Quran Universe
26:108

فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

Faittaqoo Allaha waateeAAooni

So fear Allah and obey me.

Word by word
  1. فَٱتَّقُواْSo fear
  2. ٱللَّهَAllah
  3. وَأَطِيعُونِand obey me
Ash-Shu'ara · 26:108Makkah

Fear Allah, and follow me.

Taqwa first, then following

The order
fear Allahfirst
then
obey methe messenger
Why follow him
for his sakepersonal loyalty
for Allah's sakehe brings Allah's message

Nuh puts it in order: have taqwa of Allah, then obey me. He is not asking for a following of his own. Ibn Kathir says he is faithfully fulfilling the mission Allah gave him, so following him means following Allah's message.

You follow a speaker online, a sheikh, a teacher you love. Good. Ask what the order is: do you follow them because they bring you to Allah, or for them? Taqwa comes first.

Following a good teacher is enough on its own.

I follow teachers because they lead me to Allah. Allah comes first.

Try this

Next time you listen to a lesson, ask: what does Allah want me to do with this?

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 26:105)

The people of Nuh denied the Messengers (105)When their brother Nuh said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa? ( 106)"I am a trustworthy Messenger to you. ( 107)"So have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. ( 108)"No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of all that exists. ( 109)"So have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. ( 110)

Nuh's Preaching to His People, and Their Response

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Nuh, peace be upon him, who was the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people of earth after they started to worship idols. Allah sent him to forbid that and to warn people of the consequences of idol worship. But his people belied him and continued their evil practice of worshipping idols besides Allah. Allah revealed that their disbelieving in him was akin to disbelieving in all the Messengers, So Allah said:

كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ نُوحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ

(The people of Nuh belied the Messengers. When their brother Nuh said to them: "Will you not have Taqwa?") meaning, 'do you not fear Allah when you worship others instead of Him?'

إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ

(I am a trustworthy Messenger to you.) means, 'I am the Messenger of Allah to you, faithfully fulfilling the mission with which Allah has sent me. I convey the Messages of my Lord to you, and I do not add anything to them or take anything away from them.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ - وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ

(So have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me. No reward do I ask of you for it;) means, 'I do not want any payment for the advice I give you; I will save my reward for it with Allah.'

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

(So have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me.) 'It is clear to you that I am telling the truth and that I am faithfully fulfilling the mission with which Allah has entrusted me.'