Lesson 3 of 6 · Anxiety is not weak iman
Fear, in the text, without a rebuke attached
Three places. At the Trench, the believers are described in open physical panic and the passage does not censure them for it. Musa felt fear inside himself and was answered rather than corrected. And in the cave, Abu Bakr was distressed and was consoled.
Qur’an and Sunnah
The first of the three places. This is the Trench, and it describes the believers in open physical fear.
إِذۡ جَآءُوكُم مِّن فَوۡقِكُمۡ وَمِنۡ أَسۡفَلَ مِنكُمۡ وَإِذۡ زَاغَتِ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ وَبَلَغَتِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ ٱلۡحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلظُّنُونَا۠
They massed against you from above and below; your eyes rolled [with fear], your hearts rose into your throats, and you thought [ill] thoughts of God
Qur’an 33:10
The same passage, one verse on. It says they were tested and shaken severely, and it does not follow that with a rebuke.
هُنَالِكَ ٱبۡتُلِيَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ زِلۡزَالࣰ ا شَدِيدࣰ ا
There the believers were sorely tested and deeply shaken
Qur’an 33:11
Musa's own fear, and the second of the three places. The fear is stated plainly rather than hinted at.
فَأَوۡجَسَ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ خِيفَةࣰ مُّوسَىٰ
Moses was inwardly alarmed
Qur’an 20:67
That is the answer he was given: reassurance, not a correction for having felt it in the first place.
قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ
but We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand
Qur’an 20:68
The third place. In the cave his companion was distressed and was told not to grieve, which is consolation rather than censure.
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِي ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودࣲ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِيَ ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Even if you do not help the Prophet, God helped him when the disbelievers drove him out: when the two of them were in the cave, he [Muhammad] said to his companion, ‘Do not worry, God is with us,’ and God sent His calm down to him, aided him with forces invisible to you, and brought down the disbelievers’ plan. God’s plan is higher: God is almighty and wise
Qur’an 9:40
Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur'an, Oxford University Press, 2004.