Mehreen Farhan
Today’s topic is “taqwa”.
Taqwa means God fearing, forbearance and abstinence.
When we read the Quran, we come across the word تقوٰی many times. We also know what it means. But how to implement it in our daily lives and what are the benefits that come with it?
Here are a couple of scenarios.
You are asked to give a test at home, say, it’s a Quran test for an online course you are taking. You can cheat, but what will make you stop? The teacher will never know, yet you know Allah is watching. You fear Him and you will abstain from cheating. Why? Because of your Taqwa.
You encounter a situation where you can easily get away with some kind of a lie. No one will know if what you said was true or false. Lying could very well bring you some gain. What will stop you from doing it? Taqwa.
You can fast, but make an excuse of not fasting, such that no one can reprimand you on it, know one knows but Allah. Keeping this in mind, you still fast. What made you make the right choice? Taqwa.
You have an orphan in your guardianship who is too young to differentiate from the right and wrong that you do for him. What fear will keep you functioning with justice and ehsaan? Think about it.
You follow the commands of Allah, even though some are hard for you, some require much effort and perseverance on your part, you still follow them for fear of not disobeying Allah. Why? Because of your unwavering Taqwa.
The examples are endless.
Simply put, anytime you stop yourself from doing wrong or from falling short of following his commands, for fear of Allah, knowing that He will surely know even if no one else knows, is Taqwa.
Allah says in the Quran, “And unto Allah belong all that is in the Heavens and all that is on Earth. And, verily, We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allah and keep your duty to Him, But if you disbelieve, then unto Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allah is Ever Rich, Worthy of all praise.” (4:131)
When you do Taqwa, you become a متّقی (“muttaqi”).
When a believer performs all the obligatory deeds that they are capable of and stays away from all the forbidden and doubtful matters, and when they further perform the recommended acts and stay away from the disapproved ones, they are truly deserving of the title muttaqeen “the people possessing taqwa“. The reward for these type of people the highest of rewards. Allah (swt) says:
“And the good end [Paradise] is for the [people of] taqwa” (Surah Taha:132)
May Allah make us of those people who fear Allah (swt) wherever we are and earn His (swt) highest reward. Ameen.
Let’s talk about how Taqwa can help us be a better version of ourselves in this world and how it can help us stay on track on deen for the next.
Taqwa is a vast topic. Let’s share ideas.
Happy Writing!
