Only Those Fear Allah Who Have Knowledge
tadabbur
Level: intermediate
akhlaq
td-217
إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَٰٓؤُاْ
— فاطر 28
Verse: "Only those fear Allah who have knowledge." (35:28) — "Only" (innama) is restrictive. Fronting "Allah" creates exclusivity: the fear is directed to Allah specifically. A scholar without fear of Allah hasn't reached true knowledge. Lesson: measure your knowledge by your reverence.
Source: Ibn Kathir (6/527); Al-Sadi
Question: What is the significance of fronting "Allah" before "scholars" in the verse?
Answer: Indicates the fear is directed to Allah specifically — not to anyone else. The scholar's correct fear is of Allah alone.