Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (It is only Satan who frightens his awliya (close friends of Allah)...)

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Question:
Our sister Umm Abdullah asks about the exegesis of the saying of the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He, I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast:

That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers.

إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ فَلا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

[Al Imran: 175]. Does this verse apply to the one who is afraid while he is in his home?

Answer:
This verse was revealed regarding the story of the Muslims on the Day of Uhud, when Satan was frightening the Muslims about the return of the disbelievers to fight them. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:

That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters

إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ

[Al Imran: 175]. The meaning is: He frightens you with his awliya (close friends of Allah), meaning he magnifies them in your hearts and makes them seem great in the hearts of the Muslims until they fear them and are wary of them, so they do not strive in jihad. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that this is an error and that it is from Satan, and he forbade them from fearing them, saying: (So do not fear them), meaning: Do not fear the enemies of Allah with the fear that makes you cowardly in fighting them.
As for the fear that necessitates preparation for their jihad, readiness, and caution, this is required. Allah the Exalted said:

And prepare against them whatever you are able of power

وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ

[Al Anfal: 60]. And He the Exalted said:

O you who have believed, take your precaution

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ

[An Nisa: 71]. The one who does not fear his enemy does not prepare for him. So it is obligatory to prepare for one's enemy with weapons, provisions, strength in jihad, gathering the ranks, encouraging fighting, and advancing, and the like. But one should not fear them with a fear that makes him cowardly toward them and delays him from fighting them; this is what is forbidden. Indeed, Satan magnifies the disbelievers in the hearts of the Muslims until they fear them and become cowardly in fighting them.
So this is the meaning in His saying:

So do not fear them

فَلا تَخَافُوهُمْ

, meaning: Do not fear them with the fear that prevents you from fighting them and striving against them, or makes you cowardly in fighting them; this is what is forbidden. As for the fear that necessitates preparation for them and taking caution, this is required. It is required of the Muslim to fear their evil and be wary of their schemes, so he prepares the necessary provisions. He must prepare the necessary equipment, from weapons and guards, and spread out scouts who know their conditions so that they do not attack the Muslims. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:

O you who have believed, take your precaution

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ

[An Nisa: 71]. And He the Exalted said:

And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage so they could come down upon you in one [single] attack

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً

[An Nisa: 102]. This indicates that they are commanded to take their caution, to fear the evil of their enemy, and to fear their schemes, so that they are on guard, ready, and prepared, so that the enemy does not attack them by surprise or while they are unaware.
So the intended meaning is: The fear that is forbidden is different from the fear that is commanded. The fear that is forbidden is that which leads to cowardice, delay, magnifying the disbelievers, and spreading terror among the people; this is reprehensible. As for the fear that means preparing for them and being diligent in guarding the places of the Muslims and their frontiers so that the enemy does not attack them, this is a required matter.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. So the noble verse is a text regarding the chapter of jihad in the path of Allah, and it is not about the fear mentioned by our sister, the fear of a person while he is in his home.

The Shaykh: No, that is another matter. Fear in the home has no basis if the home is safe and locked, so praise be to Allah. And if there is something to be feared, it is obligatory for the people of the house to block it if there are entrances to them, they should block them. If there is, meaning, something to be feared, she should have someone to comfort her, and other such causes. The believer takes the causes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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