Umm Ahmed
19th June 2007, 02:52 PM
Meaning of at-Taqwa
Taqwa is an essential aspect of Iman or faith, and it means to guard yourself from Allah's anger. Guarding the self from Allah's anger entails avoiding everything that He has prohibited or whatever "may" lead to His prohibitions. Taqwa is also to do whatever He has commanded or whatever He has recommended.
Below is a list of statements concerning Taqwa from the early Muslims: the Sahabah or Companions, their followers, and the early Scholars of Islam (May Allah be pleased with them all).
1. Ibn Manzur (rahimahullah) has stated that the Arabic word Khawf (fear) means fear in its intransitive form. In its transitive form it means to frighten. (Lisanul Arab 2/1292)
2. Imam al-Qurtubi (rahimahullah) says that Khawf is fright and alarm in the future in its intransitive form. In its transitive form it means alarm and frighten (Tafsir al-Qurtubu)
3. Abu Qasim (rahimahullah) said that whoever fears something runs away from it, and whoever fears Allah runs to Him. (Ihya Ulum 4/153)
4. Abu Hafs (rahimahullah) said Khawf is the whip of Allah that disciplines those who desert Him. Khawf is a lamp in the fear: a person can see by its light what is good and what is evil. Everybody who fears creation runs away from it. Those who fear Allah run to Him. (Madirij Salikin 1/550 and Qushariyah epistles)
5. Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) said escaping means to run away from something to something. There are two kinds of escape: one of the fortunate and the other of the unfortunate. The unfortunate run away from Allah, not to Him. The fortunate run to Him. As running away from Him to Him, that is escape of His friends. (Ibid 1/504)
6. Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) says Khawf is one of the highest posts on the highway and most prolific of the heart. It is incumbent upon every Muslim (to fear Allah).
Allah says, "Do not fear them, but rather fear Me if you are indeed believers"
(Aal Imran 175). "
"And Me alone should you fear"
(Baqarah 40)
Allah has praised and commended those who fear Him:
"Those who become apprehensive of out of His fear…they are the ones who race in goodness and win” (al-Miminun 57-61)
So the positive and recommended fear is that which bars man, the individual, from haram. Fear beyond that is in danger of leading a person to despondency which is forbidden (Madirij salikin 1/548)
7. Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) was asked about taqwa so he asked the questioner whether he had trodden a thorn-infested path. The man said he had. Abu Hurairah asked how he walked on it. The man said: 'When I saw a thorn, I took evasive action, lest I was pricked by it.' Abu Hurairah answered him by saying: 'That is exactly what taqwa means (to take evasive action on seeing sin.'
8. Ibn Mua'taz (the poet) rephrases this:
Leave sin big and small, this is taqwa.
Be like the one walking on thorns, dreading what he sees.
Don't underestimate the minute (small), for mountains are made of small stones
(Qurtubi and ibn Kathir says that this was composed by ibn Mu'taz)
9. Hasan Basri (rahimahullah) says, “The ones who have taqwa protect themselves from what Allah has prohibited and act upon what He has mandated. Taqwa remains with them until they forsake many halal things fearing that they could be haram”
10. Sufyan ath-Thawri (rahimahullah) said, "They have been called, 'The Fearing', because they fear what is not usually feared."
11. Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (rahimahullah) says, "Taqwa is not fasting by day and standing for prayers at night. Rather it is to refrain from what Allah has prohibited and act upon what He has mandated. Whoever is granted anything beyond (this level of obedience), he has been given goodness upon goodness"
12. Ibn Rajab (rahimahullah) says, “The essence of taqwa is to make a shield (which guards) against Allah's anger and punishment. That shield is to obey His commands and abstain from His prohibitions. Perfect taqwa requires that one performs all voluntary and recommended acts as well as refraining from all reprehensible and dubious acts. This is the ultimate form of taqwa." Jamiul Ulum wal Hikam 190/191)
13. Ali (radiyallahu anhu) says, “Protect yourselves with your actions and protect your families by advising them”
14. Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) says, “That this proceeding) verse shows that necessity of taking an account of oneäs action” (Ighathatul Lahfan 1/101)
“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He is supposed to be feared an die not unless you are in the state of complete submission” (Al Imran 102)
15. Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) says, “ ‘As He is supposed to be feared’, Means that they strive in His path as they should: they do not care abut any one criticising them and they establish justice even against their own kith and kin. The phrase ‘and die not…’ means they preserve Islam in both health and sickness so that they are able to die in the state of it”
16. Ali (radiyallahu anhu) says, “Taqwa is to fear the All Mighty; to act upon the Revelation; to be content with little and to prepare for the Day of Travel (A combination of all four qualities)
17. Abu Dada (radiyallahu anhu) says, “The complete form of taqwa is to fear Allah so much that one begins to fear Him from (the potential sin in) a mustard seed and until one leaves what might be halal in the fear that it could be haram. This is substantiated by the verse: ‘So whoever does an atom’s amount of good, he will see it; and whoever does an atom’s amount of evil, he will see it.’ So do not undermine any goodness an act upon goodness. Likewise, do not underestimate any evil and protect yourself from it”
18. Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) says, “The ones with taqwa are those believers who prevent themselves from shirk. He also said, “They are the ones who fear Allah’s punishment for failing to follow what they know to be guidance and hope for his Mercy with regard that which they believe came from Him.”
19. Muadh ibn Jabal (radiyallahu anhu) says, “On the Day of Judgement, it will be announced: ‘Where are the ones who had taqwa?’ So they (tone ones with taqwa) will stand up from under the Shelter of The Compassionate. Allah will not be invisible to them” People asked Muadh who are the ones with taqwa. He replied, “Those who stay away from shirk and worshipping idols and then purify their din for Allah”
Taqwa is an essential aspect of Iman or faith, and it means to guard yourself from Allah's anger. Guarding the self from Allah's anger entails avoiding everything that He has prohibited or whatever "may" lead to His prohibitions. Taqwa is also to do whatever He has commanded or whatever He has recommended.
Below is a list of statements concerning Taqwa from the early Muslims: the Sahabah or Companions, their followers, and the early Scholars of Islam (May Allah be pleased with them all).
1. Ibn Manzur (rahimahullah) has stated that the Arabic word Khawf (fear) means fear in its intransitive form. In its transitive form it means to frighten. (Lisanul Arab 2/1292)
2. Imam al-Qurtubi (rahimahullah) says that Khawf is fright and alarm in the future in its intransitive form. In its transitive form it means alarm and frighten (Tafsir al-Qurtubu)
3. Abu Qasim (rahimahullah) said that whoever fears something runs away from it, and whoever fears Allah runs to Him. (Ihya Ulum 4/153)
4. Abu Hafs (rahimahullah) said Khawf is the whip of Allah that disciplines those who desert Him. Khawf is a lamp in the fear: a person can see by its light what is good and what is evil. Everybody who fears creation runs away from it. Those who fear Allah run to Him. (Madirij Salikin 1/550 and Qushariyah epistles)
5. Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) said escaping means to run away from something to something. There are two kinds of escape: one of the fortunate and the other of the unfortunate. The unfortunate run away from Allah, not to Him. The fortunate run to Him. As running away from Him to Him, that is escape of His friends. (Ibid 1/504)
6. Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) says Khawf is one of the highest posts on the highway and most prolific of the heart. It is incumbent upon every Muslim (to fear Allah).
Allah says, "Do not fear them, but rather fear Me if you are indeed believers"
(Aal Imran 175). "
"And Me alone should you fear"
(Baqarah 40)
Allah has praised and commended those who fear Him:
"Those who become apprehensive of out of His fear…they are the ones who race in goodness and win” (al-Miminun 57-61)
So the positive and recommended fear is that which bars man, the individual, from haram. Fear beyond that is in danger of leading a person to despondency which is forbidden (Madirij salikin 1/548)
7. Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) was asked about taqwa so he asked the questioner whether he had trodden a thorn-infested path. The man said he had. Abu Hurairah asked how he walked on it. The man said: 'When I saw a thorn, I took evasive action, lest I was pricked by it.' Abu Hurairah answered him by saying: 'That is exactly what taqwa means (to take evasive action on seeing sin.'
8. Ibn Mua'taz (the poet) rephrases this:
Leave sin big and small, this is taqwa.
Be like the one walking on thorns, dreading what he sees.
Don't underestimate the minute (small), for mountains are made of small stones
(Qurtubi and ibn Kathir says that this was composed by ibn Mu'taz)
9. Hasan Basri (rahimahullah) says, “The ones who have taqwa protect themselves from what Allah has prohibited and act upon what He has mandated. Taqwa remains with them until they forsake many halal things fearing that they could be haram”
10. Sufyan ath-Thawri (rahimahullah) said, "They have been called, 'The Fearing', because they fear what is not usually feared."
11. Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (rahimahullah) says, "Taqwa is not fasting by day and standing for prayers at night. Rather it is to refrain from what Allah has prohibited and act upon what He has mandated. Whoever is granted anything beyond (this level of obedience), he has been given goodness upon goodness"
12. Ibn Rajab (rahimahullah) says, “The essence of taqwa is to make a shield (which guards) against Allah's anger and punishment. That shield is to obey His commands and abstain from His prohibitions. Perfect taqwa requires that one performs all voluntary and recommended acts as well as refraining from all reprehensible and dubious acts. This is the ultimate form of taqwa." Jamiul Ulum wal Hikam 190/191)
13. Ali (radiyallahu anhu) says, “Protect yourselves with your actions and protect your families by advising them”
14. Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) says, “That this proceeding) verse shows that necessity of taking an account of oneäs action” (Ighathatul Lahfan 1/101)
“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He is supposed to be feared an die not unless you are in the state of complete submission” (Al Imran 102)
15. Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) says, “ ‘As He is supposed to be feared’, Means that they strive in His path as they should: they do not care abut any one criticising them and they establish justice even against their own kith and kin. The phrase ‘and die not…’ means they preserve Islam in both health and sickness so that they are able to die in the state of it”
16. Ali (radiyallahu anhu) says, “Taqwa is to fear the All Mighty; to act upon the Revelation; to be content with little and to prepare for the Day of Travel (A combination of all four qualities)
17. Abu Dada (radiyallahu anhu) says, “The complete form of taqwa is to fear Allah so much that one begins to fear Him from (the potential sin in) a mustard seed and until one leaves what might be halal in the fear that it could be haram. This is substantiated by the verse: ‘So whoever does an atom’s amount of good, he will see it; and whoever does an atom’s amount of evil, he will see it.’ So do not undermine any goodness an act upon goodness. Likewise, do not underestimate any evil and protect yourself from it”
18. Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu) says, “The ones with taqwa are those believers who prevent themselves from shirk. He also said, “They are the ones who fear Allah’s punishment for failing to follow what they know to be guidance and hope for his Mercy with regard that which they believe came from Him.”
19. Muadh ibn Jabal (radiyallahu anhu) says, “On the Day of Judgement, it will be announced: ‘Where are the ones who had taqwa?’ So they (tone ones with taqwa) will stand up from under the Shelter of The Compassionate. Allah will not be invisible to them” People asked Muadh who are the ones with taqwa. He replied, “Those who stay away from shirk and worshipping idols and then purify their din for Allah”