Should the attributes of fear and awe be ascribed to Allah Almighty based on the noble verse: (Then we feared lest he would overburden them with transgression and disbelief), and Ibn Mas'ud's recitation: (Then your Lord feared lest he would overburden them with transgression and disbelief)?

The recitation mentioned in the verse of Surah Al-Kahf, such as the recitation of "And as for the boy, he was a disbeliever" and "And your Lord feared that he would overwhelm them with rebellion and disbelief," is an anomalous recitation. The correct recitation is that which conforms to the Arabic language, the Uthmani Mushaf, and has a sound chain of transmission.

The word "khashyah" (fear/awe) in the verse is not meant in its known linguistic sense; rather, by the consensus of exegetes, it means: knowledge, or aversion. Al-Tabari, Ibn Qutaybah, and others interpreted "khashina" (we feared) or "khafa rabbuka" (your Lord feared) to mean "we knew" or "we disliked," emphasizing that fear and awe can express knowledge or supposition in the Arabic language.