Qur'anic Root “KH SH Y”

1. Introduction to the Root

The root “KH SH Y” in Arabic denotes fear, concern, and serious regard for a danger that a person has recognized, anticipated, or taken into account in terms of its consequence. “خَشِيَ الشيءَ” means he feared something and did not treat it lightly; “خَشِيَ أَنْ يَقَعَ كذا” means he was concerned that a particular event might occur; and “خَشْيَة” is the name of this inward state.

This root was known in Arabic before the revelation of the Qur'an. In pre-Islamic poetry, “خشیت” was used both for a direct danger and for a consequence that had not yet occurred but could be anticipated.

Antarah ibn Shaddad says, concerning fear of death before a tribal conflict had reached its end:

وَلَقَدْ خَشِيتُ بِأَنْ أَمُوتَ وَلَمْ تَدُرْ
لِلْحَرْبِ دَائِرَةٌ عَلَى ابْنَي ضَمْضَمِ

He speaks of a death that has not yet occurred, but whose possibility he anticipates. Therefore, khashyah in this line is not merely a sudden bodily reaction; it is a mental regard for a future consequence.

In another line, the battlefield is described as follows:

عَلَى مَوْطِنٍ يَخْشَى الْفَتَى عِنْدَهُ الرَّدَى
مَتَى تَعْتَرِكْ فِيهِ الْفَرَائِصُ تُرْعَدِ

Here the warrior recognizes the possibility of death in the field and is aware of its seriousness.

Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma also says about a prudent and prepared man:

لَمْ يَلْقَهَا إِلَّا بِشِكَّةِ حَازِمٍ
يَخْشَى الْحَوَادِثَ عَازِمٍ مُسْتَعِدِّ

A person who “يَخْشَى الْحَوَادِثَ” is not necessarily terrified and powerless. He takes events seriously, weighs the possibility of their occurrence, and prepares to face them. Khashyah here is the ground of caution and preparedness, not paralysis before fear.

The Qur'an preserves this linguistic capacity, but gives khashyah toward The God an inner-textual and more precise definition. Qur'anic khashyah of The God arises from knowledge, remains present even in the absence of people's supervision, takes His greatness and authority seriously, and reforms and restrains human behavior.

2. Morphological Structure of the Root

“KH SH Y” is a triliteral defective ya'i root; that is, its third letter is “yā.” This yā remains visible in some forms and in other constructions becomes alif maqsurah or is dropped.

Its important forms include:

• خَشِيَ: he feared;
• يَخْشَىٰ: he fears;
• تَخْشَىٰ: you fear or she fears;
• نَخْشَىٰ: we fear;
• اِخْشَ: fear, have khashyah;
• اِخْشَوْا: fear, have khashyah, plural;
• خَشْيَة: khashyah and aware fear;
• خَاشٍ: one who has khashyah.

In “يَخْشَىٰ,” the final alif maqsurah is the remnant of the root yā. When the verb is jussive, this final letter falls away:

وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ...

An-Nisa 4:9

Likewise, the singular imperative is:

اِخْشَ

Thus the root is “KH SH Y,” not “KH SH A” and not “KH SH Ā.”

3. Does This Root Have a Material Image?

Unlike roots such as “SH Q Q” or “A Q L,” one should not force a single material image onto “KH SH Y.” The main lexical reports place this root directly in the field of fear, concern, and anxious regard.

In early Arabic, words close in outward form are reported for flesh, dates, or dry plants; but their historical connection to “خَشْيَة” is not clear and certain. Therefore, it is not correct to say that khashyah originally meant “a person's drying up from fear,” unless there is independent and strong evidence for such a transfer.

The careful method is to recognize the core of this root from its actual uses:

• a person knows or considers something possible;
• he takes its consequence seriously;
• within him a state of fear and regard takes shape;
• and this state can change his behavior.

4. The Semantic Core

The general core of “KH SH Y” can be stated as follows:

Inward regard and fear before a known danger or a consequence whose occurrence a person considers possible and serious.

Several components are visible in this core:

1. the presence of a matter or consequence that must be taken seriously;
2. a kind of knowledge, conception, or anticipation concerning it;
3. the emergence of inward fear or concern;
4. the effect of this state on decision and behavior.

But when the object of khashyah is The God, the Qur'an also highlights other elements:

• knowledge of His signs and authority;
• recognition of the human being's position before Him;
• taking accountability and the consequence of action seriously;
• preserving this awareness in the absence of people's eyes;
• and turning knowledge into return, watchfulness, and right action.

Therefore, the general meaning of the root and the Qur'anic definition of khashyah of The God must be regarded as distinct, yet related.

5. Khashyah Does Not Always Mean Sacred Awe

It is sometimes said that “khashyah” in itself means “fear joined with magnification.” This definition is useful for many uses related to The God, but it cannot explain all Qur'anic uses of the root.

The Qur'an also speaks with this root about the following matters:

• khashyah of people;
• khashyah of poverty;
• khashyah of commercial loss;
• khashyah of an unpleasant event;
• khashyah of death or harm;
• khashyah of the Day of Resurrection.

In “خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ,” reverent magnification of poverty is not in view. In “تِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا,” no one gives sacred respect to commercial loss. Therefore, “magnification” is not a necessary part of every lexical use of khashyah.

A more precise definition is this:

Khashyah in its general meaning is fear based on knowledge or anticipation of consequence; and when its object is The God, knowledge of greatness, authority, judgment, and accountability is added to it.

6. Qur'anic Forms

This root appears in the Qur'an mainly in two morphological groups:

• the simple verb “خَشِيَ، يَخْشَىٰ، تَخْشَوْنَ، اِخْشَوْا”;
• the noun “خَشْيَة”.

The object of khashyah in the Qur'an is not one and the same. A human being may have khashyah of these matters:

• The God;
• the Lord;
• people;
• the Day of Resurrection;
• poverty;
• commercial loss;
• hardship and slipping;
• an unpleasant future event;
• blame or the judgment of others.

This variety shows that the root's meaning should not be limited from the outset to “mystical fear of The God.” The Qur'an first preserves the general capacity of the word, then shows on what knowledge true and higher khashyah must be grounded and toward what it must be directed.

7. The Qur'anic Definition of Khashyah

The clearest verse for recognizing the Qur'anic definition of khashyah is this:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

Fatir 35:28

This verse links khashyah with “knowledge.” In its syntactic structure:

• “اللَّهَ” is the object and is accusative;
• “الْعُلَمَاءُ” is the subject and is nominative.

Thus the meaning of the verse is not that The God fears the knowledgeable; rather it is this:

Among the servants of The God, the knowledgeable are the ones who have khashyah of Him.

“إِنَّمَا” also restricts and highlights the relation. Authentic khashyah arises from knowledge. The better a human being knows the reality of the object of khashyah, its power, the consequences of his relation with it, and his own position, the more real his regard becomes.

On this basis, Qur'anic khashyah can be defined as follows:

Khashyah is serious and effective awareness of the greatness, authority, and accountability before The God; it arises from knowledge and directs human behavior.

8. Who Are “الْعُلَمَاءُ”?

“الْعُلَمَاءُ” in Fatir 35:28 should not immediately be translated as a professional clerical class or as holders of religious titles. “Al-ulama” is the plural of “alim” and means those who know and have reached knowledge.

The verses before this phrase speak of phenomena of creation:

• sending down water;
• fruits of different colors;
• paths and varied layers in the mountains;
• differences of color among humans, creatures, and livestock.

This knowledge begins from observing and recognizing the real phenomena of the world. But the Qur'an does not limit it to collecting information. A person must move through these signs toward recognition of order, power, diversity of creation, and his own position.

Thus “al-ulama” in this context is neither the title of a religious institution nor the exclusive name of a modern scientific discipline. They are those who recognize the signs before them and whose recognition becomes khashyah within them.

Not every knowledge necessarily creates khashyah. A person may possess abundant information, but not connect it with truth, responsibility, and reform of behavior. The verse speaks of a knowledge that carries recognition beyond the level of data and turns it into inward and ethical regard.

9. The Link Between Knowledge and Khashyah

In the Qur'anic definition of khashyah, knowledge is not merely a theoretical preface. The relation is as follows:

1. the human being sees the signs;
2. he recognizes order, power, and his own dependence;
3. he takes the greatness and authority of The God seriously;
4. he becomes sensitive to his choices and the consequences of his acts;
5. this recognition reforms his behavior.

Therefore, Qur'anic khashyah is not rooted in ignorance. One who is only terrified by frightening stories, human threats, or distorted images of The God has not necessarily reached Qur'anic khashyah.

At the end of the same verse, it says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

“عَزِيز” shows authority and invincibility, and “غَفُور” shows the possibility of forgiveness. Qur'anic khashyah therefore stands between recognition of authority and recognition of forgiveness; it is neither carelessness before responsibility nor despair and terror before a merciless being.

10. Khashyah, Forgiveness, and Hope

In several places the Qur'an immediately joins khashyah with forgiveness and reward:

وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَأَجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ

Ya-Sin 36:11

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

Al-Mulk 67:12

This connection shows that Qur'anic khashyah is not the same as despair. Khashyah takes the truth of accountability seriously; forgiveness and hope keep the path of return open.

If fear of responsibility is separated from the possibility of forgiveness, it may become despair. If hope is separated from khashyah and responsibility, it may lead to recklessness and false security.

Thus the Qur'anic balance is this:

• khashyah restrains the human being from carelessness;
• hope in mercy protects him from despair;
• and forgiveness makes return real.

The roots “KH SH Y” and “R J W” are not simply synonyms or opposites; each expresses one part of the human being's aware relation with the future and the consequences of his acts.

11. Guidance to the Lord and the Emergence of Khashyah

Moses says to Pharaoh:

وَأَهْدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخْشَىٰ

An-Naziat 79:19

The order of the sentence is important:

• “أَهْدِيَكَ”: that I may guide you;
• “إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ”: toward recognition of your Lord;
• “فَتَخْشَىٰ”: so that as a result you have khashyah.

Khashyah does not come before guidance and recognition; it is the consequence of guidance toward the Lord. This verse confirms the same relation seen in Fatir 35:28:

recognition of the Lord ← perception of His position and authority ← khashyah.

So the aim of Moses' speech was not merely to frighten Pharaoh. He wanted Pharaoh to come out of self-magnification, know the true Lord, and as a result take his limits and responsibility seriously.

12. “خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ”: Khashyah of The Merciful

One of the most important Qur'anic expressions is this:

وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ

Ya-Sin 36:11

And also:

مَنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَجَاءَ بِقَلْبٍ مُنِيبٍ

Qaf 50:33

In these two verses, khashyah is joined to “الرَّحْمَٰن.” This pairing prevents khashyah from being reduced to terror before a merciless ruler.

The Merciful is the source of mercy, but His mercy does not mean that truth, justice, and the consequence of acts are unimportant. Whoever knows The Merciful:

• does not turn His mercy into a tool for recklessness;
• does not forget His authority and judgment;
• and preserves his responsibility even in the absence of people's supervision.

In the verse from Surah Qaf, the result of khashyah is stated as:

وَجَاءَ بِقَلْبٍ مُنِيبٍ

Qur'anic khashyah does not carry the heart into despairing escape; it carries it toward return and turning back.

13. The Meaning of “بِالْغَيْبِ”

The phrase “بِالْغَيْبِ” appears several times with khashyah:

الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ

Al-Anbiya 21:49

إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ

Fatir 35:18

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ

Al-Mulk 67:12

“Bil-ghayb” can contain several connected dimensions:

• khashyah of a Lord who is not seen by the material eye;
• khashyah in privacy and away from people's sight;
• taking consequences seriously before they become visible;
• preserving responsibility without the need for external supervision.

This phrase shows that Qur'anic khashyah is not a social performance. If a person is careful only in the presence of people and reckless in private, his watchfulness has arisen from social pressure, not from khashyah bil-ghayb.

14. Khashyah and Receptivity to Warning

The Qur'an says:

إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكْرَ وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَٰنَ بِالْغَيْبِ

Ya-Sin 36:11

This verse places two qualities together:

• following the Reminder;
• khashyah of The Merciful in the unseen.

Warning benefits one who takes the possibility of consequence seriously. One who recognizes no truth beyond his own desire also makes warning ineffective.

The same meaning appears in other verses:

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَىٰ

An-Naziat 79:26

إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنْذِرُ مَنْ يَخْشَاهَا

An-Naziat 79:45

سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَنْ يَخْشَىٰ

Al-Ala 87:10

Khashyah in these verses is the capacity to be affected by a sign, a warning, and a reminder. The person who has khashyah takes the consequence seriously enough to be willing to learn from it.

15. Khashyah and Ethical Responsibility

The Qur'an says about observing the rights of weak children:

وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةً ضِعَافًا خَافُوا عَلَيْهِمْ

An-Nisa 4:9

This verse uses both roots “KH SH Y” and “KH W F” in one sentence.

Those who, if they left weak children behind, would have “khawf” for them, must have “khashyah” concerning their own behavior toward the weak children of others.

Here khashyah has an ethical function:

1. the person imagines the future of weak children;
2. he compares their condition with his own children;
3. he takes the consequence of unjust behavior seriously;
4. this regard must reform his speech and behavior.

Thus khashyah is not merely a state of the heart; it is the capacity to see consequence and restrain behavior on that basis.

16. Khashyah and Taqwa

The Qur'an says:

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَخْشَ اللَّهَ وَيَتَّقْهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ

An-Nur 24:52

In this verse, obedience, khashyah, and taqwa are mentioned separately. Therefore, these three words are not complete synonyms.

• Obedience: practical following of command;
• Khashyah: taking authority, truth, and consequence seriously;
• Taqwa: aware watchfulness and placing a protection between oneself and error or harmful consequence.

The relation can be explained as follows:

Khashyah awakens the human being to danger and responsibility; taqwa turns this awareness into practical watchfulness and protection.

Someone may feel a moment of fear yet build no protective behavior. In that case, his feeling has not yet become taqwa.

17. Moving Khashyah from People to The God

The Qur'an repeatedly prevents the human being from placing people in the final position of khashyah:

فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي

Al-Baqarah 2:150

فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ

Al-Maidah 5:44

أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَوْهُ

At-Tawbah 9:13

وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ

Al-Ahzab 33:37

These verses do not deny the existence of pressure, threat, or people's judgment. The issue is which khashyah should be the final criterion of ethical decision.

If khashyah of people overcomes khashyah of The God, the human being may:

• hide truth;
• set justice aside;
• alter the message;
• compromise to preserve reputation, wealth, or position;
• and prefer people's judgment over the judgment of truth.

Therefore, the command “اخْشَوْنِ” is not a call to more psychological fear; it is the return of the center of regard and responsibility from people to The God.

18. Delivering the Message Without Khashyah of People

The Qur'an says about those who deliver messages:

الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ

Al-Ahzab 33:39

In this verse, khashyah of The God is the condition for the messenger's independence from human pressure.

A person responsible for delivering a message, if he has more khashyah of people than of truth, may change the message according to the desire of powerholders, society, or audience.

Thus khashyah of The God in this context has a liberating result:

• it reduces dependence on people's approval;
• it restrains the messenger from selling truth;
• and it transfers the criterion of responsibility from society's reaction to truth itself.

Qur'anic khashyah here does not make a person cowardly; it makes him firm before social pressure.

19. Khashyah of People

The Qur'an says:

إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً

An-Nisa 4:77

This verse shows that, lexically, khashyah can also be attached to people. Therefore, the word “khashyah” is not intrinsically the name of worship or a sacred state.

The problem with this group was not simply their awareness of danger from people; they had made khashyah of people equal to, or stronger than, khashyah of The God. As a result, people's power had gained a determining place in their decision-making system.

This verse clarifies an important boundary:

The issue is not only what a person fears; the issue is which fear guides his final decision.

20. “خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ”

The Qur'an says:

وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ

Al-Isra 17:31

“إملاق” is related to poverty and destitution. “خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ” means fear of poverty that they imagine may occur in the future.

The verse itself shows that in the environment of the Qur'an's first audience, economic concern could function as a motive for killing children. Yet the verse does not attribute this behavior to all Arabs and does not limit it to one specific practice, such as burying daughters alive. The expression “أَوْلَادَكُمْ” includes all children, and the verb “تقتلوا” speaks of every kind of killing.

The semantic structure of this behavior is as follows:

• the child will need food and resources;
• resources may decrease;
• poverty may arrive;
• therefore, the person tries in advance to remove the imagined cause of poverty.

The Qur'an rejects both the behavior and the calculation behind it:

نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ

Here the source of provision is returned from the human being's limited calculation to The God. Economic khashyah cannot license taking the lives of children.

In Al-Anam 6:151, another expression appears:

وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلَاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ

“مِنْ إِمْلَاقٍ” may indicate an existing poverty, while “خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ” highlights fear of future poverty. The Qur'an does not accept killing a child either because of existing poverty or from fear of future poverty.

This use also shows that the existence of khashyah by itself is not a sign that its object or conclusion is correct. Khashyah too must be weighed by truth and justice.

21. “خَشْيَةَ الْإِنْفَاقِ”

The Qur'an says about the human being:

قُلْ لَوْ أَنْتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَائِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّي إِذًا لَأَمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الْإِنْفَاقِ

Al-Isra 17:100

Here “خَشْيَةَ الْإِنْفَاقِ” relates to fear of being spent down and of stores coming to an end. Even if the human being possessed the treasuries of the mercy of my Lord, he might hold back his hand from fear that they would diminish.

This use too shows that khashyah can be built on imagining the future and calculating consequence. But that calculation may arise from narrowness of view and inability to recognize the breadth of mercy.

Thus the Qur'an makes a practical distinction between two kinds of khashyah:

• khashyah that grows from correct knowledge and makes the human being responsible;
• khashyah that grows from incomplete imagination and pulls the human being toward miserliness or injustice.

22. Khashyah of Commercial Loss and the Turning of Events

The Qur'an says:

وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا

At-Tawbah 9:24

In this phrase, the direct object of khashyah is not trade itself; it is “kasadaha,” its becoming stagnant or unsold. The human being anticipates a future economic consequence and becomes concerned about losing profit or capital.

A group also said:

نَخْشَىٰ أَنْ تُصِيبَنَا دَائِرَةٌ

Al-Maidah 5:52

They feared a turn of affairs and the arrival of an unpleasant event. This khashyah rested on their political or social anticipation and directed their decision.

These verses show that khashyah often stands between knowledge, anticipation, and choice:

A person imagines a future, becomes fearful of its consequence, and decides on that basis.

The Qur'an then weighs the correctness or incorrectness of that decision by broader criteria.

23. “خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ”

Aaron says to Moses:

إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

Taha 20:94

Aaron fears a statement that had not yet been said. He anticipated the possible consequence of his action and explains his decision on that basis.

In this structure:

• “خَشِيتُ”: I feared and took into account;
• “أَنْ تَقُولَ”: the clause that states the object of khashyah;
• “فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ”: the blame Aaron thought he might face.

This use again shows that khashyah is connected with anticipating a consequence or a future judgment.

24. “فَخَشِينَا أَنْ يُرْهِقَهُمَا”

In the story of Moses and the knowledgeable servant it says:

وَأَمَّا الْغُلَامُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَا أَنْ يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا

Al-Kahf 18:80

“فَخَشِينَا” here points to a consequence that had not yet occurred:

It was feared that the boy would burden his parents with rebellion and kufr.

The root “KH SH Y” by itself does not state that this future was certain. The verb khashiya conveys regard and concern toward a predicted outcome. Where this knowledge came from in the story belongs to the structure and context of the whole narrative, not to the lexical meaning of “خَشِينَا” alone.

25. Khashyah and the Reaction of Body and Heart

The Qur'an says about the effect of its verses:

تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ

Az-Zumar 39:23

Khashyah can create bodily reaction:

• skins tremble and contract;
• then skins and hearts soften toward the remembrance of The God.

This order is important. The end of khashyah is not permanent contraction and unhealthy terror. The first reaction is joined with softening and becoming calm before remembrance.

Therefore, Qur'anic khashyah may shake the body, but its destination is not psychological collapse; it is awakening, softness of heart, and return.

26. Stone and Mountain Before Khashyah

About stones it says:

وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

Al-Baqarah 2:74

And about a mountain it says:

لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

Al-Hashr 59:21

In the second verse, three independent roots stand beside one another:

• “خَاشِعًا” from “KH SH AYN”: humbled and lowered;
• “مُتَصَدِّعًا” from “S D AYN”: split and cracked;
• “خَشْيَةِ” from “KH SH Y”: the cause or ground of this reaction.

Thus the meanings of humility and splitting are not directly hidden inside “khashyah”; the words “khashi'an” and “mutasaddi'an” express those effects.

This image of the mountain, a symbol of firmness, is used to show the weight and seriousness of receiving the Qur'an. The verse does not define the physical mechanism of khashyah in a mountain; it creates a comparative image so that the human being may take seriously the weight of the truth he has received.

27. The Difference Between “خَشْيَة” and “خَوْف”

“Khawf” and “khashyah” overlap considerably, and in many contexts both are translated as “fear.” One should not construct an absolute and exceptionless boundary between them.

Nevertheless, their semantic tendencies differ:

• khawf: the more general field of fear, insecurity, and expectation of harm;
• khashyah: fear that is often joined with knowing the object, weighing consequence, or taking it seriously.

An-Nisa 4:9 places both together:

وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ... خَافُوا عَلَيْهِمْ

“خافوا عليهم” states their feeling of concern about their own children; “وليخش” turns that experience into an ethical regard that should restrain their behavior toward other people's children.

In Taha 20:77 it also says:

لَا تَخَافُ دَرَكًا وَلَا تَخْشَىٰ

The pairing of the two verbs shows that their fields are close, but two words are used to complete and broaden the negation of concern. From these verses one cannot conclude that every use of khawf is wholly without knowledge and every use of khashyah is wholly learned; the difference is a dominant semantic tendency, not an absolute separation.

28. The Difference Between “خَشْيَة” and “تَقْوَىٰ”

“Taqwa” comes from the root “W Q Y” and denotes preserving, taking a shield, and placing a barrier between oneself and danger.

Khashyah and taqwa can stand together in one process:

• khashyah: taking danger, authority, and consequence seriously;
• taqwa: caring for oneself and building practical protection on the basis of that awareness.

In An-Nur 24:52 both are mentioned separately:

وَيَخْشَ اللَّهَ وَيَتَّقْهِ

Therefore, taqwa is not merely the feeling of fear, and khashyah alone does not contain the whole meaning of taqwa. Khashyah can be the inward motivation and awareness; taqwa is its watchful and practical form.

29. The Difference Between “خَشْيَة” and “خُشُوع”

“Khashyah” is from the root “KH SH Y,” and “khushu'” is from the root “KH SH AYN.” Their similarity in sound should not cause the two roots to be mixed.

• Khashyah: an inward state of fear and regard before a serious matter;
• Khushu': lowering, subsiding, and humility that may appear in voice, gaze, body, heart, or earth.

In Al-Hashr 59:21 the two fields are seen together:

خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

Khashyah is introduced as the inward ground or cause, while khushu' expresses the resulting state of lowering. Therefore, khashyah may lead to khushu', but the two are not one word.

30. The Difference Between “خَشْيَة” and “إِشْفَاق”

The Qur'an says:

الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ وَهُمْ مِنَ السَّاعَةِ مُشْفِقُونَ

Al-Anbiya 21:49

And also:

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ

Al-Muminun 23:57

“Ishfaq” is fear joined with concern, care, and sensitivity toward consequence. In the first verse:

• khashyah is attached to the Lord;
• ishfaq is toward the Hour and its consequence.

In the second verse, khashyah of the Lord is the ground from which ishfaq arises.

Therefore, ishfaq highlights cautious concern and preoccupation with the outcome more strongly; khashyah highlights recognition and serious regard of the object.

31. Difference from “وَجَل,” “رَهْبَة,” “فَزَع,” and “رُعْب”

31.1. Khashyah and Wajal

“Wajal” is inward agitation and trembling of the heart:

إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

In wajal, the shaking and unrest of the heart is prominent. In khashyah, recognition of the object and taking consequence seriously is more prominent.

31.2. Khashyah and Rahbah

“Rahbah” is an intense fear that may drive a person toward retreat, avoidance, or seeking refuge. Khashyah does not necessarily contain this intensity or withdrawal; it may lead to standing firm and carrying responsibility.

31.3. Khashyah and Faza'

“Faza'” points more to alarm and disturbance caused by a sudden event. Khashyah can take shape before an event occurs and on the basis of knowledge and anticipation.

31.4. Khashyah and Ru'b

“Ru'b” is an overwhelming and crushing fear that dominates a person inwardly. Khashyah can be calm, steady, and joined with reflection, and does not necessarily become severe terror.

After recognizing these semantic boundaries, examining the syntactic structures of the root shows how the object, cause, and atmosphere of khashyah are determined in Qur'anic sentences.

32. Important Syntactic Structures

32.1. The Direct Object of Khashyah

The verb “خَشِيَ” can take a direct object:

• “يَخْشَى اللَّهَ”;
• “تَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ”;
• “اخْشَوْا يَوْمًا”;
• “خَشِيَ الْعَنَتَ”.

In this structure, the object specifies who or what is the subject of khashyah.

32.2. “خَشِيَ أَنْ...”

Sometimes the object of khashyah is a possible event and is stated with “أَنْ”:

• “نَخْشَىٰ أَنْ تُصِيبَنَا دَائِرَةٌ”;
• “خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ”;
• “فَخَشِينَا أَنْ يُرْهِقَهُمَا”.

In this structure, khashyah comes closer to the future and the anticipation of consequence.

32.3. “خَشْيَةَ” as a Statement of Cause

In phrases such as:

خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ

The verbal noun “خشية” states the cause of the behavior: from fear of poverty.

32.4. “مِنْ خَشْيَةِ”

In phrases such as:

يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

“مِنْ” expresses causal relation or source of the state: from khashyah of The God.

32.5. “بِالْغَيْبِ”

In:

يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ

The phrase “bil-ghayb” clarifies the quality and atmosphere of khashyah: a khashyah that is not dependent on direct observation or people's supervision.

32.6. Structures of Restriction

In phrases such as:

وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ

And:

وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ

Negation and exception restrict the final and determining khashyah to The God. The point is not that such a person has no natural reaction before any danger; rather, no other power takes the final position of commanding his conscience.

33. What Khashyah Is Not

Qur'anic khashyah should not be made identical with these matters:

• baseless terror arising from ignorance;
• unhealthy and paralyzing fear;
• blind obedience to holders of power;
• outward performance of religiosity before people;
• despair of the mercy of The God;
• merely possessing information or a scholarly title;
• every kind of concern about the future, without weighing whether it is right.

Khashyah can be rightly or wrongly directed. Someone may have such khashyah of people, poverty, or commercial loss that he is pulled toward injustice, miserliness, or hiding truth.

Therefore, the Qur'an does not only ask, “Do you have khashyah?” Rather, it asks:

• Of whom or of what do you have khashyah?
• On what knowledge is this khashyah grounded?
• Is its object truly worthy of this position?
• And to what behavior does this state lead you?

34. Care in Translation

Translating “khashyah” as “fear” may be generally correct in many verses, but it does not always carry the full meaning.

Depending on context, the following renderings may be more suitable:

• aware fear;
• serious regard;
• awe joined with knowledge;
• concern about consequence;
• a sense of responsibility before authority;
• fear that restrains behavior.

For example:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

It may be translated as:

Among the servants of The God, the knowledgeable are the ones who truly take His greatness and accountability before Him seriously.

But in:

وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا

The more natural translation is:

and trade whose stagnation you fear.

So one fixed equivalent cannot properly convey all uses of the root.

35. Conclusion

The root “KH SH Y” in Arabic denotes inward fear and regard before a known danger or an anticipated consequence. This root is not used only for The God; people, poverty, commercial loss, the Day of Resurrection, and future events may also be objects of khashyah.

From the Qur'an's general uses, one can conclude:

Khashyah is taking seriously a consequence that a person considers possible on the basis of his knowledge, conception, or anticipation.

But the Qur'an builds a more precise field for khashyah toward The God:

• it arises from knowledge and recognition of the signs;
• it emerges through guidance toward the Lord;
• it remains in the unseen and away from people's supervision;
• it is joined with recognition of mercy, might, and forgiveness;
• it frees the human being from the dominance of people's judgment;
• and it leads to the heart's return, softness, responsibility, and taqwa.

Therefore, the concise general definition of the root is this:

“خَشْيَة”: inward fear and regard toward a known danger or a consequence considered serious and possible.

And Qur'anic khashyah of The God can be defined as follows:

Effective knowledge of the greatness, authority, and accountability before The God; a knowledge that remains present even in the absence of people's supervision, stays joined with hope in mercy and forgiveness, and directs human behavior toward watchfulness, return, and right action.