A062
Surah: 010 - Ayah: 062
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10:62
Reflect in the light of this holy verse again and again: “Behold! surely for the friends of God there is no fear, nor do they grieve” (10:62). The wisdom of this noble verse can, to a great extent, help in understanding the subject under discussion. This is in the sense that friends of God are none other than human beings, but despite this, the holy Qur’an considering them the models of human progress, openly declares that they do not suffer from the disease of false fear. The reason for this is that there is always the fear of God in their hearts in the form of knowledge. For the fear of God or taqwa, in reality, is in the state of knowledge (35:28). From this, on the one hand, in addition to taqwa, the importance of knowledge becomes evident, and on the other, it also appears possible that gradually mu'mins can get rid of false fear through knowledge and good deeds. For, even though all of them are not special friends (awliya') of God (5:55), but certainly they are His common friends (5:55).
The venerated Prophets and great awliya', both in wakefulness and dreams do not fear as the common people fear (10:62), for the miracle of the fear of God, which is very different from worldly fear and is unique, is always working in them. The states of the mu'mins however, are different with respect to it. That is, they have many ranks and in every rank, there is a different state of fear. The second reason why Prophets and awliya' do not have worldly fear, is the remembrance of God, and the third reason is knowledge.
Friendship of God has been praised and described in verse (10:62) of the Qur’an, whose expression is extremely miraculous: “Behold! that the friends (awliya') of God have neither fear, nor do they grieve”. Common people are afraid of the dangers of the future and grieve for what is past, but with the friends of God, there is neither future, nor past, nor is there any fear and grief. For, in the non-spatial and non-temporal world, they have observed the reality that all things of the space (universe) and time remain safe and secured and everlasting in the fist of God (21:104; 39:67). Therefore, they are not afflicted by the disease of fear and grief.
You may know this fact that every Prophet is a wali also, but every wali is not a Prophet. First, prophethood is superior to walayat (friendship of God). Secondly, wali means a friend of God, which does not imply the meaning of prophethood, whereas, every Prophet is a friend of God. Thus wherever awliya' are mentioned in the Qur’an, the Prophets are also included. As the Qur’an says: “Behold! surely for the friends of God, there is neither fear nor do they grieve” (10:62). In this wisdom-filled verse, since the Prophets and awliya' are mentioned together in the same place, excepting the responsibilities of prophethood and messengership, the rest of the treasures of the azali and abadi secrets are gathered (in them) and nothing of knowledge and recognition is outside of them.
Awliya’ Allah (Chosen friends of God)
In verse (10:62) God says about His friends: "Lo! verily for the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve." These friends of God are the progeny of the holy Prophet whom God has exalted by granting them the ta'wili miracles of the glorious Qur’an, because the greatest miracle of the holy Prophet which is intellectual, permanent and in the form of knowledge, is indeed the wise Qur’an. The Qur'an has two aspects: tanzil and ta'wil. Tanzil or exoteric aspect is conveyed to the people by the Prophet himself and for ta'wil or esoteric aspect, he appoints his successor.
Awliya’ Allah (Chosen friends of God)
"Lo! Verily, for the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve." (10:62). It should be remembered that fear is related to the future and grief is related to the past. For instance, an ordinary person fears the coming of illness and death (which is related to the future) and is disheartened by the decline of the beauties of youth (which is related to the past). Contrary to this the friends of God are well satisfied in the light of knowledge and recognition. This is because although they are in this world with respect to the body, with respect to the soul and the intellect, they are in paradise.
Awliya’ Allah (Chosen friends of God)
Friends of God are mentioned in verses (10:62-64): "Lo! Verily the friends of God have no fear, nor shall they grieve. They are the ones who used to believe truly and were fearing (God). For them there is glad tidings in the life of this world and in the hereafter, there is no changing in the words of God. That is the supreme triumph."
It is not possible for the fear of God and worldly fear to be alike in state, influence and result, particularly that fear of God which is in the hearts of His friends, for it is said: "It should be known that verily the friends of Allah have no fear, nor do they grieve." (10:62). First and foremost among the friends of Allah are the Prophets and the Imams and in whose blessed hearts there is only the fear of God or taqwa. Had this fear been like worldly or physical fear, God would not have excluded them from worldly fear and grief in the above-mentioned verse. From this it is clear that the fear of God and worldly fear are contrary to each other. Since God is incomparable, His fear cannot be like the fear of any of His creatures. An interesting question can be asked at this stage. If man has the vegetative, the animal and the rational soul, in which of these souls is there worldly fear and in which is there the fear of God? The answer is that there is no sign of fear in the vegetative soul but there is fear in animals. Thus the cause of worldly fear is the animal soul. As for fear of God, it is in the intellect which is the flame of the rational or human soul. It is because of this that the Wise Qur’an says that the fear of God is specifically related to the ulama’ (Prophets and Imams) (35:28).
Proof 6: God says: “Behold! Indeed for the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor do they grieve.” (10:62). It should be known that fear is related to time from the present till post-eternity (abad) and grief from the present to pre-eternity (azal).The way the friends of god are praised her, namely, that they are not under the influence of fear and grief, alludes to the fact that in the light of walᾱyat, they know the pre-eternal and psot-eternal realities and are well aware of Allah’s perfect mercy. Such friends of Allah are are the pure Imams after the holy Prophet, whose friendship is incumbent upon mu’mins, because God Himself befriends them.
The wisdom-filled praise of the friends (awliya') of God
The friends of God are praised highly in verse (10:62): "Beware that the friends of God have neither fear, nor do they grieve." It is obvious that the rank of the friends of God is extremely exalted, and which is the rank of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah. In this rank they become aware of the great secrets of the Sacred Sanctuary of the personal world, such as: To ascend the roof (carsh) of the personal world and observe with the inner eye that the system of the higher world (the world of command) is utterly different from the lower world. That is, azal and abad there are the same reality which is called dahr, i.e. immovable time; there the sun, the moon and all the stars are one light, which is the light of azal, which is also called the light of intellect, the light of recognition, the light of lights, the luminous lamp. It has countless names, because it is the compendium of "everything" of the world of intellect. In short, God has kept the inner world enfolded there or that the treasures of azal are always intact there and it is their bounties and blessings which reveal to the universe and the existents and fulfil their needs.
Q294 Please explain to us what are the secrets in verse (10:62): “Beware that the awliya’ of Allah have no fear, nor do they grieve.”
A294
- Fear is related to the future and grief to the past, but the reality of the awliya’ of God is beyond space and time.
- The awliya’ of Allah are manifest simultaneously in paradise and in this world and they have also become fana’ fi’llah. Then in such a state how can the scale of temporary fear and grief be heavy for them?
- There is another explanation for this, that there is the mercy and wisdom of God in each and every fear and grief of His friends. In this sense, too, the concept of fear and grief ceases to exist.
This verse has been referred 11 times.