On Taqwa
By Maulana Dr. Mateen Khan
The importance of knowledge to the practice and perfection
of Islam is unquestionable. Allah says, “Allah exalts in
multiple degrees the believers from among you and those
given knowledge” (12:76). His Prophet a made this request
of Him, “O Allah, help us learn that which is beneficial to
us, help us benefit from what You have enabled us to learn,
and increase us in knowledge.” Yet, knowledge alone is
insufficient. Along with it, there must be a constant concern
for taqwa of the heart and love of Allah. If knowledge is the
engine, then taqwa and love are the fuel which drive it.
On Taqwa
There are more than 150 ayat of the Qur’an regarding the
virtues of taqwa, and there are more than 40 verses that
mention taqwa specifically. For example, Allah says, “The
most noble of you before Allah are those with the most
taqwa.” “Allah only accepts from the people of taqwa.”
“The friends (auliya) of Allah are only the people of taqwa.”
“Know that Allah is with the people of taqwa.” Clearly, this
is a concept of extreme importance that Allah thought
necessary to repeat to us. These verses tell us the people
of taqwa are the most noble before Allah. They are His
auliya and His beloved. Allah protects them, loves them,
and assists them. The rewards of the Hereafter are theirs,
including Jannah and His pleasure.
Further, taqwa causes our deeds to be accepted and our
requests to be honored. It brings Allah’s forgiveness and
mercy. It protects us from punishment, difficulty in the
Hereafter, and Allah’s displeasure. We differentiate between
truth (haqq) and falsehood (batil) by it. From the time of
Sayyiduna Adam e to today, every believer has been told
to develop taqwa. Taqwa is the natural result of iman. Iman
is a seed that, when sowed properly, produces taqwa. When
taqwa plants itself in the heart, it cultivates all other good
traits and actions. Hence, we need to develop it to develop
other praiseworthy traits.
Taqwa comes from the word wiqaya meaning a protection
or barrier. Literally, it means to place a barrier (hijab)
between yourself and the disobedience of Allah. In the
Shari‘a, the word taqwa is used in two ways:
» General- This is to protect oneself from any harm
in the Hereafter, the most basic of which is to avoid
shirk. The highest form of taqwa is to avoid everything
that turns one’s attention away from Allah.
Allah says, “O Believers, have taqwa of Allah as is His
right, and do not die except as a Muslim.”
» Specific- This is to be cautious in obeying Allah out
of fear for His displeasure and punishment. Interestingly,
the fear in taqwa is linked to a mutual love
between Allah and His creation as He says, “Indeed
Allah loves the people of taqwa.” and “The Believers
are intense in their love for Allah.”
On Love
The fortunate look into their hearts and realize their love
for Allah is not sufficient. I say fortunate because there are
many who expend an entire lifetime without this thought
occurring to them. These fortunate people become distressed
by this thought and worry for their iman. Know,
dear reader, that such thoughts are a blessing and a sure
sign of iman. Once a group of companions came to our
beloved Prophet a concerned over some waswasa (evil
thoughts) they experienced, and he assured them the concern
for iman is a sign of iman.
When we speak about love, it is important to differentiate
between two types. The first is that love which comes naturally.
Generally, it is emotion-based, without intent, and
accidental. It tends to be easily lost, short-lived, and not
well established. The second type is that love which is chosen.
It is purposeful, with intent, and intellectual. It resists
change and resists other objects of love. It is much more
14 July – August 2021 | AL-MADINAH