Exalting Allah in the heart and fearing Him in secret and in public
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: Some people may commit a sin or may refrain from it in front of people out of their modesty toward them, but when they are alone with the prohibitions of Allah, they violate them. His question is: How does a believer exalt Allah in his heart such that he fears Him in secret and in public? What is the means to that?
Answer:
He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1987Hasan (Darussalam). It is not that you fear Him in front of people, and when you are alone you challenge Him with sin. This is not permissible. Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1987Hasan (Darussalam). Make your fear of Him constant with you, whether you are with people or you are alone from people. For Allah is with you and sees you. You do not fear people; rather, you fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
[At-Tawbah 9:13] He is [At-Tawbah 9:13]. [An-Nisa 4:108] My brother, fear Allah, whether you are with people or alone with yourself. [Al-Mulk 67:12] Look, in the unseen, meaning they are absent from people. [Al-Mulk 67:12-14]? Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: Some people may commit a sin or may refrain from it in front of people out of their modesty toward them, but when they are alone with the prohibitions of Allah, they violate them. His question is: How does a believer exalt Allah in his heart such that he fears Him in secret and in public? What is the means to that?
Answer:
He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are
اتق الله حيثما كنتHave Taqwa of Allah wherever you are
اتق الله حيثما كنتDo you fear them? But Allah
أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللَّهُmore right that you should fear Him
أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَوْهُThey conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allah, and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And ever is Allah
يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لَا يَرْضَىٰ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُIndeed, those who fear their Lord unseen
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَيْبِwill have forgiveness and great reward. (13) And conceal your speech or publicize it; indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts. (14) Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?
لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ وَأَسِرُّوا قَوْلَكُمْ أَوِ اجْهَرُوا بِهِ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، بداية من الوجه السابع : أن اعتماد العبد على المخلوق وتوكله عليه يوجب له الضرر من جهته هو ولا بد — islamhouse.com (1:02:03)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.