Is fear of Allah obligatory, and how do we respond to those who say that the true meaning of prayer lies in the expansion of the self and its unity with existence, not in its quantity or the manner of its movements, and that prayer is for liberation, not for asking things from Allah or for avoiding the torment of Hell or winning Paradise, and that it is an internal ascension journey not tied to a specific number of times, and that it should be for love, not fear?
Fear of Allah is obligatory; it is among the most obligatory duties. Whoever does not fear Allah is not a believer, for fear is one of the three pillars of faith (Iman) and excellence (Ihsan): fear, hope, and love. These three are the foundation of conduct and the path to Allah, and upon them depend all actions. Allah has condemned those who abandon the fear of Allah and permit themselves to neglect their duties.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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