(19) (God consciousness) or (Fearing Allah)
There are three points to discuss in this regard:
A- What is Taqwah?.
B- All worship leads to Taqwah:
C- The results or fruits of Taqwah:
Fearing Allah or “Taqwah”: is the ritual of the soul that protects the one who has it from committing filthy actions.
A- What is Taqwah?
Taqwah is: Fearing Allah the way he should be feared should be by obeying Him and avoiding His disobedience, by remembering him and not forgetting Him, and by being thankful to Him and not rejecting His bounties.
– It is by staying away from the major and minor sins.
– And if you stay away from the major sins and the small sins, indeed that is having taqwah of Allah, being conscious of Allah.
– And be like the one who walking on a ground full of thorns and he is watching where his feet are going.
– And do not belittle the small sins, indeed mountains are made of small stones.
Taqwah is: Fearing your Lord “Allah”, Working upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah, being satisfied by the minimum (in terms of worldly things), and preparing for the last day “the day of departure of this life or Dunya”.
– And it is by putting a shield between you and the angriness and the punishment of Allah.
Taqwah is: The commandment of Allah to all the people, as Allah said: “We have recommended to the prophet of the books before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you all fear Allah…” (An-Nisa, 131).
Taqwah is: One of the main goals of the messages of the prophets. as Allah said: ” And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities i.e. do not worship Taghut besides Allah).” Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. “(An-Nahl, 131).
B- All worship leads to Taqwah: For example:
1- Salah: Allah (SWT) says: “Recite (O Muhammad PBUH) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Qur’an), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat as-Salat). Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahisha (great sins of every kind) and Al-Munkar (disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.).” (Al-Ankabut, 45).
2- Fasting: Allah (SWT) says: “O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious.” (Al-Baqara, 183).
3- Zakah: Allah (SWT) says: “Take Sadaqah from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allah for them.” (At-Tawba, 103).
4– Hajj: Allah (SWT) says: “And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.). So fear Me, O men of understanding.” (Al-Baqara, 197). Examples:
– The story of the woman at the time of the prophet who said to her husband: “Fear Allah and do not feed us except from that which is Halal because we can have patience on hunger and thirst, and we do not have patience on the sweltering of hell fire in the day of judgement.”
Al-Hasan was asked: “Why those who fear Allah have the best “or the most beautiful” faces?” The answer was: “Because they turned to Allah (SWT) so He gave them some of His light.”
C- The results or fruits of Taqwah:
- a) Taqwah grants you the support and help of Allah:
Allah (SWT) says: “Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him), and those who are Muhsinun (good-doers).” (An-Nahl, 128).
- b) Taqwah is a differentiation between the truth and the falsehood:
Allah (SWT) says: “O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan, a criterion [to judge between right and wrong, making a way for you to get out from every difficulty], and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you, and Allah is the Owner of the Great Bounty.” (Al-Anfal, 29).
- c) Taqwah increases your wealth and Rizq:
Allah (SWT) says: “And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine.” (At-Talaq, 2-3).
- d) Taqwah grants a person salvation from Hell fire: Allah (SWT) says: “And Allah will deliver those who are the pious to their places of success (Paradise). Evil shall not touch them, nor shall they grieve. (Az-Zumar, 61).
Allah (SWT) says: “Then We shall save those who use to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We shall leave the Zalimun therein (digraced) to their knees (in Hell).” (Maryam, 72).
- e) And finally, taqwah is the gaining or winning of Paradise: Allah (SWT) says: “Verily! The pious, will be in a place of Security (Paradise), among Gardens and Springs; Dressed in fine silk and thick silk, facing each other.” (Ad-Dukhan, 51-54).
We ask Allah (SWT) to make us among the muttaqun
and make us among the people of paradise.
Written by: Dr. Ahmed Shaheen
Professor in Al-Azhar University
And Islamic American University
Translated by: Abdullah Zettili
