The Importance of Taqwa (Piety) in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah
✍🏻From the pen of Muhammad Aadil Arariawi
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Respected Readers, Taqwa is one of the most important foundations of Islam, without which the protection of faith and the correctness of deeds are not possible. The Holy Quran has repeatedly drawn attention to Taqwa and has declared it a means of guidance, peace of mind, and the love of Allah. The extraordinary importance and greatness of Taqwa have been repeatedly stated in the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Hadiths. In the Holy Quran, there is mention of the fear, reverence, and piety of Allah in many places. In fact, there is hardly any Surah in which attention has not been drawn to Taqwa and the fear of God. The truth is that Taqwa is the strongest means for a person to avoid sins. When a person is in the solitude of the night, when no one is watching, it is the fear of Allah that prevents him from disobedience. In the terminology of Sharia, two basic meanings of Taqwa are stated: one is to fear, and the other is to avoid. Upon reflection, it becomes clear that the real purpose is to avoid, that is, to remain safe from sins, and the reason for this is to have the fear of Allah in the heart. Because when the fear of something arises in the heart, a person inevitably tries to avoid it. In this sense, the meaning of Taqwa is that a person should abstain from all sins, both outwardly and inwardly, and this is only possible when he avoids prohibitions and fulfills the commands of Allah. Because leaving the works that have been commanded is also a sin. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid all sins and make every effort to fulfill the obligatory duties, especially the protection of the eyes, ears, tongue, and mind. The misuse of these four organs puts a person in many troubles. These four are the doors of knowledge, and through them, the light of knowledge enters the heart. If these sources become polluted, then the light that becomes the means of knowing Allah and relating to Him does not enter the heart, nor is knowledge properly preserved. Therefore, it is necessary for a person to keep these organs pure.
The person who adopts Taqwa as his motto, Allah Almighty grants him the ability to benefit truly from the Holy Quran. Such a person is blessed with the desire and happiness to recite the Quran, translate it, and understand its meanings. At the very beginning of the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says: الم ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ (Al-Baqarah 1) That is, this is the great book in which there is no doubt, and it is a complete guide for those who adopt Taqwa. This means that every word of the Quran is certain and true. No book written by man can be completely free from doubt and error because man's knowledge is limited, and his writing is often based on personal understanding and estimation. But since the Quran is from Allah Almighty, whose knowledge is unlimited and certain, there is no room for doubt in it. If anyone has any doubt, it is the result of his own lack of understanding; there is no defect in the book. Although the Holy Quran has made the path of guidance clear to every human being, whether he is a believer or a disbeliever, practical benefit is only obtained by those who believe in it and act on its commands. That is why it has been said that it is guidance for the Muttaqeen, that is, for those who believe in unseen realities and fear Allah. Piety means that a person should always keep in mind that one day he has to give an account of his deeds before Allah, so he should not do anything that causes the displeasure of Allah. This constant feeling and fear is called Taqwa. The person who adopts a life of Taqwa is blessed with the love of Allah. Allah loves the righteous servants, and the righteous servants love Allah. It is stated in the Holy Quran: فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ (Aal-Imran 76) That is, surely Allah loves the pious.
Today's unwise person becomes happy to see a young woman, settles thoughts in his heart, saves her pictures on his mobile, and feels proud by showing them to others. O ignorant servant of Allah, you saw the beauty of creation and became infatuated with it, but never thought about how beautiful the one who created this beauty would be, although this outward beauty is temporary. If a few days of illness come, all the beauty fades away. If someone gets a skin disease, all the charm disappears.
The real reason for human anxiety today is the restlessness of the heart. The Quran says:
اَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ Remember, the peace of hearts is only in the remembrance of Allah. True peace is hidden within Taqwa, and peace of mind is such a great blessing that no wealth in the world can buy it. In the race of materialism, man is yearning for peace, although the easiest way to attain this blessing is to have a strong relationship with Allah and to keep His remembrance in the heart. Today's man has understood that if he gets such and such a thing, he will get peace, although the pleasure in the remembrance of Allah is greater than all pleasures. There is more comfort in the remembrance of Allah than in anything else. In short, the person who adopts Taqwa attains the love of Allah. Maulana Rumi (may Allah have mercy on him) says that when the name of Allah comes out of my tongue, it feels as if every particle of my existence has been immersed in a river of honey. Now the question is, how does the love of Allah reach such a level in the heart that it becomes dominant over all loves? If the love of Allah is not the greatest, then remember that we cannot become completely obedient to Allah because when a person's heart becomes more dear to him, he breaks the command of Allah where the heart feels pain. For example, a beautiful scene comes in front, the heart wants to see it. If he does not see it, the heart feels pain. If Allah is more beloved, then man will sacrifice the desire of the heart and please Allah. But if the love of the heart becomes dominant and the love of Allah becomes weak, then the heart itself becomes beloved, and in such a state, man cannot save himself from sins. Therefore, to remain safe from sins, it is necessary that the love of Allah Almighty should be the greatest, dominant over all, and most intense in the heart.
O Allah, Lord of Honor, grant us Taqwa, grant us Your fear in every situation, and grant us the ability to live our lives according to Your pleasure. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.