Fear of God (taqwa) in the Qur'an: Some Notes on Semantic Shift and Thematic Context

The Effects of Spirituality and Religiosity on the Ethical Judgment in Organizations

“…For instance, some verses connect with individuals' emotional behavior: "those people who have good awaiting them on the day of judgement are those who kept hope and fear in balance" (Quran 80:38/39); "they hope for His Mercy, and fear" (Quran 17:57); "they call on their Lord in fear and hope" (Quran 32:16). The inextricable interweaving of affective, intellectual and behavioral aspects of these two notions is also noted by scholars of Islamic ethics (Al-Ghazali 1991;Chittick 2001;Ohlander 2005;Al-Makkı 2010;Al-Naraqi 1988;Qusheirī 2009). Moreover, an equilibrium between hope and fear is recommended if one is to achieve true inner faith, which may promote optimal growth in RP and RK, and ultimately ethical behavior (Al-Ghazali 1991; Alshehri et al 2017).…”

“…Fear implies an expectation of something unpleasant based on a certain or doubtful sign (Al-Isfahani 1992). In the context of the Quran, "fear of God" connotes fearing some perceived threat (Ohlander 2005), such as believing that God is a harsh judge and will condemn those who do wrong on the Day of Judgment, when some people will go to hell: Allah will say: Seize him and shackle him. Then into Hellfire drive him.…”

“…The Islamic concept of fear is mentioned extensively in the Quran (2:155/156), placing great emphasis on the notion of fearing God, which may motivate ethical behaviors to avoid reprisal (Ohlander 2005). Some people's relationships with God are so shaped by an expectation of punishment, retribution, anger, torment and terror that they give up on God's mercy and forgiveness (Bahmani et al 2018;Taylor 1968).…”

“…Consistent with the theoretical arguments set out above, different Islamic views influence how Muslim individuals may be motivated to practice their faith and, by extension, their ethical judgements in the workplace. Islam emphasizes a highly mediated relationship with God through devotional practices such as prayer, charitable acts and fasting, to increase their Godconsciousness and inculcate good behavior (Chittick 2001;Izutsu 2006;Ohlander 2005). Research shows that practice may reinforce both cognitive (Gioia and Manz 1985) and affective states (Weaver and Agle 2002;Walker et al 2012).…”

Recent Trends in Historical and Literary Study of the Qur’ân

“…This is certainly too sweeping a statement since those works still provide the bedrock for the various introductory texts mentioned at the beginning of this essay. We still need careful textual studies of the development of individual terms in the Qur'ân 33 and more synoptic experiments as well. The important question to ask is whether the bifurcation of the field into historical and literary inquiry and the controversies surrounding the historical has not made the daunting task of articulating what the message of the Qur'ân is either inappropriate or impossible a question to pose, just as it has effected research into the career of Muhammad (PBUH).…”