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Khashiyya (Arabic:الخَشيةُ مِنَ اللهِ) refers to a profound sense of awe or fear accompanied by an awareness of the majesty of God, coupled with a recognition of one's own shortcomings and negligence before Him. It is regarded as one of the most fundamental concepts in the spiritual journey (sayr wa suluk) and divine servitude, receiving significant emphasis in Qur'anic verses and Islamic narrations.

When distinguishing between Khashiyya and khawf, scholars of ethics assert that Khashiyya specifically denotes a fear rooted in the comprehension of God's greatness. In contrast, khawf generally refers to the fear of a disliked matter or divine punishment. Furthermore, certain exegetes define Khashiyya as the anxiety of descending from the station of proximity to God, whereas khawf is strictly the dread of retribution.

The term Khashiyya appears 48 times in the Qur'an, predominantly denoting the fear of God. Exceptions occur in specific contexts where it refers to the fear of poverty, economic stagnation, or other worldly afflictions. In the hadith corpus, Khashiyya is characterized as a vital attribute for salvation, piety, knowledge, and righteous conduct. Both the Prophet (s) and the Imams (a) heavily emphasized the necessity of cultivating Khashiyya in both individual and social life.

According to religious teachings, the pathways to attaining Khashiyya include profound knowledge and cognition of God, sincere invocation (dhikr), khushu' (humility) before divine majesty, and the purification of the soul. Conversely, impediments to achieving this spiritual state include hardness of the heart (qasawat al-qalb), negligence in the remembrance of God, and the commission of sins. Sin and disobedience are said to extinguish the heart's spiritual light, thereby preventing the realization of divine Khashiyya.

Conceptology

Conceptually, Khashiyya signifies a fear intertwined with an awareness of God's immense majesty, alongside a recognition of one's own deficiencies and negligence in the duties of servitude. It is primarily employed in contexts relating to God and the divine.[1] Lexicographically, the term denotes absolute fear (khawf).[2] Other definitions include fear accompanied by glorification,[3] severe dread,[4] and vigilant apprehension.[5]

Several other Arabic terms share semantic similarities with Khashiyya, including khawf, wajal, and rahba. While translators often render all of these uniformly as "fear," researchers note that their precise theological and linguistic functions are not identical.[6]

Difference with Khawf

Exegetes and Qur'anic scholars hold varying perspectives on the distinction between khawf and Khashiyya, particularly when interpreting the verse: إِنَّمَا یَخْشَی اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ("Only those of His servants who possess knowledge fear Allah"). Some scholars, such as Abu Hilal al-'Askari, argue that khawf represents the fear of a distressing event, whereas Khashiyya refers to the fear of the entity that brings it about.[7] 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli applies khawf to both the disliked event and its source, but restricts Khashiyya exclusively to the fear of the source.[8] Al-Alusi narrates from Ibn 'Ata' that Khashiyya is the anxiety of losing the station of divine proximity, while khawf is the basic dread of divine punishment.[9] Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i describes Khashiyya as an internal, affective apprehension of evil, and khawf as the practical, behavioral response to it. He notes that while the Qur'an occasionally attributes the khawf of entities other than God to the prophets, it never attributes the Khashiyya of anything other than God to them.[10] Raghib al-Isfahani posits that khawf is a broader term than Khashiyya, defining the latter as a specific reverence derived from magnifying an entity, intrinsically tied to deep knowledge and cognition.[11]

Difference with Rahba

According to certain exegetes, rahba is a subset of fear that compels a person to flee or escape, whereas Khashiyya is a reverential fear that curtails an individual's rebellion and transgression.[12] Raghib al-Isfahani similarly defines rahba as a fear characterized by pervasive caution and anxiety.[13]

Applications

The triliteral root kh-sh-y and its derivatives appear 48 times in the Holy Qur'an.[14] In 23 of these instances, it explicitly refers to the Khashiyya of God (encompassing the divine names Allah, al-Rahman, and Rabb).[15] In alternative Qur'anic contexts, the term is applied to the fear of poverty,[16] the fear of spending (depleting one's wealth),[17] the fear of economic stagnation,[18] the fear of causing social division,[19] and the fear of enduring severe affliction.[20] Researchers observe that when the Qur'an references the Khashiyya of entities other than God, those subjects are explicitly named. Conversely, when the term is used in an absolute form without a specified object, it implicitly refers to the Khashiyya of God.[21]

The concept of Khashiyya is equally prominent and highly emphasized within Islamic hadiths. A tradition attributed to the Holy Prophet (s) identifies the Khashiyya of God—whether in private or in public—as a primary catalyst for salvation.[22] In one of his sermons, Imam 'Ali (a) advised Muslims to adopt Khashiyya as a permanent inner trait.[23] A narration from Imam al-Baqir (a) asserts that an eye that weeps out of the Khashiyya of God will be spared from weeping on the Day of Resurrection.[24] Furthermore, narrations from Imam al-Sadiq (a) describe Khashiyya as the gateway to piety,[25] the true legacy of knowledge,[26] and the epitome of righteous action.[27]

Effects

Researchers assert that genuine Khashiyya profoundly impacts human behavior and cognition, yielding significant effects on both personal and social dimensions of life. The primary outcomes of Khashiyya include the eradication of spiritual hard-heartedness, a heightened devotion to supplication before God, the cultivation of modesty, and the stabilization of faith. Additionally, it strengthens an individual's capacity for self-restraint and fosters a courageous spirit to combat oppression and rise against tyrants.[28]

Ways of Attainment

The acquisition of Khashiyya is facilitated through several spiritual and intellectual avenues, most notably knowledge and cognition, dhikr (remembrance), Khushu' (humility), and purification of the soul.

Knowledge and Cognition

Rooted in the Qur'anic verse, "... إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ..." ("Only those of His servants who possess knowledge fear Allah"), knowledge is established as a prerequisite for attaining Khashiyya, effectively precluding those lacking spiritual insight from reaching this state.[29] This principle is extensively mirrored in Islamic narrations. Imam 'Ali (a), for instance, explicitly identifies knowledge as the progenitor of Khashiyya,[30] while Imam al-Sadiq (a) describes knowledge as the definitive proof of Khashiyya.[31] Notably, certain traditions present this relationship as reciprocal, positing that Khashiyya itself catalyzes the perfection[32] or expansion of knowledge.[33] In Mir'at al-'uqul, 'Allama Majlisi cites Muhaqqiq al-Tusi, who argued that the state of Khashiyya is exclusively reserved for those who have grasped the glory of divine majesty and tasted the sweetness of His proximity.[34][35]

Dhikr

The deep theological link between Khashiyya and dhikr (remembrance) is evidenced by verses such as "إِلَّا تَذْكِرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَى" ("but as a reminder to those who fear [Allah]")[36] and "فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى" ("Speak to him (Pharaoh) in a soft manner; maybe he will be mindful or fear [Allah]").[37] True dhikr—defined as the servant's acute awareness of being in the presence of God Almighty—inevitably elevates an individual to the state of Khashiyya.[38]

Khushu'

Authentic Khushu'—the profound sense of insignificance before the exalted station of God—generates a distinct form of awe and reverence. When this spiritual posture is sustained, it culminates in a deep tranquility coupled with Khashiyya.[39]

Purification of the Soul

Multiple verses in the Holy Qur'an position the purification of the soul and the attainment of inner purity as primary conduits to Khashiyya. This is exemplified in the verses, "فَقُلْ هَلْ لَكَ إِلَى أَنْ تَزَكَّى وَ أَهْدِيَكَ إِلَى رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَى" ("and say, 'Would you purify yourself? I will guide you to your Lord, that you may fear [Him]'").[40][41]

Obstacles to Attainment

The primary spiritual impediments to attaining Khashiyya include hardness of the heart (qasawat al-qalb), negligence regarding the remembrance of God, and the habitual commission of sins.

Hard-heartedness

Main article: Hard-heartedness

Hard-heartedness inherently destroys the soul's capacity for Khashiyya. Researchers observe that an individual afflicted with hardness of the heart lacks the necessary spiritual light to perceive truth. A heart devoid of this light remains bereft of genuine awareness and cognition; consequently, without such spiritual insight, it becomes impervious to divine Khashiyya.[42]

Negligence of the Remembrance of God

Just as constant remembrance of the Divine is a critical catalyst for Khashiyya, the negligence and forgetting of God present formidable barriers to its realization. Religious teachings emphasize that hearts neglectful of the remembrance of God are intrinsically vulnerable to all forms of spiritual deviation.[43]

Committing Sins

Theological sources stipulate that the commission of sins—constituting direct disobedience to God and His Messenger—inevitably distances an individual from Khashiyya.[44] Sinfulness corrodes the purity and serenity of the soul; indeed, numerous narrations assert that nothing corrupts the human heart quite like sin.[45]

Notes

  1. ↑ Āshiyān, "Khashiyyat", vol. 15, p. 538.
  2. ↑ Farāhīdī, Kitāb al-ʿAyn, 1409 AH, under the word "Khashiyyat".
  3. ↑ Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān, under the word "Khashiyya".
  4. ↑ Qurashī, Qāmūs-i Qurʾān, under the word "Khashiyya".
  5. ↑ Muṣṭafawī, al-Taḥqīq fī kalimāt al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, under the word "Khashiyya".
  6. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 37.
  7. ↑ ʿAskarī, al-Furūq al-lughawiyya, 1412 AH, p. 241.
  8. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Maqām-i Khashiyyat, 1369 Sh, p. 13.
  9. ↑ Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, vol. 13, p. 177.
  10. ↑ For example, see Qur'an 20:67 and Qur'an 8:58.
  11. ↑ Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān, under the word "Khashiyya".
  12. ↑ Qushayrī, Laṭāʾif al-ishārāt, 1382 Sh, vol. 3, p. 202.
  13. ↑ Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, Mufradāt alfāẓ al-Qurʾān, under the word "rahiba".
  14. ↑ Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī, al-Muʿjam al-mufahras li-alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, under kh-sh-y.
  15. ↑ Ṭayyib Ḥusaynī, "Pazhūhishī dar maʿnā-yi wāzha-yi Qurʾānī-yi Khashiyyat wa tafāwut-i ān bā khawf", p. 14.
  16. ↑ Qur'an 17:31.
  17. ↑ Qur'an 17:100.
  18. ↑ Qur'an 9:24.
  19. ↑ Qur'an 20:24.
  20. ↑ Qur'an 5:52.
  21. ↑ Ṭayyib Ḥusaynī, "Pazhūhishī dar maʿnā-yi wāzha-yi Qurʾānī-yi Khashiyyat wa tafāwut-i ān bā khawf", p. 15.
  22. ↑ Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, al-Khiṣāl, 1362 Sh, vol. 1, p. 84.
  23. ↑ Sayyid Raḍī, Nahj al-balāgha, sermon 66.
  24. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 2, p. 80.
  25. ↑ Gīlānī, Miṣbāḥ al-sharīʿa, 1400 AH, p. 23.
  26. ↑ Gīlānī, Miṣbāḥ al-sharīʿa, 1400 AH, p. 20; Ibn Fahd al-Ḥillī, ʿUddat al-dāʿī wa najāḥ al-sāʿī, 1407 AH, p. 78.
  27. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 2, p. 16.
  28. ↑ Āriyān, "Khashiyyat wa khawf az dīdgāh-i Qurʾān wa ʿirfān", pp. 200-202.
  29. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", pp. 41-42; Āriyān, "Khashiyyat wa khawf az dīdgāh-i Qurʾān wa ʿirfān", pp. 203-204.
  30. ↑ Āmidī, Ghurar al-ḥikam wa durar al-kalim, 1410 AH, p. 396.
  31. ↑ Gīlānī, Miṣbāḥ al-sharīʿa, 1400 AH, p. 23.
  32. ↑ Āmidī, Ghurar al-ḥikam wa durar al-kalim, 1410 AH, p. 190.
  33. ↑ Āmidī, Ghurar al-ḥikam wa durar al-kalim, 1410 AH, p. 584.
  34. ↑ Majlisī, Mirʾāt al-ʿuqūl, Dār al-Kitāb al-Islāmiyya, vol. 8, p. 37.
  35. ↑ Hādhih al-ḥāla lā taḥṣul illā li-man iṭṭalaʿa ʿalā jalāl al-kibriyāʾ wa dhāqa ladhdhat al-qurb.
  36. ↑ Qur'an 20:3.
  37. ↑ Qur'an 20:44.
  38. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 42.
  39. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 43.
  40. ↑ Qur'an 79:18-19.
  41. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 43; Āriyān, "Khashiyyat wa khawf az dīdgāh-i Qurʾān wa ʿirfān", pp. 204-205.
  42. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 45; Āriyān, "Khashiyyat wa khawf az dīdgāh-i Qurʾān wa ʿirfān", p. 207.
  43. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 46; Āriyān, "Khashiyyat wa khawf az dīdgāh-i Qurʾān wa ʿirfān", p. 207.
  44. ↑ Ārām, "Maʿnā-shināsī-yi Khashiyyat dar Qurʾān-i Karīm", p. 46; Āriyān, "Khashiyyat wa khawf az dīdgāh-i Qurʾān wa ʿirfān", p. 207.
  45. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, 1407 AH, vol. 2, p. 268.

References

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