What is the difference between the fear of Allah and the fear of creatures, and how do we reconcile between them?

Fear is of three types: 1. Secret Fear (Khawf al-Sirr): This is the fear of creatures causing harm to a person through their own power. This is polytheism (shirk (definition)) because it is an attribute exclusive to divinity. This is what the polytheists believed about their deities, as Allah Almighty said concerning Ibrahim (peace be upon him): "And I do not fear what you associate with Him unless my Lord wills something." 2. Fear that leads to abandoning an obligation or committing a forbidden act: This is forbidden (haram (definition)), such as abandoning jihad or enjoining good due to fear of people, as in the saying of Allah Almighty: "That is only Satan who frightens [you with] his allies; so fear them not but fear Me, if you are [true] believers," and the hadith (definition): "O Lord, I feared the people," so He says, "I was more deserving that you should fear Me." 3. Natural Fear: This is the fear of apparent causes of destruction, such as an enemy or drowning. This is an innate human trait and is not blameworthy in Islamic law, as Allah Almighty said concerning Musa (peace be upon him): "So he departed therefrom, fearful and anticipating," and His saying: "So I fled from you when I feared you."

Based on this classification, there is no contradiction between fearing Allah, which is one of the best stations in religion, and fearing creatures, which ranges between polytheism and disobedience, unless it is a natural fear.