TAQWA
(God-consciousness)
Part I
Taqwa and its Purpose
Mohammed S. Uddin
"Verily, the muttaqun will be in the midst of Gardens and Rivers (Paradise). In a great seat of truth (i. e., Paradise), near the Omnipotent King (Allah, the One, the Blessed, the Most-High, the Owner of Majesty and Honor)". [Surah Al-Qamar 54:54-55]
What is Taqwa:
The root word of taqwa is "Q-W-U" which means "protection" from something harmful, as expressed in the following verse,
"O you who believe! Save (or protect) yourself and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stone…" [Surah al-Tahrim 66:6]
The Arabic word taqwa has been widely translated to mean "piety or righteousness", "fear of Allah", "obedience to Allah", "self-restraint," and "refraining from sinful act(s)". But a more comprehensive word like "God-consciousness" or "God-mindfulness", will encompass all these abstract virtues. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "The best of provision is taqwa (God-consciousness)", that is the right conduct:
"And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety). So fear Me, O men of understanding!" [Surah al-Baqarah, 2;197]
God-consciousness leads a person to be righteous, God-fearing, self-restraining, and self-refraining from sinful act(s). That is the spiritual taqwa that protects oneself from all harms that comes his way, both physically and spiritually:
"…and as an adornment; and the raiment of taqwa, that is better." [Surah al-A'raf, 7:26]
Abu Salih reported that a man said to Abu Hurayrah, "What is taqwa (God-fearing mindfulness)?" Abu Hurayrah said, "Have you ever taken a thorny path?" The man said, "Yes." Abu Hurayrah said, "What did you do?" The man said, "If I saw thorns, I would avoid them, pass over them, or stop short of them." Abu Hurayrah said, "That is taqwa (God-fearing mindfulness)." (al-Zuhd al-Kabir 963)
Place in the Holy Qur'an
Recite to them the story of the two sons of Adam in truth: when each offered a sacrifice, it was accepted from the one and not from the other. The latter said to the former, "I will surely kill you." The former said, "Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are al-muttaqun." [Surah al-Maidah, 5:27]
Taqwa, a Spiritual Call
Prophets and Messengers were sent to proclaim tawhid (monotheism) to humanity, to call them to the Right Path and to teach them the Divine Message. The essence of the message was universal, which was to proclaim the Monotheism and shun disbelief and polytheism". Taqwa was thus a part of the call to tawhid, which offered people hope for salvation and fear from punishment, and this has been the call of all the prophets.
Prophet Nuh appealed to his people,
"My people! I am to you a warner, clear and open: that you should worship Allah, have taqwa, and obey me. He will forgive you of your sins and respite you to an appointed time…" [Surah Nuh, 71:2-3]
Prophet Hud, was sent to the people of 'Ad, to whom he said,
"O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other God but Him. Will you not have taqwa." [Surah al-A'raf, 7:65]
Moses said to his people,
"Seek help in Allah and be patient. Verily, the earth is Allah's. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of His servants; and the blessed end is for the muttaqun." [Surah al-A'raf, 7:128]
Concerning Prophet Isa, Allah says,
And when Isa (Jesus) came with clear proofs, he said, "I have come to you with wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of that which you differ. Therefore, fear Allah and obey me." [Surah al-Zukhruf, 43:63]
Thus, Qur'an, the Final Revelation, reveals that our beloved Prophet came as a guide for the muttaqun,
"This is the Book wherein there is no doubt; guidance unto those who are muttaqun." [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:1-3]
Taqwa and Birr
We have mentioned that a derivative of taqwa is muttaqun, which refers to those who have taqwa. As for muttaqun, it is an embodiment of the virtues that dictate the qualities of al-birr (righteousness), and so birr can be equated with taqwa. A person with taqwa, must build within his character the virtues that collectively define righteousness, as is seen in people with al-birr; the virtues that are far more comprehensive, and not limited by simply standing in prayer:
"It is not birr that you turn your faces towards the east and west [in prayer]; but birr is [the quality of] the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the Prophets, and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the poor, to the wayfarer, to those who ask, and to set slaves free; [who] performs prayers, gives the prescribed charity, who fulfills their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty, ailment, and at the time of fighting. Such are the people of the truth and they are muttqun." [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:177]
In the final analysis of the meaning of the words taqwa and muttaqun, it appears that a muttaqun must have taqwa that embraces two distinct aspects of life: One aspect includes a set of beliefs in the unseen, which equates to the Articles of Faith (Islamic aqidah). The other aspect includes multiple actions, including, but not limited to, the Five Pillars of Islam. In other words, it is a combination of faith and actions. This is probably the reason why the status of taqwa is very high in the Sight of Allah. The level of faith in the heart of an individual guides him in his actions, and constant consciousness of Allah in the mind serves as a source of spiritual nourishment for faith. The Holy Qur'an is the guidance for the believers and the muttaqun. Allah says,
"This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are muttaqun, who believe in the unseen, perform the prayer, spend out of what We have provided for them, who believe in what has been sent down to you [Muhammad] and in that which was sent down before you, and they believe with certainty in the hereafter." [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:1-4]
Taqwa, the Outcome of Worship
The worship of Allah leads to the development of taqwa or God-consciousness. Allah says,
"O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those who were created before you, so that you become God-conscious." [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:21]
In fact, one of the prime purposes of worship, obligatory or voluntary, is to achieve taqwa. Sincere worship of Allah makes the worshipper conscious of Him; and as the worshipper submerges himself in the remembrance of Allah, he gets closer and closer to Him, while moving farther and farther away from the worldly matters.
Engaging in worship that takes one away from the worldly matters is a necessary condition to developing taqwa, since dealing with the worldly matters opens the door to waswas, the whispering to the soul, and Satan. In as much as this life is a preparatory platform for the hereafter, wealth and children, in this worldly life, make this life attractive, which is then magnified by our desires (of the nafs) and Satan, making it difficult to move away from.
Thus, being aware of our predicament, and having love and compassion, Allah mandates worship for us, on a daily, weekly, yearly, and life-time schedule, in order to protect us from the influence of our self (nafs al-ammarah) and Satan. Every good deed amounts to worship. Allah says,
"I have created not the jinn and humanity except that they should worship Me alone." [Surah al-Dhariyat, 51:56]
The Components of Taqwa
Taqwa comprises of fear and love of Allah, hope in and dependence on Allah, worship of and devotion to Allah, and, most importantly, the awareness that Allah is Ever-watchful of His servants and He knows everything about them, is closer to them than we are to themselves, and is the final source of reward or punishment. Allah says,
"Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have bestowed on them." [Surah al-Sajdah, 32:16]
The best place, and the only place, to turn to worship and to ask for forgiveness from Allah is during the solitude of the night. Fear of punishment should not take one away from the hope in Allah's mercy, since Allah's mercy subdues His anger. In fact, after committing a sin, a believer should immediately call upon Allah for forgiveness, expressing fear for His punishment and hope in His forgiveness. Allah's mercy encompasses the muttaqun:
"He (Allah) said, 'My punishment, I afflict therewith whom I will, and My mercy encompasses all things, which I shall ordain for those who are the muttaqun." [Surah al-A'raf 7:156]
Taqwa, the Measuring Unit
The origin of humanity is derived from a single pair of human beings (Adam and Hawwah). Allah has divided humanity into nations and tribes, so that they can know one another in the matters pertaining to this world. As for the spiritual world, then these divisions make no differences. On the Day of Judgment, the measuring unit to determine the level of honor that a person will attain will be measured by the unit of taqwa. Allah will only honor those who have taqwa, who are conscious of Him, who refrain from doing wrong for fear of His punishment, and who perform righteous deeds for hope of His rewards. For Allah, taqwa is the ultimate measuring unit to determine a person's spiritual standard. He says,
"People, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one who has taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." [Surah Hujurat, 49:13]
TAQWA
Part II
Taqwa, The Guiding Light
Mohammed S. Uddin
Taqwa is the guiding light for a person's action and is the ultimate measuring unit to determine his spiritual standard. Therefore, Allah admonishes humanity in general, and the believers in specific, to be aware of this virtue and to enrich themselves with it in order to attain spiritual salvation. In Islamic tradition, we see that the Friday sermon (khutbah) comprises of an opening call for the congregation to attain taqwa, and it is repeated in four different verses in four different contexts: an admonition to die in state of faith (Q, 3:102), a call for humanity to acknowledge that it is a unit of a single family, a single unit of brotherhood (Q, 4:1), to always speak the truth (Q, 33:70), and to remember the severity of trials on the Day of the Hour (Q, 22:1).
Humanity is called to maintain consciousness of the fact that we all came from a single source, which was the first human, Adam. Hawwa (Eve) was then created from Adam to make the first human family. Therefore, humanity is an expanded family of Adam and Hawwa; a family of brotherhood that deals with each other like brothers and sisters, respect each other's right, is kind and merciful, and is compassionate and benevolent. Allah says,
"People, be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him He created his wife (Hawwa), and from them both, He created many men and women; and fear Allah through Whom you demand [your mutual rights], and [do not cut the relations of] the wombs. Surely Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you." [Surah al-Nisa, 4:1]
Our heritage of Adam and Hawwa is established upon human genealogy, and that it is the same genetics and genomic material that runs through the human race. The apparent diversity that Allah has permitted within our genome in regard to appearances is only related for the purpose of the affairs of this material world, and it has no impact on the spiritual level of the individual; rather, that is determined by the level of one's taqwa. Allah says,
"People, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one who has taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." [Surah al-Hujurat 49:13]
Therefore, genomic differences should not be used to treat someone else differently, such as his or her appearance, color, or ethnicity, but he or she should be honored, based on their level of piety and righteousness. It is also the level of taqwa that should be the basis of friendship in this world, since, on the Day of Accountability, companionship will be based on the level of iman and taqwa. Allah says,
"Friends on that Day will be foes, one to another, except the righteous." [Surah al-Zukhruf, 43:67]
Also, 'A'ishah relates that the Prophet said,
"On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will raise them according to their intention." (Muslim)
Call to the Believers (in Particular)
During every Friday sermon, the believers are reminded and admonished to attain taqwa, to be aware of Allah and His watchfulness, to revere Him as He deserves, and to not die except in a state of belief in Islam. Thus, Islam, which is the complete submission to Allah, is the final hope for the salvation of the soul. Allah says,
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except in the state of Islam." [Surah Ali-'Imran 3:102]
The fear of Allah resides in the heart, which is then expressed by words uttered by our tongues that are formulated by our brains. During such processing, a person must choose the right words of expression that will figuratively represent the object without exaggeration or understatement, which may be misleading. Having fear of Allah and the choosing the right words help in eliminating any plausible mistakes in having the doors to Allah's forgiveness opened. Allah says,
"O you who believe, be careful of your duty to Allah and speak the right word. He will put your deeds into a right state for you and will forgive you your faults. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a mighty success." [Surah al-Ahzab, 33:70-71]
This character of speaking the truth, was most vivid in the conduct of our beloved Prophet, who was a person of few words that contained deep meaning and direct approach. That was a divine teaching, which was necessary to preach and teach the Qur'an, the words of Allah, and to present the exact meaning without addition, deletion, or exaggeration. This was also the characteristics of all the Prophets and Messengers, who preached the Truth, and the Truth is always clear and direct, as opposed to falsehood. Allah says,
"Such is Allah, your real Cherisher and Sustainer. Apart from Truth, what is there but error? How then are you turned away? [Surah Yunus, 10:32]
"And unto Allah leads straight the way, but there are ways that turn aside. If Allah had willed, He could have guided all of you." [Surah al-Nahl, 16:9]
The believers are asked to refrain from doing wrong to others, and to not return evil for evil. The hatred of wicked does not justify hostility on the part of a true believer; rather, it should be dealt with patience and admonition in truth, admonition toward birr and taqwa, which is why Allah say,
"Help you one another in righteousness (birr) and piety (taqwa)." [Surah al-Maida, 5:2]
This will turn the hostility and hatred into friendship and brotherhood, as Allah says,
"The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel [the evil] with one that is better. Then verily he, between whom and you, there was enmity, [will become] as though he was a close friend." [Surah Fussilat, 41:34]
It was indeed these virtues of the Prophet that turned the life of the tribal and feudal Arabs into the best of the best. Allah is Just, but at the same time He is the Most Merciful and Most Forgiving. It is by these and other virtues inherent in His beautiful Names―by which Allah governs His creation and by which He will justify our deeds on the Day of Accountability―that no one will be dealt with unjustly. Allah says,
"This is because of that which your hands have sent before you, and certainly, Allah is never unjust to His servants." [Surah al-'Imran, 3:182]
The believers are called upon to stand firmly for justice that is administered through Qur'anic injunctions, the practice of the Prophet and the righteous followers, and to stand against any injustice. Our stand for justice and against injustice amounts to taqwa, and will be a witness on our behalf before Allah. He says,
"O you who believe, stand firmly for Allah as just witnesses. Do not let the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just, that is nearer to piety, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Well-acquainted with what you do." [Surah al-Maidah, 5:8]
Taqwa, the Light of Ascension
Way Up the Ladder
The purpose of taqwa is ascension to the Proximity to Allah. It is fifty thousand year journey, in human reckoning, traveled by the angels and the Ruh [i.e., Jibril] in one day. It is a spiritual ascension of the believer. Allah says,
"From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent. The angels and the Ruh [i.e., Jibril] ascend to Him in a Day, the measure whereof is fifty thousand years." [Surah al-Ma'arij, 70:4]
Ascension to the Proximity to Allah in Paradise is achievable through patience and steadfastness in His worship. Those who worship none but Allah, and who perform all that is ordained by Him and abstain from all that He has forbidden, will receive the good news of Paradise.
"O you who believe, endure and be steadfast, guard your territory, and fear Allah, so that you may be successful." [Surah Ali-'Imran, 3:200]
"Verily, those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and they stand firm, on them the angels will descend [saying], "Fear not, and do not grieve, but receive the glad tidings of Paradise, which you have been promised." [Surah Fussilat, 41:30]
Worship, the Source of Light
"Verily, those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them through their Faith. Under them will flow rivers in the Garden of Delight." [Surah Yunus, 10:9]
The five Pillars of Islam are: the shahada (the testimony that "none is to be worshipped except Allah, alone, and that Muhammad is the Prophet and Messenger of Allah"), five daily prayers, fasting the month of Ramadan, paying the zakat, performance of the hajj, and hihad.
The Shahada
The shahada (the doctrine of Islamic Monotheism or Tawhid) is the crown of all the pillars, and once declared, it must be supported by the other pillars of worship, in the form of submission to Allah's various forms of command. It is through submission that the worshipper becomes mindful of Allah, and by which he is able to attain closeness to Him. The Prophet said,
"My Lord says, 'If My slave comes nearer to me by a span, I go nearer to him by a cubit. If he comes nearer to Me by a cubit, I go nearer to him by arm's length. If he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'" (al-Bukhari 7536)
The Prayer
Standing in prayer five times a day in regularity and punctuality, brings the worshipper closer to Allah. By declaring the takbir al-tahrima (the opening glorification that enters a worshipper into the prayer) the worshipper enters the spiritual world, and begins his spiritual ascension. It brings him to a state of "as if he is seeing Allah", the quality of prayer that can only be defined by the word ihsan, and if he cannot see Allah, then he needs to know that Allah, the Almighty, is surely seeing him. That is taqwa.
Allah's Messenger has related that Allah said,
"Whosoever shows hostility to someone devoted to Me, I will be at war with him. My servant draws closer to Me, more than by anything loved by Me, by the religious duties I have enjoined upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory deeds, so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant. He hates death, and I hate hurting him." (Bukhari no 25, 40)
The Fasting
Fasting is an obligation, and it is a command from Allah that is applicable to all the believers that have attained the age of maturity. Thus, whoever fasts, then it is a sign of his obedience to that command.
"O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become muttqun." [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:183]
Abu Hurayrah has related that the Prophet said,
"Fasting is a shield." (al-Nasa'i, 2229)
To develop that shield, one must be God-conscious, which will restraint him from committing any sins and offer him protection from the Hellfire.
Fasting comprises of two obligatory components: the intention to fast, and abstaining from the nullifiers of the fast, such as eating, drinking, and sexual relationship. The fasting person is also admonished to avoid any sinful act that will jeopardize the quality of his or her fast.
In spite of being hungry, he will not eat, and in spite of being thirsty, he will not drink. All this is because he is conscious that Allah is watching him, and that if he breaks the fast, then he will be breaking his promise of intention that he has made. That very sense of being watched and breaking the promise, are the virtues of God-conscious, or righteousness. Additionally, he refrains from doing anything harmful that may affect the quality of his fast, such as when another seeks to quarrel with him, he says, "I am fasting." Thus, he avoids any quarrels, whether they are verbal or physical.
Thus, fasting, like the coat of mail of a soldier, protects a person from performing anything that is wrong, and so he is able to protect himself from any punishment in this life or in the hereafter. [The punishment for an intentional breaking an obligatory fast before its due time is severe, where the kaffarah (expiation) for it would be to fast two consecutive lunar months without break or be hanged by the feet in the Day of Judgment.] [2]
The Hajj
In hajj, particularly being in the state of ihram, the person is aware of Allah's command and follows the steps mandated for acceptance of this unique worship. The best provision for hajj is not physical nourishment, but it is taqwa or God-consciousness, which is needed for the nourishment of the soul. Allah says,
"The hajj is in the well-known months…and a take provision for the journey, but the best provision is taqwa. So, fear Me, people of understanding!" [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:197]
Thus, he remains far away from sexual relationship, committing sins, and disputing unjustly during hajj.
The Zakah and Jihad
One offers zakah and charity as a means for purification of his earnings and to aid the needy, and he fights and sacrifices his life in jihad for the religion of Allah. If the purpose is to show others one's generosity, and to be called a martyr for sacrificing his life, then all these good works will amount to sanctimoniousness; they will amount to nothing before Allah, an no reward is ever assigned to deeds that are done for the purpose of showing-off. Allah says,
"Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on others and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties…And those who spend of their sustenance to be seen by people, and believe not in Allah and the Last Day…" [Surah al-Nisa, 4:37-38]
TAQWA
Part III
Taqwa: Levels and Rewards
Mohammed S. Uddin
The Levels of Taqwa [3]
When taqwa is used for implying fear, then it assumes three levels: taqwa, khashyah, and ishfaq. Allah says,
"Indeed, We granted to Musa and Harun the criterion, a shining light, and a reminder for the muttaqun. Those who fear (khashyah) their Lord without seeing Him, and they are afraid (ishfaq) of the Hour." [Surah al Anbiya 21:48-49]
The first level of fear is taqwa, which is the fear of displeasing Allah. It is akin to the love of Allah, because if one really loves Allah, then he will not act counter to His commands and will as this will bring about His displeasure. This is even more so once he understands that His commands are to guide him toward the achievement of eternal salvation.
The second level of fear is khashyah, which is the fear that exists within the inmost thoughts of a person, and it refers to his thinking that he may fall short of the standard that Allah wishes for him. This is also part of righteousness but is a degree lesser than taqwa, which is akin to love.
The next level of fear is ishfaq, which is one being guided to by the fear of consequences on the Day of Judgment. This lacks the quality of love of taqwa and understanding of khashyah, but is sufficient enough to help a person conduct himself on the right path. [3]
The level of taqwa can vary according to the level of overall performance. The status of people with taqwa, or the muttaqun, is very high in the sight of Allah, far above the level of just being a Muslim or a mu'min. Allah assures His closeness and guardianship for the muttaqun in this world, and of His bliss and direct presence in the hereafter. He says,
"Then, if he is one of the muqarrabun (those brought near to Allah), [for him is] rest and provision, and a Garden of delight. If he is one of those of the right hand, then there is safety and peace for those of the right hand." [Surah al-Waqiah, 56:88-91]
Rewards of Taqwa
1. The reward of taqwa is nothing but Paradise, a seat in close proximity to Allah, the Owner of Majesty and Honor.
"Verily, the muttaqun will be in the midst of Gardens and Rivers. In a great seat of truth near the Omnipotent King." [Surah al-Qamar 54:54-55]
2. Taqwa delivers a person within the complete care of Allah. Thus, he is able to handle any difficulty that may come to him without breaking down, as help will come to him from sources that he never imagined.
"And for him who is constantly aware of Allah's presence (taqwa), Allah ever prepares a way out for him. He provides for him from sources he never could imagine, and if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is Allah for him." [Surah al-Talaq, 65:2-3]
3. The Believers are admonished to have taqwa, or the fear of displeasing Allah, because this will ensure that they perform good deeds that will be rewarded, thereby attaining success in this life and in the hereafter. We must consistently thrive to perform that which is right (per the Islamic Shari'ah), and never stop doing so because of temporary hurdles that exist in achieving that success.
Say, "O you, My servants who believe! Fear your Lord. Good is the reward for those who do good in this world, and Allah's earth is spacious. Only those who are patient will receive their reward in full without measure." [Surah al-Zumar 39:10]
4. The people with taqwa will not only be rewarded with Paradise in the hereafter, but they will have therein lofty palaces that far exceed the beauty of the palaces of this world, which will be built tiers upon tiers, loaded with architectural perfection, and will have the rivers of Paradise flowing gently beneath them.
"But it is for those who fear their Lord that these lofty mansions, built one above another, with rivers flowing underneath; the Promise of Allah, and Allah never fails in His Promise." [Surah al-Zumar, 39:20]
5. Allah blesses the God-conscious believers with furqan, the criterion, which clearly defines truth from falsehood. This was exemplified in the battle of Badr, when a limited number of strong believers (three hundred and thirteen) defeated the well-equipped army of Quraysh that numbered one thousand. This was all because they were God-fearing and depended solely upon Allah.
"O you who believe, if you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you furqan (a criterion), expiate for you your sins, and forgive you. And Allah is the Owner of the Great Bounty." [Surah al-Anfal, 8:29]
How to Attain Taqwa
The purpose of taqwa is to ascend upon the many rungs of the ladder to reach the Proximity to Allah. It is a fifty thousand year journey in human reckoning, traveled by the angels and the Ruh [i.e., Jibril] in one day. It is a spiritual ascension, an ascension of the soul (ruh) of the believers. It is achievable through patience and steadfastness in Allah's worship.
"The angels and the Ruh (i.e., Jibril) ascend to Him in a Day, the measure whereof is fifty thousand years." [Surah Ma'arij, 70:4]
"O you who believe, endure, be steadfast, guard your territory, and fear Allah, so that you may be successful." [Surah Ali-'Imran 3:200]
Since taqwa is a very high-level spiritual achievement, it would also be a matter that would not be easy to achieve. However, Allah, out of His great wisdom and generosity, has permitted us to achieve taqwa through moderation, without incurring any hardship in the worship. Allah says
"So, fear Allah as much as you can; listen and obey, and spend in charity for the benefit of your own souls. Those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity." [Surah al-Taghabun, 64:16]
Helpful Admonition
Remembrance of Allah and expression of gratitude establish direct connection with Allah. When we remember Allah, He reciprocates, not only remembering us, but magnifies the act by asking the angels to remember us by sending peace and asking Allah forgiveness for us. Allah says,
"O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praise morning and afternoon. He it is, Who sends peace upon you, and His angels too, so that He may bring you out from darkness into light. And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers." [Surah al-Ahzab, 33:41-43]
"Therefore, remember Me, I will remember you, and be grateful to Me, and never be ungrateful to Me." [Surah al-Baqarah 2:152]
Worship of Allah, the Creator, which is the Cause of all causes, the Reason for our creation and existence, brings us in line with the purpose of creation and keeps us conscious of Him, and it aids us in being righteous. Allah says,
"I created not the jinn and humans, except that they should worship Me." [Surah al-Dhariyat, 51:56]
"O people, worship your Lord, Who created you, and those who were before you, so that you may attain taqwa." [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:21]
Allah, the Creator of all creation, has addressed the most rational of His creation, which is humanity, that the material success of this life in terms of wealth or children is nothing but a deception from Satan. Therefore, a person must devote his time in spiritual enrichment by connecting with Allah, and being grateful through His remembrance,
"People, have taqwa of your Lord and fear a Day when no father can avail anything for his son, nor can a son avail anything for his father. Verily the Promise of Allah is true. Let not then the present life deceive you, nor let the chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah." [Surah Luqman 31:33]
Restraining the covetousness of the soul, listening to the command, and spending in charity, leads to the attainment of taqwa and the achievement of success. Allah says,
"So, keep your duty to Allah, and fear Him as much as you can; listen and obey, and spend in charity; that is better for yourselves. And whoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the successful ones." [Surah al-Taghabun, 64:16]
Abu Hurayrah relates that Allah's Messenger related that Allah said,
"Whosoever shows hostility to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws near to Me, more than by anything loved by Me, by the religious duties I have enjoined upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works, so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (anything) of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it (the refuge to him); I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about (seizing) the soul of My faithful servant: He hates death, and I hate hurting him" (Bukhari)
He (the Messenger) also said,
"Be mindful of your duty to Allah: perform the five-daily prayers, observe the fast, pay the zakah on your property, and obey your leaders. You will enter the Paradise of your Lord." (Last Sermon, al-Tirmidhi)
The Means of Worship
The Five pillars of Islam are the best means of worshipping Allah and achieving taqwa. Praying five times a day, when performed in the right way, brings one closer to Allah. While standing for prayer and declaring the takbir al-tahrima (the takbir to enter the prayer) the worshipper enters the spiritual world, begins his spiritual ascension that will bring him to a state of "seeing Allah", the quality of prayer that can only be defined by the word ihsan. And if he cannot see Allah, then he needs to know that Allah, the Almighty, is seeing him. That is taqwa.
We must be punctual and steadfast in our prayer. Once we are done with our worldly daily routine, we must return to worship of Allah,
"So, when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah's worship, and to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your) intentions and hope." [Surah al-Sharh, 94:7-8]
Similarly, in the state of fasting, a person abstains from food, drink, sexual relationship, and from everything forbidden. Therefore, a fasting person is following the command of Allah. In spite of being hungry, he will neither eat nor drink anything, because he knows that Allah is watching him, and that if he breaks it, then he will be breaking the intention that he made. That very sense of being watched and breaking his intention, are the virtues of God-conscious, or piety. Allah says,
"O you who believe, fasting has been made obligatory for you, the way it was made obligatory for those before you, so that you can have taqwa." [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:183]
The same way, in Hajj, particularly in the state of ihram, the person is aware of Allah's command and follows the steps mandated for the acceptance of this unique worship. The best provision for hajj is not physical nourishment, but is taqwa or God-consciousness, which provides the spiritual nourishment.
"The Hajj is in the well-known months…and take a provision for the journey, but the best provision is taqwa. So, fear Me, O people of understanding!" [Surah al-Baqarah 2:197]
Summary
In summary, taqwa is a combined state of mind that is constantly aware of Allah and His command, and expresses that awareness into actions that have been guided to by the Islamic Shari'ah. The core of taqwa consists of the basic Islamic faith (aqeedah), and its action are, but not limited to, the five pillars of Islam. Once a person reaches that state of spirituality, he is under the direct guidance of Allah, and will only perform that which is good.
To reach that state, one needs to first enrich his iman (faith) through regular practice of the five pillars of Islam. Once his faith has grown strong, it will act as a robust foundation, and it will encourage him to perform over and above the limits of the five pillars of Islam. These extra performances include regular supererogatory prayers, voluntary fasting, giving in charity (in addition to the compulsory zakah), to be patient at the time of adversity, to be involved in community services, and to support the cause of Islam with one's self and wealth. Allah says,
"Not equal are those of the believers who sit [at home]―except those who are disabled―and those strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah has preferred in grade those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives, above those who sit [at home]." [Surah al-Nisa, 4:95]
Conclusion
In conclusion, taqwa is a spiritual connection with Allah, and Allah loves those who love Him. Who show their love by not displeasing Him, who submit to His call and do what He commands, and who depend on Him for the outcome of their deeds (after they do everything according to Islamic Shari'ah).
"O you who believe, fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. Let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do. Be not like those who forgot Allah, and He caused them to forget their own selves. Those are the disobedient." [Surah al-Hashar, 59:18-19]
The above verses refer to Allah being fully aware of our actions and that He will hold us accountable for them on the Day of Resurrection. Therefore, we need to be aware of His watchfulness and pay heed to what we do. He admonishes us to remain connected with Him through his Remembrance, and to not forget Him, otherwise, He will make us forget our own selves.
To fulfill the covenant of being Allah's khalifa (deputy) in this world, we need to follow the examples of the Prophets and Messengers, since they are the teachers sent by Allah Himself to educate humanity about His commands and Sunnah. They were the muttaqun and the muqarrabuns.
Allah addresses the Muslims as the best of all nations,
"You are the best nation raised among mankind." [Surah Ali-'Imran, 3:110]
To maintain a high level of faith, a person needs for the love and fear of Allah to exist within his heart and to continue to perform rightly guided actions. As it is important to sustain one's life, one also needs balance between the worldly deed and the deeds for worship.
Our Prophet Muhammed says the following regarding taqwa:
"The life of the world is sweet and green. Allah makes your generations succeeding one another, so that He may try you in respect of your actions. So, beware of the beguilements of the world and those of women. The first trial of Banu Israel was through women." (Muslim)
He also said in his final pilgrimage,
"Fear Allah, pray five times a day, fast the month of Ramadan, pay your zakah, and follow the command. You will enter the Paradise of your Lord." (Al-Tirmidhi)
Allah says,
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." [Surah Ali-'Imran, 3:102]
"And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly." [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:281]
[1] [https://onepathnetwork.com/what-is-taqwa/]
[2] https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/ramadan/kaffarah/].
[3] Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Text, Translation and Commentary, Note 2709
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