Taqwa is the cause of all goodness 
All praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds! The (prosperous) end is for the pious! Peace and blessings be upon Allah's Servant and Messenger, the best of all creatures, trustee of the revelation; our master, Imam, and Prophet; Muhammad ibn `Abdullah, his family, Companions and those who rightly follow him and those who follow his guidance till the Day of Judgment! To proceed:
It is for the urgent need of Taqwa (fear/wariness of offending Allah) and its importance for every individual Muslim and the urgency to hold fast to it, that I found it necessary to write a concise account on this topic, that perhaps Allah (Exalted be He) would make it a cause of guidance for Muslims. At first, whoever ponders over the relevant reference to Taqwa in the Book of Allah (the Glorious Qur'an) and the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) of His Prophet (peace be upon him) knows for sure that it is the main reason behind every good in both life and the Hereafter. O Allah's servant! If you review the Book of your Lord (Glorious Qur'an) from the first chapter to the last one, you will know for sure that Taqwa is the main part of every good and its key and the reason behind every good in this life and the Hereafter. Misfortunes, afflictions, ordeals, and punishments are only caused by negligence of or failing to observe Taqwa and not practicing it as a whole or in part. Taqwa is the cause of happiness, salvation, relief of hardship, dignity, and success in life and the Hereafter. We could refer to many Ayat (Qur'anic verses ) from the Book of Allah to guide us to what has just been mentioned. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And whosoever fears Allâh 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. Some of our
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Salaf (righteous predecessors) were of the opinion that this is the most inclusive Ayah (Qur'anic verse) in the Book of Allah; in other words, they said that it is one of the most inclusive Ayat in the Glorious Qur'an. It is inclusive only because Allah (Exalted be He) entails the good of this life and the Hereafter on applying this. Whoever fears Allah (Exalted be He) as He should be feared, He will surely make a way for him out of every difficulty in this life and Hereafter. Man is in dire need of those things that will help him rid himself of the hardships in both this life and the Hereafter, and he is in more need of those reasons in the Hereafter to save himself from the hardship and difficulty of the Day of Judgment. Whoever fears Allah (Exalted be He) as He should be feared, He will relieve him of those troubles of the Day of Judgment and grant him salvation and happiness on that unimaginably difficult day. Whoever suffers any distress should fear Allah (Exalted be He) as He should be feared in all his affairs in order to be rid of distress and have things made easy. Taqwa is one of the most important causes of relieving any kind of hardship like those of poverty, oppression, ignorance, sins, evil deeds, Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship), Kufr (disbelief) and the like. The best remedy for those ills is fearing Allah (Exalted be He) as He should be feared through abandoning committing sins and evil deeds which He and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have forbidden. This could also be attained through learning and fully understanding the religion so as to be rid of ignorance. This could also be done through abandoning committing sins and evil deeds to be secure against its bad consequences in this life and the Hereafter because these evil deeds have their consequences in life such as fatal punishments or the punishment based on the command of Shari`ah, like Hudud (ordained punishment for violating Allah’s Law), Ta`zir (discretionary punishment) and Qisas (just retaliation). It also has its consequences in the Hereafter; the first of which is the punishment in the grave. There will also be some punishments immediately after the time of resurrection and reckoning. The punishments of the Day of Judgment include the following: the scales of those who did not observe Taqwa during their lifetime will weigh light, (i.e., with deeds), while the scales of those who observed it and stood fast to it will weigh heavy, (i.e., with good deeds). They will be given their books in their right hands, though those who did not stand fast to it will be given their books in their left hands. Those who adhered to Taqwa will be invited to enter Al-Jannah (Paradise)
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while those who abandoned it and acted opposite to its requirements will be driven in groups into Hell. There is neither might nor power except with Allah.
Moreover, man is also in need for the Halal (lawfully-earned) Rizq (sustenance) in life and for the everlasting bliss in the Hereafter; the bliss of the Hereafter is the best and greatest degrees of bliss man could ever attain. He could never achieve this bliss except through holding fast to Taqwa. Whoever aspires to dignity and lawfully-earned sustenance in life and the eternal bliss in the Hereafter, should fear Allah (Exalted be He) as He should be feared. Man is in dire need of knowledge, deep insight, and guidance, and he could never attain these attributes except if he observes Taqwa, like what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allâh, He will grant you Furqân [(a criterion to judge between right and wrong), or (Makhraj, i.e. a way for you to get out from every difficulty)] Furqan (a criterion to judge between right and wrong), as scholars have defined it, is the right criterion which distinguishes right from wrong, and guidance from dalal (deviation from what is right).
It is clear for anyone who ponders that exerting much effort in seeking knowledge and learning religion as an act of piety and this is how people could attain this light and guidance which are the outcome of the Furqan. Taqwa is an inclusive term which basically refers to faith and good deeds like what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Verily, those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, for them are Gardens of Delight (Paradise). Also, like what He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Whoever works righteousness - whether male or female - while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islâmic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter). Taqwa is to believe in Allah (Exalted be He) and His Messenger (peace be upon him) sincerely, and to believe in other messengers and what they told about what happened in the past and what could happen in the future combined with a righteous good deed which is the most necessary part of faith and the clearest sign of it.
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This includes exerting much effort in seeking and having deep religious knowledge as an act of Taqwa like what has just been mentioned. For this reason, Allah (Exalted be He) entails that obtaining Furqan is caused by acting according to Taqwa since seeking knowledge, gaining a full understanding and having deep insight in religion are acts of Taqwa. This is like what has been reported from Al-Mustafa (the Chosen) ( peace be upon him).
Man could face limitless troubles and different kinds of hardships in one way or another, and the only exit from these hardships and troubles is Taqwa. It could relieve these troubles according to what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
...and whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him. Our Salaf (righteous predecessors); Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) (may Allah be pleased with them all), as well as the messengers of Allah (peace and blessings be upon them) whom Allah (Exalted be He) sent to guide mankind, had Taqwa. It caused them to attain every good. Through it they acquired admittance to all the gates of happiness and conquered their enemies. They used it to relieve the hearts of the troubled people and guide humankind to Al-Sirat-ul-Mustaqim (the Straight Path).
They led the conquered nations, enjoyed long praiseworthy remembrance, and gained successive victories because they observed Taqwa, carried out the obligations ordained to us by Allah (Exalted be He), and defended His religion. Moreover, they united for one main reason which is to worship and obey Him. People are in dire need of their sins to be expiated, and their major sins to be pardoned, and the only way to achieve this is through Taqwa. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allâh, He will grant you Furqân [(a criterion to judge between right and wrong), or (Makhraj, i.e. a way for you to get out from every difficulty)], and will remove from you your sins, and forgive you He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
...and whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will expiate from him his sins, and will enlarge his reward. The best reward is to attain Al-Jannah (Paradise) and to be delivered from entering Hellfire. Muslims are in dire need to conquer their enemies and be secured from
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the conspiracies of their enemies. They have no way to do so except through Taqwa. This is like what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqûn [the pious - See V.2:2], not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allâh surrounds all that they do. If Muslims keep patient in their obedience to Allah (Exalted be He) and striving against His enemies and they fear Him as He should be feared through preparing the maximum possible equipment; whether it is physical, financial, agricultural, or military. They will surely conquer their enemies since these preparation are means of Taqwa. The best of all these means is to be prepared as perfectly as possible in all fields such as in physical and professional training, and training on various types of arms. This also includes financial progress and encouraging agriculture and industry and other means which help in Jihad (striving in the cause of Allah) and doing without the help of the enemies. This is hinted at in what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And make ready against them all you can of power This will never be complete without enough patience that is one of the greatest branches of Taqwa. For this reason Allah (Exalted be He) joined Taqwa to patience by means of a conjunction in what He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqûn [the pious] as meaning restrictive apposition. It is a must to show patience in striving against the enemies and in gathering in fortified borderline cities, and in fully preparing the greatest amount of possible equipment whether it is food or highly trained soldiers. There must be patience in producing arms that are similar or superior to those of the enemies according to the available resources. This is along with remaining patient and there must be a parallel sense of Taqwa reigning supreme at all times in carrying out the obligations ordained by Allah (Exalted be He), abandoning what He forbids and not transgressing His limits, showing humility to Him and truly believing that He is the only Supporter and that victories assisted by Him do not need a multitude of soldiers nor an abundance of arms nor preparation, nor any other reason. This is because victory comes mainly from Allah (Exalted be He) even though He asks people to be prepared and adopt strategies only as an assurance to their hearts
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and to give them glad tidings through the apparent causes of victory. This is according to what He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Allâh made it only as glad tidings, and that your hearts be at rest therewith. And there is no victory except from Allâh. He (Glorified be He) says:
O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allâh, He will help you, and make your foothold firm. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Verily, Allâh will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allâh is All-Strong, All-Mighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat-as-Salât [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salât (prayers) (the males in mosques)], pay the Zakât and they enjoin Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islâm has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur’ân as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. These deeds are great branches of Taqwa, and this is how we could know what Allah (Exalted be He) means when He says:
But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqûn [the pious - See V.2:2], not the least harm will their cunning do to you. If Muslims want victory, dignity, and salvation in this Worldly Life and the Hereafter, relieving hardship and making things easier, forgiveness of sins, expiating for their bad deeds, and attaining Al-Jannah and other forms of goodness, they only have to observe Taqwa of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) as He should be feared. Allah (Exalted be He) describes those who dwell in Al-Jannah as being pious; He says:
"Truly! The Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2) will be amidst Gardens and water-springs (Paradise). He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
Verily, the Muttaqûn (the pious. See V.2:2) will be in Gardens (Paradise), and Delight. He (Glorified be He) also says:
Verily, for the Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2) are Gardens of delight (Paradise) with their Lord. Allah (Glorified be He) demonstrates that He created Al-Jannah for piety only. Now, my brother, you know very well that you are in great need to fear your Lord as He should be feared. Once you fear Him as He should be feared, you will have every good and be delivered from every evil. It does not mean that you will not be afflicted; rather, you will be tested and afflicted. Messengers have been afflicted even though they are the best people ever and the most pious ever, to show people how patient Allah's messengers were
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and how thankful they were and to take them as examples in these attitudes. Through affliction, patience, gratitude, salvation, and the strength of the servant's faith, a person's faith is tested according to what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested. He (Exalted be He) also says:
And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allâh will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allâh knows all that before putting them to test). Testing and affliction are necessary according to what has been just stated, like what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the Cause of Allâh) and As-Sâbirûn (the patient), and We shall test your facts (i.e. the one who is a liar, and the one who is truthful). He (Exalted be He) also says:
...and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned. He (Exalted be He) also says:
And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allâh’s Obedience). Testing is also necessary because the Messengers of Allah, who are the best humans ever, were set to afflictions at the hands of the enemies of Allah. No one can forget what happened to Noah, Hud, Saleh and the rest of the Prophets led by our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Seal of the prophets and the Imam of the pious and the best of those who strive in the Cause of Allah; the Messenger of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He deeply understood what happened to him in
Makkah and in
Al-Madinah and during the wars, but he showed a great degree of patience and fortitude till Allah (Exalted be He) turned him victorious over his enemies and opponents. Moreover, Allah (Exalted be He) granted him the Opening of
Makkah and people embraced Islam in troops. Immediately after Allah (Exalted be He) had perfected His Favor on the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Ummah (nation based on one creed) and completed their religion, He made him die bringing him (peace be upon him) closer to His Majesty, after the great affliction and tribulations he had gone through. How could one dare to say that he is pious or Mu'min, and will not be afflicted or harmed? It is not like that, there must be
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testing, and whoever shows patience will be praised in the end. This is according to what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
So be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for Al-Muttaqûn (the pious) ,
And the good end (i.e. Paradise) is for the Muttaqûn (the pious). The good end is surely for the pious so long as they remain patient, confident an anticipating Allah's Recompense, are sincere to Allah, and strive against His Enemies with their souls. The good end will surely be theirs according to what Allah Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh’s religion - Islâmic Monotheism). And verily, Allâh is with the Muhsinûn (good doers)." You Allah's Servant, are in dire need to fear Allah (Exalted be He) as He should be feared and to keep steadfast to Taqwa regardless of the difficulty or the afflictions you meet and regardless of the misfortunes and of being mocked at by the enemies of Allah or the Fusaq (people flagrantly violating Islamic law) and the criminals. Do not pay attention to such insignificant people. You have always to remember the stories of the Messengers of Allah ( peace be upon them) and those who rightly followed them. They were harmed, mocked at, and derided but they remained patient to the end. That is why they deserved the good end in both this life and the Hereafter.
My brother, you have to remain patient and adhere to that attitude. If you want to know what is Taqwa I have already explained it a little. Scholars have defined it in more than one definition. It was related to
`Umar ibn `Abdul-`Aziz Amir Al-Mu’minin (Commander of the Believers), (may Allah be pleased with him and be merciful with him) said: Taqwa is not just Qiyam-ul-Layl (optional Prayer at night) or performing Sawm (Fast) and doing whatever one wished after that; rather, it means carrying out the obligations ordained by Allah and abandoning what He forbids, no matter what other good deeds he may do. They are all in his favor. Whoever is given divine help to carry out the prescribed obligations and to abandon what Allah forbids and to perform supererogatory (acts of worship) and to abandon what is Makruh (disliked) and doubtful, he is doing better.
Talq ibn Habib, the well-known Tabi`y ( a follower of the generation after the Companions of the Prophet), ( may Allah be merciful with him) said:
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Taqwa of Allah is to obey Allah (Exalted be He) guided by His Revelations, wishing for the Reward of Allah (Exalted be He), and to abandon disobeying Allah guided by His Revelation and fearing His Punishment). Some other scholars defined Taqwa as obedience to Allah (Exalted be He) and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Others said that it means that you have to keep yourself at a distance from the anger and punishment of Allah as a means of protection through carrying out His commands and abandoning what He forbids. All these definitions are relevant and correct. The essence of Taqwa is Islam It refers to faith and good deeds. It also means useful knowledge and acting according to its requirements. It is Al-Sirat-ul-Mustaqim (the Straight Path) and the submission to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) through carrying out His obligations and abandoning what He forbids out of complete devotion to and true belief in Him and His messengers, and in all that Allah (Exalted be He) and His messengers told. This true belief only results in doing what is good and leaving what is evil and not transgressing the limits of Allah. Allah (Exalted be He) has called His religion "Taqwa" because it saves those who adhere to it, from His torture and anger. Moreover, faith should lead one to do good only for the satisfaction of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Allah has called his religion Islam because a Muslim submits himself completely to Allah (Exalted be He). They say that someone has submitted to another to refer to the fact that he willingly obeys him. For this reason it is called Islam (submission) in Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. And in so many other Ayat (Qur'anic verses) because Muslims submit truly to Allah (Exalted be He) and show reverence to His Majesty. True Muslims are submissive to the commands of Allah (Exalted be He). They keep away from what He forbids and they never transgress His limits. They show complete submission to Allah (Exalted be He) and know well that they are only His submissive servants; their satisfaction, delight, love, and pleasure could only be attained through carrying out Allah's Commands and abandoning what He forbids; this is the true Muslim.
That is why he is called a Muslim. That is to say, he is completely submissive to the Commands of Allah (Exalted be He) and abandoning what He forbids and not transgressing His Limits. He knows well that he is just a servant who must submit to the will of Allah (Exalted be He); hence He called
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the religion `Ibadah (worship) as He called it Islam. It is called `Ibadah, like what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh) And, also in what He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). It is also called `Ibadah, because worshippers carry out the Commands of Allah (Exalted be He) and abandon what He forbids out of servility, submissiveness, and confessing their `Ubudiyyah (worshipful servitude/obedience to Allah) and that they are servants to Allah; their Master and the Vanquisher above them, the Omniscient of their affairs Who conducts their Command, and they are His submissive and servile servants who totally carry out His Commands (Glorified and Exalted be He). That is why Allah (Exalted be He) has called His Religion `Ibadah. `Ibadah, according to Arabs, is known as servility, submission, and cringing. They say "Tariqun Mu'abd" a well-paved road to refer to the fact that it is well-trodden and easily passable. They also used to say "Ba'irun Mu'abd" a trained camel to refer the fact that it is well-trained and ready to be used easily in traveling and riding. That is why we call our obedience to Allah (Exalted be He) 'Ibadah because we carry it out through servility and submission to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). The servant is called a servant because he is submissive to the will of Allah Who created and brought him to existence and the only one (Glorified and Exalted be He) Who has sovereignty over him. This religion is also called Iman (faith) because servants follow it out of their belief in Allah (Exalted be He) and His messengers and that is why it is called Iman like what has been authentically reported from the Prophet ( peace and blessings be upon him):
Faith has over seventy branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah, and the humblest of which is the removal of what is injurious from a path: and modesty is a branch of faith.
Related by Al- Shaykhan, the wording of this Hadith is related by
Muslim. The Prophet ( peace be upon him) explained that the religion of Islam is known as Iman (faith), the most excellent degree in this religion is the declaration that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah, in the manner he taught us that the religion is known as faith in Allah (Exalted be He) and that is why He (Glorified be He) says:
Allâh has promised the believers, men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow
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He called them so, because you, who truly believes in Allah and the Last Day, carry out your obligations and abandon what Allah (Exalted be He) forbids him from out of firm faith and belief that He has commanded you to do so and that He forbids you to do what He dislikes, and that He accepts this deed from you and rewards you for it, and that He is your Lord who never forgets you and that you have firm belief in that. For this reason you have carried out the obligations and abandoned what He forbids and never transgressed His Limits and strove against yourself for His (Glorified and Exalted be He) Pleasure.
Allah (Exalted be He) has called the Din (religion) of Islam as "gratitude" because all its qualities lead to the good of man. It is also called guidance because whoever remains steadfast on it is rightly guided to the best morals and deeds. Allah (Exalted be He) originally sent His Prophet ( peace be upon him) to perfect good morals an good deeds according to what has been reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said:
I was sent to perfect good morals. And in the Hadith of
Anis the brother of
Abu Dhar in which he said:
I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) calling (people) to good morals. This religion is called guidance because it rightly guides whoever remains steadfast on it to the best morals and deeds according on what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
...whereas there has surely come to them the Guidance from their Lord! Allah (Exalted be He) also describes His devotional Servants as:
They are on (true) guidance from their Lord Also, He (Exalted be He) says:
...and it is they who are the guided ones. O my brother, now you have to know that the meaning of all the terms like; Islam, Iman, Taqwa, Huda, and Bir refers to 'Ibadah (worship) and its requirements. You also have to know that the Islamic religion is compromised of all the qualities of goodness. Whosoever
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remains steadfast on it, observes it, carries out its obligations and strives for the satisfaction of Allah (Exalted be He), is a really pious Muslim whom Allah (Exalted be He) promised Al-Jannah (Paradise) and honor. Such people are those whom Allah (Exalted be He) always gives glad tidings to relieve their hardships and facilitate their misfortunes and forgive their sins and evil deeds. They are also those people whom Allah (Exalted be He) promised to grant them victory over their enemies and deliver them from their conspiracies so long as they remain steadfast on the principles of His religion and are patient, and strive against Satan and self temptations and carry out the obligations ordained by Allah (Exalted be He) and the rights of His Servants. Such are the really pious; the Mu'min (believer), the charitable person, the rightly-guided and the good; in fine this is the real Muslim.
I supplicate to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) to grant all Muslims success and Taqwa and to guide us all to what could perfectly please Him that He might select us among His prosperous Servants and the successful party. I also supplicate to Him to grant us steadfastness in Taqwa in all our words and deeds and to call sincerely to it and remain patient on this till our last moments in life. He is the Most Bounteous and the Most Generous. All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who rightly follow them till the Day of Judgment!
