How can parents encourage awe for Allah Almighty without fear or guilt? 

Parenting Perspective 

For many parents, the desire to raise children who respect Allah Almighty can sometimes lead, unknowingly, to an overemphasis on fear. Warnings about punishment may bring about a quicker obedience in the short term, but they can often leave a child’s heart feeling anxious, rather than attached. A true sense of awe, or khushu, is not born from fear alone; it grows from love, gratitude, and a recognition of the majesty and the mercy of Allah. When children are able to associate Allah with compassion, fairness, and beauty, their reverence for Him can become a joyful feeling, rather than a heavy one. They can begin to pray not to avoid a sense of guilt, but to express their love. 

Redefine Awe as a Love-Rooted Respect 

You can begin by explaining to your child that a sense of awe means feeling a sense of wonder, of humility, and of admiration, not a sense of fright. You might say, ‘When we say that we ‘fear’ Allah, it does not mean that we are scared in the way that we are when we see something dangerous. It means that we love Him so much that we would never want to lose His kindness.’ When a child is able to understand the concept of awe in this way, they can come to realise that Allah is both powerful and profoundly gentle, the One who has created the thunder, and also the One who has created the laughter of a baby. This sense of balance can help to keep their reverence for Him grounded in a feeling of affection. 

Focus on the Beauty of Allah, Not His Wrath 

A sense of awe grows from what the heart contemplates most. You can try to surround your child with reminders of the mercy of Allah, rather than with constant warnings of His anger. You can share with them the verses and the stories that highlight His divine care for us, how He feeds the birds and clothes the earth with colour, and how His mercy is always greater than our mistakes. You could say to them, ‘Allah is not waiting for us to fail; He is waiting to forgive us and to guide us.’ Such words can open up the heart to a loving sense of awe, where a child can admire the greatness of Allah without feeling distant from Him or afraid. 

Use Nature to Evoke a Peaceful Sense of Wonder 

When you are standing with your child under a wide open sky or near to the sea, you could say softly to them, ‘Allah has made all of this. Can you imagine His power and His kindness?’ You can let your child absorb the moment quietly. The beauty of the natural world can invite a sense of reverence without any fear; it can show the greatness of Allah as something that is life giving, not as something that is threatening. These kinds of reflections can make a sense of awe feel like gratitude and a sense of belonging, not like a feeling of guilt or anxiety. 

Share Stories That Can Inspire a Sense of Trust 

Stories are powerful emotional teachers. You can tell your child the stories in which the mercy of Allah shines more brightly than any human weakness, such as how He forgave Adam (peace be upon him), or how He rescued the Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him). After each story, you can emphasise the compassion of Allah by saying, ‘You see how gently Allah helped His messengers? He will help us too, if we just turn to Him.’ In this way, their sense of awe can become a personal feeling, not a distant fear of judgement, but a deep admiration for the divine kindness. 

Spiritual Insight 

A sense of awe, or ta’zeem, in Islam is something that is meant to draw our hearts closer to Allah, not to drive them away from Him. When it is cultivated with a sense of love, it can become the foundation of our humility, our trust, and our peace, the kind of reverence that can transform our obedience into a true devotion. 

The Balance of Love and Awe in the Noble Quran 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Fatir (35), Verse 28: 

‘Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving…’ 

This verse shows that a sense of awe, or khashyah, is rooted in our understanding, not in a feeling of terror. Those who truly know Allah are in awe of Him because they are able to recognise His greatness, and yet they also know of His forgiveness. A parent can explain to their child, ‘The more that we learn about Allah, the more we can love and respect Him, just as we might admire someone more when we know how kind and how wise they are.’ 

The Prophet’s Loving Relationship with Allah in the Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6098, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘None of you should die except while assuming the best about Allah.’ 

This Hadith teaches that a sense of hope and a good expectation, or husn al zann, are central to our faith. A parent can share this with their child by saying, ‘The Prophet ﷺ taught us to always think the best of Allah, that He loves us, He forgives us, and that He wants us to be near to Him.’ When a child’s sense of awe is guided by this kind of hope, it can become a pure reverence, an emotion that can strengthen their faith, rather than stifling it. 

When your child grows up hearing more about the compassion of Allah than about His punishment, their heart can be encouraged to open up, instead of becoming hardened. They can learn that their obedience is not a response to their fear, but an act of their love, a way of saying, ‘I respect the One who has been so good to me.’ Over time, this gentle balance can help to nurture a faith that is both humble and joyful. A child who is raised in a sense of loving awe can approach their Salah with a sense of serenity, not with a sense of shame, and can approach their repentance with a sense of hope, not with a sense of dread.