A: This is a great Ayah (Qur'anic verse) which indicates that people of knowledge are those endowed with the knowledge of Allah, His Religion i.e. Islam, His Glorious Book and the Sunnah of His honorable Prophet (peace be upon him). These people are the ones whose fear of Allah is the most perfect, and whose piety and obedience to Him the most perfect. At the head of them are the Messengers and Prophets (peace be upon them all). Thus, the meaning of the Ayah, It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allâh. is perfect fear shown by servants who have knowledge. They are those who know their Lord through His Names, His Attributes, and His Great Right (Glorified and Exalted be He). They are those who understand His Shari'ah (Divine Law), believe in the blessings He prepared for those who fear Him and in the punishment for those who disobey Him and violate His Orders. Due to their perfect knowledge of Allah and the Truth, they are, of all people, the most fearful of Allah and the most reverential to Him (Glorified and Exalted be He). The Ayah does not mean that only scholars fear Allah for every believing man and woman fear Allah (Glorified be He) and feel reverent awe for Him (Exalted be He). However, fear varies from one person to another as people are not equal. The more a believing man knows Allah and has deep understanding of His Religion, the more he fears Him and the more his fear is perfect. Likewise, the more a believing woman knows Allah, His Attributes, and His Great Rights, the more she fears Him and the more her fear is perfect. The less knowledge and awareness people have, the less they fear Allah and the less they feel awe for Him (Exalted be He). People vary in the degree of their fear of Allah, even the scholars; the more a scholar knows Allah, His Rights, His Religion, His Names, and His Attributes, the more perfect is his fear than those below him in these qualities. The less knowledge a person has, the less he fears Allah. But all the believing men and women fear Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He).

according to their knowledge and the degree of their Iman (Faith). Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says, Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allâh, and in His Messenger Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ) including all obligations ordered by Islâm] and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord is ' Adn (Eden) Paradise (Gardens of Eternity), underneath which rivers flow. They will abide therein forever, Allâh will be pleased with them, and they with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord. and Verily,, those who fear their Lord unseen (i.e. they do not see Him, nor His punishment in the Hereafter), theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise). and But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise). The believers, scholars or common people, shall be rewarded for their fear of Allah. However, the perfect fear of Allah is that of people of knowledge, for their profound awareness and great knowledge of Allah. This is why they are the most fearful of Allah among mankind. I hope this has clarified the meaning of the Ayah and solved any difficulty some people may have in understanding it. May Allah grant us success!