Al Naḥl

يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مّـِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

50. “They fear their Lord (supreme) from above them, and they do what they are commanded.”

The angels are utterly subservient towards Allah. Our fear of Allah is because of the sins which we have committed. However, the fear of the angels of Allah has its roots in the magnitude and splendor of Allah. It is for this reason that the Qur’an says in this verse:

“They fear their Lord (supreme) from above them, and they do what they are commanded.”

The reason why the Qur’anic phrase /min fauqihim/ ‘from above them’ has been used is for two aspects: One side to this issue is that they fear the punishment of Allah, which, in such cases, is mostly inflicted from above one’s head. Allah is qualified as being superior and being above everything else in power and perfection, and He all-encompasses in Guardianship and in ‘Omnipotence’ over all celestial and earthly possible beings. Therefore, the above-mentioned interpretation is suitable.

One can, therefore, conclude from this holy verse that there are two signs for the negation of oppression: Fear when confronting responsibilities, and the execution of Allah’s commandments without any questioning. Therefore, if all beings, like angels, are humble and God-fearing, and prostrate before Allah, why should we human beings not prostrate before Him and go on oppressing others?