Commentary

His words, “O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared” (Qur’an 3:102), address the believers, for true faith itself impels a believer to practice taqwā. The expression “fear Allah as He should be feared” is explained by the verse the author cites immediately afterwards: “So fear Allah as much as you are able” (Qur’an 64:16). Thus, fearing Him “as He should be feared” means fearing Him to the fullest extent one can, for Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity.

The verse “So fear Allah as much as you are able” is not meant to encourage laxity in taqwā; rather, it urges a person to exert himself to the limit of his ability, sparing no effort in the fear of Allah. At the same time, Allah does not charge a person with what he cannot bear, as He says, “Allah does not task a soul beyond its capacity” (Qur’an 2:286).

From the instruction “So fear Allah as much as you are able” we learn that if someone cannot fulfil a divine command perfectly, he should do whatever portion of it he can. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, “Pray standing; if you cannot, then seated; and if you cannot, then on your side.” He thus arranged the prayer in accordance with a person’s ability: first standing, then seated if one is unable, and finally on one’s side if still unable. The same pattern applies to other obligations. Take fasting, for example: if a person cannot fast during Ramadan because of illness or travel, he postpones it—“and whoever is ill or on a journey shall make up a number of other days” (Qur’an 2:185).