Weeping From the Fear of Allah

Based on a lecture "Al-Khawf min Allah" by Sh. Waheed `Abdussalam Baali

"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah's Reminder and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were rebellious, disobedient (faasiqoon)." [Al-Hadeed, (57):16]

Allah sent to us the Qur'an and "the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah." [39:23]

He mentioned in the Qur'an the promise and the threat, and made clear that His believing servants are fearful and shivering from the punishment of their Lord. Our Lord the Exalted elucidated to us that the believer, whenever his iman strengthens and his certainty increases, becomes more fearful of Allah.

Weeping of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam

The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said to `Abdullah ibn Mas`ood, "Read to me the Qur'an." He said, "O Messenger of Allah! Should I recite to you and it was revealed to you?" He said, "Yes, for I like to hear it from others." "I recited Soorat an-Nisaaa' until I reached the ayah,


"How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people?" [An-Nisaa' (4):41]

He then said, 'Stop now.' I found that his eyes were tearful." [Fath al-Bari 8:712]

Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkheer, radhiallahu `anhu, said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, praying with us, and I heard the sound of his weeping coming out of his chest, which was like the sound of a boiling pot." [Abu Dawood, An-Nasaa'i, and At-Tirmidhi in ash-Shama'il, authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim]

Weeping of Abu Bakr, radhiallahu `anhu

`Aaisha said, "During his illness, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said: 'Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.' I told the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, that, 'Indeed, if Abu Bakr stands in your place the people will not be able to hear him due to his (excessive) weeping.'" [al-Bukhari]

Our weeping

The righteous have cried, the worshippers have cried and the believers have cried. And in this time there are people by whom a complete year passes and they do not drop a single tear from the fear of Allah.

O Allah we seek refuge with you from hard hearts. O Allah soften our hearts to Your remembrance!


"Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." [Ar-Ra'd (13):28]


"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone)." [Al-Anfaal (8):2]

So why do we not cry today? We do not cry from the strength of the hardness of our hearts and our hearts' attachment to this world. So our hearts have hardened and our eyes have dried.

We are distant from our Lord. Had we been close our hearts would not have hardened. So he, who spends a whole week without his eye dropping a tear, let him sit and supplicate and humble himself. Maybe his heart would soften and his eye would drop a tear. And if his heart doesn’t drop a tear, then let him open the Book of Allah and read its ayat with contemplation, humility and submissiveness. So if his eye cries, his heart fears and his soul humbles he has succeeded; and if he continues in the state of the hardened heart, let him sit in a dark room and weep over his state, for his heart has died.