Fearing Allaah
تقوى الله
Translated
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
Allaah Ta’ala said:
{ وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَمَا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَلَقَدۡ وَصَّیۡنَا ٱلَّذِینَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَإِیَّاكُمۡ أَنِ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۚ وَإِن تَكۡفُرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَمَا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَنِیًّا حَمِیدࣰا }
[Surah An-Nisāʾ: 131]
《And verily, We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allah》
• Definition of Taqwa
Talq bin Habeeb [D. before 100 A.H.] said:
«العمل بطاعة الله، على نور من الله، رجاء ثواب الله، وترك معاصي الله، على نور من الله، مخافة عذاب الله»
‘Taqwaa is that you act upon obedience to Allaah upon light (Noor) from Allaah, hoping for the reward from Allaah, and that you leave disobedience to Allaah, upon light from Allaah, fearing the punishment of Allaah.’
Imam Dhahabi commented saying:
‘So there is no Taqwa except by performing actions, and there are no actions except by becoming enriched with knowledge and following the Messenger, and none of that is beneficial except with having Ikhlaas (sincerity) for Allaah.
Taqwa is not so that someone can say: ‘so and so leaves off sinning with the light (Noor) of understanding,’ since one needs to have knowledge of sin to be able to keep away from it. And that leaving off sinning is done due to fearing Allaah and not so that one can be praised for leaving it. So whoever is continuous upon this advice is successful.’
[Taken from ‘Seerah ‘Alaam’ by Dhahabi 4/601]