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Importance of Taqwa (piety and perseverance)

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N. Truth Seeker
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« on: August 06, 2014, 04:36:29 am »

 

BismEm


Linguistically the term taqwa means forbearance, endurance, fortitude and of course piety.  In reference to a believer, the word can be generalized as a high state of heart and mind or simply put, a heart that is always conscious of the presence of Allah, a consciousness that motivates a believer into righteous deeds and thoughts, and abstain from forbidden deeds and thoughts.  The description of Taqwa has been beautifully summarized in Verse 2:177 of Surah Al-Baqrah.

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and gives wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observes proper worship and pays the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the righteous."  2:177 Al-Baqrah.

Though all the points mentioned in V.2:177 are indispensable that establish taqwa in a believer, the quality I wish to discuss in detail here is forbearance (or perseverance) which for a believer is imperative to acquire in order to understand the Rules and Laws of Allah and thus be righteous, be conscious of Allah and fear Him. 

The Shahadah and the Quranic verses we recite during our salah and our supplications to Allah must get embedded in our hearts so that they control and direct our behavior.  This is the only way we can ensure of being guided on the right path as Allah has commanded us.  Earthly life is not easy.  It's full of trials and tribulations, ups and downs, happiness and sadness, successes and disappointments.  After sincerely embracing Tawheed (Monothesim) and submitting to Allah only, one of our most important duties is to infuse our hearts with patience (or perseverance) if we truly want to be recognized as believers in the Sight of Allah.  Just as intentions or niyyah determine a person's morals and the quality of their actions, so does taqwa.  For instance, it's the taqwa in the heart of a believer which makes their hunger and thirst while fasting different from those of a disbeliever.

There are lots of verses in the Glorious Quran that directly highlight the absolute necessity of taqwa or endurance.  I'll mention only three verses in this regard.

"And among mankind is he who worships Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalls him he is content therewith, but if a trial befalls him, he falls away utterly. He loses both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss."   (22:11)  Surah Al-Hajj. 
 
This Verse 22:11 beautifully describes the egocentric and self-obsessed humans.  Such people are the time servers, the opportunists.  There are people who turn away from Allah when they are faced with the challenges of life. These sort of persons can be described as professing Faith with their tongues but not embracing it with their hearts.  They have no spiritual commitment nor contentment.  Their  thoughts do not go beyond material benefit and earthly bliss.  As long as life is smooth for them and moves in accordance with their plans, they are happy and will make a big show of their Faith.  But the moment their sincerity is put to the test and they are confronted with some difficult situation in life, they fail miserably.  They not only forget the reality of Faith and patience being indispensable, but they often won't even refrain from attacking Allah and accusing Him of being "unjust."  Nauzbillah.  May Allah Almighty grant us protection from the ignorance, disloyalty and lack of morals of the heedless.

It's commonly thought that having patience is difficult.  And indeed it is.  But the strength of one's Faith is the prime factor that helps to diminish bitterness and pain derived from the hardships and tests of life.  The weakness of Faith and character of people lacking in taqwa makes them dismissive of the reality of the Hereafter.  They completely forget, and won't focus upon it even if they're reminded, that after earthly death, the most beautiful and everlasting World is kept in store for them IF they acquire Divine acceptance by facing earthly life with steadfastness and humility. 

I found a very good and similar commentary at Maududi's collection of tafsirs for Verse 22:11 which I quote as under:

Quote
This type of person is a time server, who stands on the boundary between Islam and kufr so that they may join the winning side whether it be Islam or kufr.  Since such a person has a weak character and wavers between kufr and Islam, they become the slave of their own "self."  They accept Islam for the sake of self-interest;  they are faithful to it if all their wishes are fulfilled and they have a life of ease and comfort;  they are well-pleased with Allah and "firm" in faith. On the contrary, if their "faith" demands some sacrifice or if they are visited by some affliction or encounter some hardship and loss in the way of Allah, or they don't get their way, they begin to waver about the Power or Existence of Allah and the Prophethood of the Messenger and become skeptical about everything concerning "Faith."  Then they are ready to bow down before any other power from which they expect some benefit and security from material loss.  This is a great moral proposition that has been stated concisely.  The fact is that the wavering person remains a loser in this world as well as in the Next World.
Unquote

Therefore, never forget, the quality of taqwa is highly important for finding acceptance with Allah.  The absence of taqwa or a weak taqwa could be devastating for our soul and ruin our book of records on the Day of Judgment.  If your Faith is sure and firm, acquiring taqwa will not seem difficult at all, and you will find the very thought of rebellion against Allah as something thoroughly repugnant.

Verses 34 and 35 of the same Surah, Al-Hajj, again highlight the importance of perseverance as among the qualities of a true believer. 

"and your God is One God, therefor surrender unto Him. And give good tidings (O Muhammad) to the humble,
Whose hearts fear when Allah is mentioned, and the patient of whatever may befall them, and those who establish worship and who spend of that We have bestowed on them."  (22:34-35)  Surah Al-Hajj.



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Zainab_M
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« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2014, 02:08:29 am »



Thank you my brother.  That's beautifully written.  I too prefer to keep the literal meaning of taqwa and then the conceptualization of overall piety automatically proceeds.  Definitely for a believer, the extent of their endurance proves the strength of their Faith and sincerity toward Allah.

Most Islamic jurists have combined the actual or literal definition of taqwa with the standard meaning of piety.  As a result, the specific attribute of humble endurance and patience do not stand out as vividly as needed in their writings on taqwa to underscore its indispensability.

Finally, for further benefit of our readers, I'll follow it up by quoting a few more verses that are directly linked with the remarkable quality of patience of a truly humble mind that gets its strength and courage with the clear awareness of Allah in their minds and their commitment to serve Him alone, regardless of earthly hurdles. 

"O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient." (2:153)

(In original Arabic the underlined words translate as "InnAllaha Ma as-Sabireen"  which is a very short and easy-to-memorize Quranic du'a for tawqa and an excellent one).


"And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast, Who say, when a misfortune strikes them: Indeed! we are Allah's and indeed! unto Him we are returning."  (2:155-156).

(In original Arabic the underlined words translate as "Inna Lilahey wa Inna Ilahey Rajoun".. which is a very well-known and lovely Quranic supplication.  Contrary to the practice of some Muslims, this Verse is not exclusively meant to be recited only during the death of someone, but requires to be recited every day in all situations - sad or happy).


"Indeed! herein verily are portents, for indeed! We are ever putting (mankind) to the test.   (23:30)"

In the above Verse 23:30, Allah confirms that life is full of tests.  It's a fact we need to keep in mind constantly.


"Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded, Who know that they will have to meet their Rab, and that unto Him they are returning."  (2:45-46).

Above Verses 2:45-46 are quite similar to Verse 2:153.  Allah affirms that the excellence of patience does not come easily unless a believer possesses humility and is submissive, respectful and unassertive toward Allah.  The arrogant ones who even after claiming to be "believers" have limited forbearance and stubbornly think it's their right to complain to Allah and quarrel with Him just as they would with their fellow human beings will never understand the priority and value of taqwa.  Their weak Faith blocks their vision to understand its relevance.  It's often pointless arguing with such folks.  But it's their problem and they only end up ruining their own souls as very articulately expressed in Verse 22:11 .. "He loses both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss." 

May The Almighty Allah bestow upon us every bit of His guidance and fill our lives with patience and humility for His sake.  Ameen ya Rab.

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« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2014, 02:36:40 am »


You're most welcomed Sister Zeynab.  And thank you very much for enlightening me further and making the topic more comprehensive with your thoughtful comments.  I've also observed our jurists often integrate the precise meaning of taqwa with piety in general.  Piety comprises of numerous good deeds which have all been discussed in the Glorious Quran. Taqwa is one of the most vital constituents of piety within a believer.  The Verses we have quoted quite explicitly shed light on the fact that patience (or taqwa) along with humility which goes with it is a precise or special quality of piety as a whole.

We worked on this topic during our at-home monthly discussion sessions last Friday.  Most participants  appreciated my points.  Alhumdulilah.  Indeed, Allah's Guidance is the most precious Jewel for the soul.
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« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2014, 02:48:35 am »



Piety comprises of numerous good deeds which have all been discussed in the Glorious Quran. Taqwa is one of the most vital constituents of piety within a believer.  The Verses we have quoted quite explicitly shed light on the fact that patience (or taqwa) along with the humility which goes with it is a precise or special quality of piety as a whole.

Exactly brother.


We worked on this topic during our at-home monthly discussion sessions last Friday.  Most participants  appreciated my points.  Alhumdulilah. 

MashAllah.  So good to learn that the monthly discussions are still on after you and your entire family / extended family relocated to another country.  So, have all of you now settled down at home and the family business running or is there work still to be done?  Hope you guys are still living close by as before or are your homes further apart?


Indeed, Allah's Guidance is the most precious Jewel for the soul.


Absolutely, ameen .. ameen, Dearest Allah.

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« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2014, 02:58:00 am »



MashAllah.  So good to learn that the monthly discussions are still on after you and your entire family / extended family relocated to another country.  So, have all of you now settled down at home and the family business running or is there work still to be done?  Hope you guys are still living close by as before or are your homes further apart?

Alhumdulilah, yes.  The discussions resumed after quite a long gap.  I also needed to reorganize our group after moving to the new place.  A few participants are the same but several news ones too. 

Yes, we've all settled down though still missing the place we left.  However, whatever Allah plans is for the best.  Even though this is a costly place, business has picked up great.  All thanks to Allah!   and yes, our living arrangement is the same, extended house divided into suites for family and extended family. It took a bit long to get it ready.  Fortunately we got a nice spacious building and we further renovated it to suit our requirements.  Again thanks to Allah.  Everything set and settled  🙂   Alhumdulilah again.
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« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2014, 03:05:36 am »



SuhhanAllah .. Baraka Allahu fika.  All of that sounds fantastic!  🙂  May Allah Almighty grant all of you the strongest of iman with plenty of happiness, health, success.  Ameen, ya Allah.
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« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2014, 03:07:53 am »



Ameen.  Thanks again Sister.  Thanks a million for your very nice prayer and good wishes.
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« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2014, 02:50:24 am »



SubhanAllah, MaashAllah ...... Allah azza wa jal.   Beautifully written piece.  Love it. You perceived it spot on brother.  The essence of Taqwa alludes to forbearance and patience.  Sincere Faith cannot enter the hearts of the impatient.  Their pride, wishful thoughts and unrealism throws them on to a path that isn't in conformity with the Laws of Allah.  Though they might not openly admit it, the material benefits of this world is of far greater importance to them than the Decision of Allah in the Hereafter.  It triggers restlessness and agitation within them when faced with very hard times or material loss.  Such a mindset isn't merely preoccupation or a spirit of competitiveness.  It sprouts from a very fragile Faith or a false faith or no Faith at all.  With such a rickety root, patience becomes a far cry without which the success of a believer is out of the question. 

Verse 22:11 of Surah Al-Hajj is so articulate and beautiful as the others both of you quoted.  And I also often keep reading Verses 109-111 of Surah Al-Muminun which mentions the reward of the patient with a strong will-power who were never swayed by the mockery of the guilty. 

This lovely Verse fills me with solace.

"Indeed! there was a party of My slaves who said: Our Rab! We believe, therefor forgive us and have mercy on us for You are Best of all who show mercy; But you chose them for a laughing-stock until they caused you to forget remembrance of Me, while you laughed at them. Indeed! I have rewarded them this day forasmuch as they were steadfast in that they, even they, are the triumphant."  23:109-111.

May Allah (The One and Only, The Greatest) strengthen our Faith with an abundance of Taqwa.  Ameen ya merey Allah jan.







Alhumdulilah, yes.  The discussions resumed after quite a long gap.  I also needed to reorganize our group after moving to the new place.  A few participants are the same but several news ones too. 


So, so glad to know the meetings have resumed Smiley  Hope there aren't too many Hadithists among the new ones with pent-up future tantrums  Cheesy


Yes, we've all settled down though still missing the place we left.  However, whatever Allah plans is for the best.  Even though this is an expensive place, business has picked up great.  All thanks to Allah!   and yes, our living arrangement is the same, extended house divided into suites for family and extended family. It took a bit long to get it ready.  Fortunately we got a nice spacious house and we further renovated it to suit our requirements.  Again thanks to Allah.  Everything set and settled  Cheesy

Shukr Alhumdulilah!   Excellent news.   InshAllah, Allah will reward all of you for steadfastly maintaining a cohesive spirit.  Ameen.  United we rise, divided we fall.  Most families in our Muslim world are nowadays so full of squabblings and jealousies.  Let alone cousins and extended families, even siblings often have fallouts once they become independent.  You and your folks set a tremendous example to our society. 
 
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« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2014, 11:01:48 am »



Exhilarating .. Alhumdulilah!   How come I missed this very educational piece for so long? Smiley   The best one about Taqwa I've read.  As all of you mentioned, most of our jurists have generalized the meaning of Taqwa so much that it can fit into the description of any ethical value and the essence of that term, patience or forbearance, is completely overlooked.  I've observed that in almost all of their writings and lectures. InshAllah, I'll save this up for future reference.

Br. TS, so glad to know all of you are happy at the new place after relocation and the discussions have resumed.  MaashAllah, everything sounds fabulous.  Allah Willing, whenever we decide to take our next vacation around that part of the world,  we'll meet up with you guys for a cup a coffee 😑 

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« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2014, 09:10:40 am »



Many many thanks for the additional comments sisters Ruhi and Heba.  Verses 23:109-111 are a perfect example of taqwa or patience while coping with getting belittled and made light of by disbelievers or hardline secularists or hadithists .... all of these people are dismissive of the Noble Quran in their own different ways.   It's only the solid faith in Allah within the heart of a true believer that helps them to ignore the foolish and remain firmly on the path of Allah.


Allah Willing, whenever we decide to take our next vacation around that part of the world,  we'll meet up with you guys for a cup a coffee Smiley

InshAllah, sure Sister.  But why just meet for coffee?  You, your husband and kids must come and stay with us.  It will be a pleasure for my parents, sisters, brothers, myself and other relatives to meet you and your family.  There are plenty of spare rooms in our joint family home, Alhumdulilah; and you'll save a lot of money.  Hotels are costly here.   
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« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2014, 09:12:07 am »




InshAllah, sure Sister.  But why just meet for coffee?  You, your husband and children can come and stay with us.  It will be a pleasure for my parents, sisters, brothers, myself and other relatives to meet you and your family.  There are plenty of spare rooms in our joint family home, Alhumdulilah; and you'll save a lot of money.  Hotels are costly here.  

Alhudulilah, so very kind of you dear brother 🙂  It would be an honor for us to meet all of you.  That goes without saying.  But we'll make up a verrry big bunch of guests - six kids, my hubby and me!  😊   We don't have plans for traveling that side of the globe next year but in 2016, InshAllah, we might.   Of course will let you know if we do, Allah willing.  I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity, me brotha !!
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« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2014, 09:27:28 am »



You are most welcomed sister and don't at all worry about the number of guests  .. the more the merrier 😑   
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