Quran and the Psychology of Fear

Fear is a very interesting yet a complicated emotion that God created within us. Some people think that fear is a negative quality and therefore try to hide it. In reality though, fear is a great bounty from God. Fear acts like a protection mechanism. It’s the fear for life that makes us drive carefully on the highway. It’s the fear of poverty that makes some people get up every morning and go to work. Yes, fear does become a problem if it turns into an excessive unjustified fear, also known as anxiety. So what does Islam say about fear? In Islamic theology, fear is three types.

First, we have natural fear. This fear is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy. It’s just natural. God tells us in the Quran that even Moses, one of the strongest human beings, experienced this type of fear. He felt this fear when he left his town after killing an Egyptian by mistake. He also expressed his fear when God tasked to go and stand up in front of the pharaoh.

Second, there is the blameworthy fear. This type has many colors. For example, you have fear based on superstition. The Quran criticizes the belief that if idols are not worshipped they can inflict harm in some obscure way. This is why bad omen is forbidden in Islam. But, then you have the more common fear that we all may go through. Sometimes, we don’t speak the truth because we’re afraid!! We’re afraid of losing a position, we’re afraid of losing money, we’re afraid of this, we’re afraid of that. This type of fear can accumulate and pile up till it paralyzes you. Here the Quran tells us that fear is nothing but a tool of Satan, “It’s indeed Satan that strikes fear using his agents, so don’t fear them and fear Me” 3:175. In fact, this verse also tells us the solution to this type of fear. We should fear God instead.

One practical example of this fear is Islamophobia. As the name implies, Islamophobia is this unjustified excessive fear of anything that is Islamic. Some people have figured how powerful fear is and they have maliciously used it to tarnish the reputation of Islam and Muslims. See fear can overcome any other emotion. When people are fearful of something, they cannot think straight. Other emotions such as mercy and love are suppressed due to fear. This is why we cannot submit to fear. Fear can paralyze a community, a nation, a whole entire population.

It’s also interesting that the Quran hints to the fear that could be employed by a propaganda machine. Consider for example, “Those whom the people told them that the people have gathered against you, so fear them. Rather, their faith increased” 3:173. This verse tells us about 3 people, the people who are told to fear others, the people who are telling, and the people who are supposed to be feared. This is exactly the foundation of any fear-based propaganda. But here the Quran says that those who were supposed to be fearful did not fall prey for this fear mongering. Rather, their faith increased. This is because they implemented the fear of God which made them immune from other fears.

This takes us to the third type of fear which is good and encouraged. This is to fear God. This fear is not a weakness. Rather it’s strength. This fear is based on knowledge of who God is. The Quran has a word for this fear. It’s called Khashyah. The Quran tells us that it’s the knowledgeable people who possess this type of fear. This fear will define our moral compass. It will urge us to do what’s good and it will stop us from doing what’s evil. This fear will also increase our awe and reverence of God, so our worship is more meaningful. The Quran also tells us that we should dedicate Khashyah to God and no one else 9:18.

By Anas Hlayhel