A Reanalysis of the Concept of "Fear" with Emphasis on Its Anti-value Type in the Quran

One of the most important moral traits is "fear" which is divided into value and anti-value types in terms of its associate. Sometimes, it is considered as a virtue and sometimes as a vice. Some equivalents of the word fear are found in the Quran and the word "khawf (fear)" is the most common one. Quran uses some other terms which have synonymous with khawf and are translated into fear. They include "khashiyyat (awe)", "wajalah (tremble)", "rahbah (dread)", "raw' (terror)", "rob (fear)", faza' (fearing)", and "ishfaq (scare)". Fear of poverty, death and false deity are among the most important anti-value fears which the Quran includes. Some of the consequences of anti-value fears to which the Quran refers are: attempting a crime, giving up to Satan's authority giving no alms, refusing to take part in Jihad in the path of God, wavering befriending with Satan, and losing one's balance. Weak faith, attachment to material things, unfair behavior, have not trust in God's provision, feeling of self-weakness and humiliation and astounding at other's power are regarded as factors of anti-value fears.