 317)

What should the fear of Allah be like?

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Ekin TV
(March 2nd, 2009) 

The fear of Allah is like the fear of a crazed lover who refrains from displeasing Allah, who fears to be deprived of Allah's consent.  A lover refrains from displeasing the beloved because he fears that this will destroy their love: this is what the fear of Allah is like. There is no other meaning in this. He may go to Hell and burn in its fire but what in fact makes him uncomfortable is his inability to express his love for Allah. So, this is how Allah tells the lover what the lover needs.  If a person has a deep fear of  Allah, he will be very meticulous to obey His commands; he will love Him and behave very respectfully. For example, he will not be self-centered and selfish, but compassionate and caring.  He will not give in to his lower-self or seek his own ends, but he will be forgiving; he will fear Allah and be forgiving to others. For instance forgiveness is a force that fosters love, compassion is a force that fosters love. For the sake of Allah's approval you take care of your beloved, take pains about what he eats and drinks and about the exercises that person should do. This is all a manifestation of one's love for Allah. But the person who does not fear Allah becomes self-centered and selfish, thinking only of himself; he becomes unforgiving and reacts harshly when his own interests are at stake. For instance such person would be skeptical, self-centered; he would be not generous and would not be able to put his life for Allah when he should. That is to say, lots of negative attitudes piles up on him. But in the case of fear of Allah, every sort of goodness comes upon him; that is to say every sort of goodness that ensures love and beauty fits perfectly on fear of Allah.

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Cay TV
(March 18th, 2009) 

ADNAN OKTAR: A devout Muslim fears Allah and never behaves improperly in respect of courtesy towards Him. He speaks in perfect respect. We are beings who may die any second. We are the manifestations of Allah and Allah makes us speak in a tiny space and shows us images. 

… If a person has lots of faith and fears Allah much, he doesn't even feel sleepy because of the joy he experiences. I mean he bursts with joy: the joy of Paradise, the joy of knowing that moral values of Islam will prevail the world, the joy of seeing that the words of blessed people come true, the joy of good morals, there are so many joys to experience, the joy of the blessings given by Allah. But above all else, there is the joy of Allah's existence, I mean we all are under the control of an endless power. That is such a great blessing, praise be to Allah! Let people experience these joys. Of course, as a result of this, such a person becomes lively, vivacious but this is not the purpose.  That is a blessing of Allah upon us for having done such beautiful deeds.

FEARING ALLAH AS DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN

You who believe! Fear Allah the way He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims. (Surah Al 'Imran: 102)

The verse "fear Allah the way He should be feared" proclaims a subject which has been treated in the Qur'an in the most open and detailed manner. What form of fear, what level of spiritual state, and the severity of the injunction have all been individually expounded in Allah's verses. Without doubt, it is one of the most important objectives of Qur'anic revelation:

This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they may be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence will pay heed. (Surah Ibrahim: 52)

Now we will see how Allah should be feared through the verses of the Qur'an.

How does fear of Allah increase?

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Interview On Denge TV
(December 9th , 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: The fear of Allah does not develop without rhyme and reason. There are causes for its development: for instance being generous, helping the poor are things that help increasing one's fear of Allah. Postponing a poor person's debt or clearing it off completely are singled out in the Qur'an as a moral quality. If these are done, and  the Qur'an is read and the depths of the Qur'an is comprehended, people's trust in Allah will develop. Trust in Allah brings blessings and inner peace. For example, trees put their trusts in Allah; He gives them sustenance where they are; while wolves and foxes do not have this trust in Allah and so they always wander in the mountains in hunger; they go for days without food because they are greedy. Not putting trust in Allah does not befit a human being; a human being should submit to Allah, recognize that his sustenance comes from Allah and banish this panic and stress completely from his mind.

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Cay TV
(January 19th, 2009)  

  

ADNAN OKTAR: When a deep thinking person decides to consider, he will use the great blessing that Allah has given him—sincerity. And he will use his conscience. When he sincerely considers the structure of a cell or the life of a mosquito, for example, he sees an exciting structure that takes his breath away. When we look into a cell, again it takes our breath away. A human cell is just like a city. It reminds you of Istanbul. It has a structure like that. It amazes us. Being amazed by it increases our fear of Allah. When our fear of Allah grows, our carefulness about Islam, the path Allah has shown us, also grows. And we attain moral perfection.

To Fear Allah To The Best Of One's Ability

So fear Allah, as much as you are able to, and listen and obey… (Surat at-Taghabun: 16)

In the Qur'an, Allah has explained in detail to humankind His eternal might, majesty and superiority, as well as the severe punishment He has prepared for those who have rebelled against Him. With this in mind one is expected to reflect profoundly on these realities with sincerity, and both one's intentions and actions should reflect an informed attitude towards them. This must be attempted actively, as indicated in the Qur'anic verse, to the best of one's ability. That is to say, one must appreciate Allah's might to the best of one's ability, and be mindful of His warnings of eternal punishment in Hell. In this way; fear of Allah will become a natural reality in one's heart. Similarly, a believer should, to the best of his ability, be fearful and cautious about not fulfilling obligatory worship as described in the Qur'an, as well as committing unlawful acts, because the things to be fearful and cautious about have also been explained in detail in the Qur'an:

In this way We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an and explained therein in detail some of the warnings so that hopefully they will guard against evil or it will spur them into remembrance. (Surah Ta Ha: 113)

Here is another very important point to be clarified: fear of Allah is not a feeling which can only be achieved by going through numerous and difficult spiritual stations. On the contrary, it is a deepfelt sensation inevitably felt by anyone who reflects with an open mind. A person wishing to possess a true fear of Allah could achieve this through one sincere act of reflection. That is to say, a person who reflects even for a second about death and the consequences to be faced after death can develop this combined sense of fear, awe and respect. This is entirely dependant on the person's insight and their capacity for sincerity.

Fearing Allah In The Unseen

To avoid confusion with other earthly fears, Allah has also described in the Qur'an the emotions and state of spirituality of a believer who fears Allah. A believer's fear of Allah is a fear that does not resemble any other fear; this fear is extremely deep and full of awe. This type of fear is unlike other fears and is not intended to give rise to pain and discomfort. Quite the opposite, it reminds people of their humility and servitude to Allah and opens and broadens the awareness and the intellect. This fear enables a person to attain a very high level of upright conduct.

This fear will increase a believer's ardent desire for the Hereafter and incite hope and eagerness. Fear of Allah also increases many times over a believer's closeness to and love of Allah;it is an essential feeling which allows the experience of great spiritual pleasures. The Qur'an makes mention in many verses of the deep awe that believers possess:

Those who fear their Lord in the Unseen will have forgiveness and an immense reward. (Surat al-Mulk: 12)

[People of intelligence are] …afraid of their Lord and fear an evil Reckoning. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 21)

[The Garden is for] those who fear the All-Merciful in the Unseen and come with a contrite heart. (Surah Qaf: 33)

[Prophets are] those who convey Allah's Message and fear Him and do not anyone but Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat al-Ahzab: 39)

Feeling hope with fear

Although a believer fears Allah, he should never forget Allah's compassion, mercy and forgiveness, or that He is the One Who due to His generosity accepts repentance. This will in turn be the reason for possessing a sincere sense of hope, whilst experiencing genuine fear. A deep fear of Allah will give rise to a profound level of reflection on these attributes of Allah, enabling Allah's superiority and greatness to be even more keenly appreciated, resulting in a greater closeness to Allah. One will acquire a greater perception of Allah's mercy, His grace and His immense forgivingness.

Therefore, a true believer will turn and supplicate to Allah in a spiritual state full of fear and hope:

Their sides eschew their beds as they call on their Lord in fear and ardent hope. And they give of what We have provided for them. (Surat as-Sajda: 16)

This is an indication that fear of Allah has never been a feeling to cause hopelessness and pessimism. In many verses of the Qur'an it is declared that a Muslim should be in a constant state of hopefulness:

Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. Allah's mercy is close to the good-doers. (Surat al-A'raf: 56)

Say: "My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." (Surat az-Zumar: 53)

On the other hand, hopelessness is a characteristic of disbelievers, which is also indicated in various Qur'anic verses:

Those who reject Allah's Signs and the meeting with Him, such people can despair of My mercy, such people will have a painful punishment. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 23)

You who believe! Do not make friends of people with whom Allah is angry, who have despaired of the Hereafter as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves. (Surat al-Mumtahana: 13)

The true source of peace and happiness is the fear and love of Allah 

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kral
Karadeniz TV (January 16th, 2009) 

ADNAN OKTAR: Happiness comes from the love and fear of Allah. Without this the human heart cannot find peace. Allah has made this clear. I take shelter in Allah from satan, Allah states that "hearts find peace only in the remembrance of Allah." A person cannot be happy in any other way. 

The traits the fear of Allah bring about in Muslims

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview On Kral
Karadeniz TV (March 30th, 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Yes. The fear of Allah is the most important force that directs our activities and all our characteristics with regard to having good morals. For instance without the fear of Allah, a person may not feel the need to be patient or be able to endure hardship. He may not forgive. He may not use his will in many instances. He may say, "Allah will forgive me anyways." This rationale is also stated in the Qur'an as you know; he may say, "In any case I will go to Heaven". But with the fear of Allah, everything is brought under control. For example, he may not wake up for the morning prayers, or fast, or make any sacrifices for his loved ones... These are the foundation of love and passion; without them all of these (concepts) are demolished. That person becomes utterly empty. With the fear of Allah, a person develops wonderful details. That is to say, he gains traits like diligence and honesty. With the fear of Allah, for instance, a person tells the truth. Without the fear of Allah, a person may easily tell lies for his own gain.

INTERVIEWER: That's what is going on today.

ADNAN OKTAR: Of course, the fear of Allah is at the root of honesty. A person tells the truth because he fears Allah. For instance such person is a truthful witness. The fear of Allah prevents various dissension, depravity, tumult and the anarchy in the individual's soul. It allows us to take much more pleasure from Heaven. Without it, a person is beset by a stiff dullness.

WHY DO BELIEVERS FEAR ALLAH?

To understand why believers fear Allah, it is very important to understand that fear of Allah is a feeling which incites a believer's faith, eagerness, love and respect for Allah. This fear guards a person against adopting attitudes which Allah does not approve, curbs the overflowing desires of the self and reigns in boundless evils. When experienced from a positive perspective, this fear gives constant rise to good actions and attitudes.

This fear distances the believer from Allah's punishment, and draws him towards Allah's pleasure and mercy, which results in great spiritual satisfaction. It inspires in a believer the need to respect Allah's boundaries, gives him an uncompromising determination in seeking Allah's approval and a constant vigilance. Subsequently, the fear of a believer in this world will save him from the fear of the Last Day and the eternal fear and terror of Hell. A Qur'anic verse declares:

Those who give away their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 274)

Believers who fear Allah's warnings and punishment and who adhere with absolute vigilance to His order and judgment will possess a superior morality, which Allah approves of: modesty, tolerance, thoughtfulness, devotion, a pure intellect and a deep awareness of the surpassing excellence of Allah's creation. Such people will display exemplary conduct and possess a high awareness and great sensibility. In essence, fear of Allah spiritually enriches the believer. It increases their inner sight, and engenders a noble spiritual state enhanced by subtle intimations of divine wisdom; it is the key to eternal reward and happiness.

They fear Allah's Majesty

A believer who has an awareness of Allah as described in the Qur'an and who sincerely reflects on His attributes will immediately begin to experience that inner awe that is due to Allah's Majesty and superiority. Allah's majesty, vastness and infinite power will create within the believer a fear full of absolute awe and amazement. 

This fear is a natural fear, which grows in the heart of a believer who is conscious of Allah's high and Majesty. The levels of this fear will increase in proportion to the depth of a person's faith and capacity for reflection. This kind of fear is referred to in the Qur'an as hashyat (to fear with awe).

Allah is the possessor of infinite strength, infinite knowledge and possesses infinite wisdom. He does what He wills when He wills. He will not be questioned about what He does, but He will question people about what they have done. Our Lord is rich beyond need of any being. However, all of creation is dependent on Him. Everybody and everything is created from nothing and it is Allah Who ensures their existence. He is the owner of everything and everybody. If He willed to do so, He could exterminate everyone and replace them with other creatures. He never forgets anything. If Allah wishes for something to be, He merely says, "be" and it will be. Nothing can ever tire Him. For an intelligent person to adopt an attitude of indifference toward Allah for even a moment would be out of the question, let alone taking up a rebellious stance against Him Whose superiority is infinite. 

A person who recognizes Allah as described in the Qur'an and who appreciates His strength will be overwhelmed with awe at His vastness and adopt the attitude of humility and caution that is due to Him. A believer who knows Allah's greatness, majesty and strength is also aware of His other attributes such as "The Avenger" "The Compeller" "The Punisher" and "The Degrader." He will also know that any attitude or speech which is contrary to His commands will not be without response from Him. The believer will act in the knowledge that Allah is at all times aware of everything, that He is all surrounding and all encompassing, and that He is closer to him than his jugular vein.

As a result of the believer's sincerity, Allah will reward him by His infinite Mercy with affirmation in this world, and in the Hereafter with Paradise:

For those who fear the Station of their Lord there are two Gardens. (Surat ar-Rahman: 46)

Most certainly, to appreciate Allah as is due, it is necessary to possess a very good understanding of His Qur'anic signs (verses) as well as being able to recognize His signs in the physical world. From the tiniest atom or cell to the greatest stars or galaxies, possessing detailed knowledge in relation to Allah's creation increases a person's fear of Him. By being aware of these things one gains an even greater appreciation of Allah's infinite wisdom, power and knowledge as manifested in the intricacies of the countless things He has brought into existence, and one is also better able to grasp the utter uniqueness of His power to create. This in turn would serve as a means of increasing many times over the fear of Allah. Thus, Allah reveals this secret in the Qur'an:

… Only those of His servants with knowledge have fear of Allah. Allah is Almighty, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir: 28)

They fear Allah's warnings

Allah has promised to those who do not believe in and obey Him, who never pay regard to what is pleasing to Him and who do not recognize His commands and prohibitions, an endless, spiritual and physical punishment. A true believer knows that no one in this world is safe from Allah's punishment. It is because of this that he is fearful of being subjected to the intolerable and infinite punishment of Hell, which Allah has promised to those who repudiate belief. The spiritual state of the true believers is described in the Qur'an in the following manner:

[Believers are] those who affirm the Day of Judgment. Those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord. No one is safe from the punishment of his Lord. (Surat al-Ma'arij: 26-28)

The souls of those believers who truly fear Allah tremble on reciting those verses of Qur'an which refer to the Fire. On the other hand, those who refuse to believe cannot properly comprehend the meanings of the Book of Allah, even if they do read it. Therefore, only true believers will perceive in these Qur'anic verses Allah's warning to them of the torments of Hell. The only people who will pay heed to the Qur'an, fearing Allah's punishment and act cautiously, are the true believers. As a result, they model themselves not on other people, but rather, on those God-fearing believers who are praised in the Qur'an, and the prophets. 

These people do not grow arrogant or over confident, thinking to themselves, "these verses cannot possibly apply to me, since I am a believer."As a result of their faith, they will constantly hope for redemption and Allah's mercy, but this hope will be one mixed with fear, as emphasized in the following verse: 

… they call on their Lord in fear and ardent hope. (Surat as-Sajda: 16)

About this issue, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) said: 

"When the heart of a believer is filled with these two feelings of hope and fear, Almighty Allah fulfils his hope and saves him from what he fears." (Ibn Majah) 

In order to protect people from Hell, Allah's numerous warnings and reminders are to be found in the Qur'an. In the hope that the rejectors may become fearful and become cautious in their behavior, they have been warned with the punishments they will face in the Hereafter. This is emphasized in the Qur'an:

… "The real losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Rising." Is not that clear loss? They will have awnings of Fire above them and awnings below them. By that Allah strikes fear into His servants: "O My servants, fear Me!" (Surat az-Zumar: 15-16)

The reality is that Allah has warned people, either through His verses or by the mediation of His prophets or even through particular incidents which occur as warning experiences. He will invite them and frighten them with His punishment. "… We frighten them, but it only increases them in their excessive insolence." (Surat al-Isra': 60) The verse clearly shows that for those who persistently reject faith, Allah's warnings are of no benefit, rather they encourage them to greater outrageousness. When the time comes, the punishment they have denied will manifest as certain truth. Allah declares in verses:

Woe to you, and woe! Then woe to you, and woe! Does man reckon he will be left to go on unchecked? (Surat al-Qiyama: 34-36)

Those who distanced themselves from fear of Allah during their time on Earth and denied Allah's punishment, will be given their records in their left hand after they are called to account, at which time they will be judged accordingly and will be sentenced to infinite punishment and driven to Hell in groups. They will be in a state of total psychological collapse as they are dragged to the gates of Hell. Allah describes the moment in His verses in the following manner: 

Those who do not believe will be driven to Hell in companies and when they arrive there and its gates are opened its custodians will say to them, "Did Messengers from yourselves not come to you, reciting your Lord's Signs to you and warning you of the meeting on this Day of yours?" They will say, "Indeed they did, but the decree of punishment is justly carried out against the disbelievers." They will be told, "Enter the gates of Hell and stay there timelessly, for ever. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!" (Surat az-Zumar: 71-72)

In this manner, they will enter through the gates of Hell to remain there forever. The gates of Hell will be drawn closed and locked. There will be no possibility of escape, and their bodies and souls will be subjected to infinite, unbearable pain. However, none of the punishments they will be subjected to will kill them. After each exposure to the Fire their scorched flesh will be renewed and the punishment will continue. They will long for the punishment to come to an end, but they will receive the following answer: 

They will call out [to the custodian of the Hell], "Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!" He will say, "You will stay the way you are." (Surat az-Zukhruf: 77)

The punishment of Hell is of different types, each one of which is beyond human powers of imagination. The deviators will be firewood for Hellfire, they will be tormented by it. Their faces will be rolled over in the Fire, with hands tied they will be thrown into a narrow space in the fire where they will be boiled and branded. Whilst in this state they will be scourged with cudgels made of iron, they will wear shirts of tar and will sleep on beds of fire covered with fire. They will eat bitter thorny bush and poisonous zaqqum and will drink blood and scalding pus. The boiling water they will be made to drink will lacerate their bowels, the Fire will sear their faces, their lips will be drawn back from their teeth, and they will sigh and gasp. All these are just one perspective on the physical punishments of Hell. 

The people of Hell will also be subjected to the psychological equivalent of the pain they suffer physically. Simultaneously they will feel helplessness, hopelessness and remorse, and they will be subjected to degradation, disgrace, abasement, humiliation, anger, rage and quarrel. At the same time, the punishments inflicted upon them will devour, and destroy them. 

Under this multiple onslaught of pain and suffering, each one of them will be alone as enemies one to another. They will constantly curse one another. Their insane screaming, bawling, begging, moaning and groaning will merge into a deafening howl. 

It would be easy to imagine that those subjected to this punishment are creatures of another kind. However, this is not so, they are people who once inhabited the Earth who you may have seen walking along the street, some of whom you may recognize and know personally. Nothing has changed except that at a time they least expected, the angels of death have taken their souls and they have found themselves answering and paying for the sins they have committed. Amongst Allah's creatures, it is only the true believers who are aware of Allah's great warning and whose condition is one of fear and hope:

[The servants of the All-Merciful are] those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell, its punishment is inescapable pain." (Surat al-Furqan: 65)

In addition, there is another hadith from our Prophet (saas) as a mercy from Allah:

The Prophet (saas) said: "Anyone with even a peck of faith in his heart will emerge from the fire." Abu Said said: "Whoever falls into doubt (of the fact related by this notice) must read this verse: "Allah does not wrong anyone by so much as the smallest speck." (Surat an-Nisa, 40) (Tirmidhi, Sıfatu Cehennem 10, (2601))

They fear losing Allah's approval and love

The true believer who possesses an intimate and profound love of Allah knows very well that the most important nourishment for this love is again an intimate, profound fear which is full of respect. True believers, who have tasted the indescribable spiritual pleasures of loving Allah, are very afraid of committing any offence or error that might endanger that love or, worse still, arouse the displeasure or enmity of their Most Beloved, Allah.

Fear of Allah is inextricably linked to love of Allah. Love of Allah can only be achieved with nearness to Allah, which becomes a reality when one develops an intimate and sincere attachment to Him. However, nearness to Allah is not possible without His love and approval, and this is gained by protecting His boundaries and fulfilling His commands. This however, is not a position that can be arrived at without first establishing fear of Allah, because the soul of a person who does not fear Allah will constantly be drawn towards doing things which Allah does not approve of and being neglectful and indifferent towards those things which Allah desires of us. It is for this reason that the only way to gain Allah's approval is through fear of Him.

This order of things is established by Allah. Hence, to imagine that one will earn His love and approval before one has acquired fear of Him is a sign of great self-deception. Before all else, Allah has ordered people to fear Him. To overlook this imperative and to say that one only needs to love Allah makes no sense. People who assert that they love Allah whilst they remain indifferent to what may be displeasing to Him are, in reality, deceiving themselves in their attempts to ease their own consciences. The love of Allah they refer to is a figment of their imagination and is superficial in nature. People who truly love Allah are extremely meticulous and decisive when it comes to the matter of adhering to His commands and prohibitions. Arguing that fear of Allah is unnecessary is in fact no different from saying, "there is no need for fasting, prayer and worship." Such people resort to a variety of excuses not only on the matter of fearing Allah but also in order avoid fulfilling many of Allah's other commands.

They know that Allah could respond even on Earth

The Qur'an is full of references to Allah punishing some people as a result of the sins they have committed on Earth. Despite Allah's providing them with ample opportunities to avoid it, those who have persisted in their denial of belief have suffered the consequences of Allah's response whilst still on Earth for what they have done and have remained as prime examples for other people.

A prime example of this is the story of Qarun, who was given great wealth by Allah. As a result of this vast wealth he became arrogant and developed an exaggerated sense of his own self-importance. People were initially convinced of Qarun's great power and were in total admiration of him, however, later on, when he met his demise as a result of his fierce pride, they finally understood the truth. In a totally unexpected and unprecedented manner, Qarun was destroyed as a direct result of his rebelliousness, and made a clear object lesson for all mankind to learn:

He went out among his people in his finery. Those who desired the life of this world said, "Oh! If only we had the same as Qarun has been given! What immense good fortune he possesses." (Surat al-Qasas: 79)

We caused the Earth to swallow up both him and his house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped. Those who had longed to take his place the day before woke up saying "Allah expands the provision of any of His servants He wills or restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness to us, we would have been swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the unbelievers are nor successful." (Surat al-Qasas: 81-82)

The story of Qarun and other accounts in the Qur'an of many a magnificent and powerful community that have been unable to protect themselves from Allah's punishment draw particular attention to the fact that Allah has punished them here on Earth. This reality is explained in many Qur'anic verses:

Have they not travelled in the Earth and seen the final fate of those before them? They had greater strength than them and cultivated the land and inhabited it in far greater numbers than they do... (Surat ar-Rum: 9)

… Did he not know that before him Allah had destroyed generations with far greater strength than his and far more possessions?... (Surat al-Qasas: 78)

How many generations We have destroyed before them who had finer furnishings and a better outward show! (Surah Maryam: 74)

The thing that distinguishes a true believer from other people is their consciousness of all these issues, they fear Allah with inner awe and behave cautiously. When they make a mistake or even commit a wrong action, they are aware that Allah could respond immediately and so they turn to Him in a state of remorse and repentance, begging Him for forgiveness.

A true believer is very fearful of Allah but at the same time puts his trust in Allah's infinite mercy. This sensibility comes purely as a result of reflecting on the Hereafter.

In the Qur'an Allah makes mention of those people who have quite the opposite attitude. Even though the coming punishment is plain to see, they fail to connect it to the reality of their own predicament and persist in their wrongful conduct. Their situation is described in the Qur'an as follows:

When they saw it as a storm cloud advancing on their valleys they said, "This is a storm cloud which will give us rain." No, rather it is what you desired to hasten-a wind containing painful punishment, destroying everything at its Lord's command! When morning came you could see nothing but their dwellings. That is how We repay the people of the evildoers. (Surat al-Ahqaf: 24-25)

In conclusion when we look at the Qur'an we see that bad deeds, as long as the one who commits them doesn't repent and cease immediately as is due to Allah's exalted justice, do not go unpunished. However, this punishment sometimes reaches people here on Earth, and sometimes is revealed on the Day of Reckoning. Those who show ingratitude and persist in what they do, are never safe from the punishment that Allah is able to inflict upon them within an instant. This reality is described as follows in the Qur'an:

Do you feel secure against Him causing the shore to swallow you up or sending against you a sudden squall of stones? Then you will find no one to be your guardian. Or do you feel secure against Him taking you back into it another time and sending a violent storm against you and drowning you for your ingratitude? Then you will find no one to defend you against Us. (Surat al-Isra': 68-69)

The Prophet Muhammad (saas) expresses Allah's exalted justice as follows: 

"By Him in Whose hand my soul is, you must enjoin what is reputable and forbid what is disreputable, or Allah will certainly soon send punishment from Himself to you. Then you will make supplication and not receive an answer." (Tirmidhi)

People cannot live their entire lives irresponsibly, because they are accountable to Allah. To go against this would be to incur the severity of Allah's punishment. To persist consciously with such behavior is clear evidence of failure to appreciate the totality of Allah's power. If Allah willed, He could at any moment withdraw all of the blessings He has bestowed upon mankind. This is referred to in the Qur'anic verses cited below:

If We wished, We could put out their eyes. Then, though they might race for the path, how would they see?

If We wished, We could transform them where they stand so they would neither be able to go out nor return. (Surah Ya Sin: 66-67)

The reality is that everything a person owns, every breath he takes, every second of his life he owes to Allah, and because true believers are aware of these realities they are constantly mindful of exceeding Allah's limits.

They fear being caught ill-prepared for death

Death is a reality. On average, a person will remain on Earth for approximately sixty years following which the eternal life commences. This eternal life will be lived either in the Garden (Paradise) endowed with endless blessings, or in the Fire (Hell), which has been created especially to inflict pain on body and soul. Whenever Allah wills, He can end a person's life on Earth and move him to the Hereafter and there is no doubt that this decision can become a reality within a blink of an eye.

A person can never know when he will die, the time his trial will end or the moment of his final judgment. As a result he should be quite fearful and cautious about being caught out unprepared when that moment arrives, being unable to account for his actions and being burdened with obligations that he has either neglected or postponed and not taken seriously. When the angels of death arrive there is no further possibility to complete unfinished obligations or to compensate for work that should have been completed. The deeds done up to that moment will either be to one's profit or loss and one will be called to account and held responsible for them or rewarded for them, as the case may be.

Death is a reality from which there is no return. Every person is allowed to "live long enough for anyone who was going to pay heed to pay heed" (Surah Fatir: 317). When the appointed time of death arrives, no matter how much a person begs and pleads he will not be given another chance. No additional time will be granted him to fulfill the responsibilities towards Allah that he had not fulfilled up to that time. To prevent true believers from becoming heedless and negligent Allah has cautioned them:

Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give charity and be one of the righteous!" Allah will not give anyone more time, once their time has come. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Munafiqun: 10-11)

People should never be satisfied with themselves and what they have done insofar as they remain conscious of death becoming a reality at any moment and being caught ill-prepared for an end that has no return. One should spend every moment striving to protect Allah's limits.

Thinking about death increases one's fear of Allah

Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Interview
On Tempo TV (January 13th, 2009) 

ADNAN OKTAR: Death is a great blessing. It is  a door opening  to the Heaven for the believers, for people to attain Allah, insha'Allah. And it is a clear proof that destroys desire for this world. Death is one of the first amongst the reasons which discipline human beings and is one of the most important causes for composing  good manners.  Death deeply affects people, it deeply affects all the humans. And the fear from Hell, that is  the fear of Allah. When these are present, a person becomes kinder, more compassionate, merciful; he becomes more intelligent, tender, agreeable and easy-going. And this is the foundation and root of a good moral life. For this reason, we regard death as a means to draw us close to Allah, and as a  means to Heaven. And in this way, we know that it is a blessing, insha'Allah.

They fear the Day of Judgment

The fear of Allah and the Day of Judgment nurtured by those possessing faith is described in the following Qur'anic verse:

Those who fear their Lord in the Unseen and are apprehensive about the Hour. (Surat al-Anbiya': 49)

In addition, in another Qur'anic verse Allah makes mention of the inner fear of the believers:

In houses which Allah has permitted to be built and in which His name is remembered, there are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the performance of prayer and the giving of alms; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. (Surat an-Nur: 36-37)

For both the people who have remained far removed from fearing Allah throughout their lives, and those who believed and have behaved cautiously, their earthly actions will be shown to them one by one. Furthermore, without omitting even the slightest detail, on that day those who have lived an irresponsible life without fearing Allah and without acting cautiously will understand what they are destined for:

That Day people will emerge segregated to see the results of their actions. Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (Surat az-Zilzal: 6-8)

As a result of their fear and remorse, they will want to die and cease to exist. Their ruinous existence is described in the following verses of Qur'an:

But as for him who is given his Book in his left hand, he will say, "If only I had not been given my Book and had not known about my Reckoning! If only death had really been the end! My wealth has been of no use to me. My power has vanished." (Surat al-Haqqa: 25-29)

But as for him who is given his Book behind his back, he will cry out for destruction but will be roasted in a Searing Blaze. He used to be joyful in his family. He thought that he was never going to return. But in fact his Lord was always watching him! (Surat al-Inshiqaq: 10-15)

Following this, the deeds contained in the individual records will be weighed on sensitive scales, which Allah has prepared for the Day of Judgment. Not an atom's weight of injustice will be done. If one is not amongst the cautious, one's scales will be light and one will be apprehended, chained and sent to the place one deserves. Not only will nobody help each other, one will not even be able to help oneself. The pain of one's helplessness will engulf one's entire being:

But as for him whose balance is light, his motherland is Hawiya. And what will convey to you what that is? A raging Fire! (Surat al-Qari'a: 8-11)

On that day, people who lead their lives on Earth without fear of Allah will have all their sins laid before them one at a time. Not only the deeds committed but also all the evil deeds that they may have intended. When that time comes they will not be able to do anything about the remorse they will experience Even their attempts at denial will fail since their hearing, sight and skin will begin to speak in evidence against them as decreed by Allah:

It may be that those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. (Surat al-Hijr: 2)

The fear that true believers feel ensures that they continue to behave cautiously and conscientiously, being fully aware that Allah's verse will be manifested on that day. It is for this reason that so long as one remains on the Earth one must be wary of involvement in anything that one cannot give an acceptable account for. In fact, it is inconceivable that a person possessing a sound intellect could act contrary to this. Allah's knowledge is everywhere and envelops and penetrates everything. He is closer to a person than his own jugular vein, whilst specially assigned angels record even the slightest detail. For a person to be preoccupied with the worthless and transitional affairs of this world at the expense of forgetting the Day of Judgment is the greatest heedlessness possible.

From the moment we open our eyes in the morning it means that Allah has created a new day and another chance for us. We should be mindful of the moment when we will be accountable to Allah, and start the day with sincere intentions. Our intention however, should be to distance ourselves from behavior and actions which Allah does not approve of. No one would like to find himself amongst those who when the moment arrives will be apprehended and sent to an endless punishment crying, "If only..." and "How I wish...."

Mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when no father will be able to atone for his son, or son for his father, in any way. Allah's promise is true. So do not let the life of this world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you concerning Allah. (Surah Luqman: 33)