Taqwa: Believer's Provision

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The most noble among us in the sight of Allah is the one with Taqwa.

Allah calls on mankind and says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّـهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ﴿١٣

O Mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (13)

[Qur'an Al-Hujurat 49:13]

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as saying: Verily Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds.

Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “From the completion of Taqwa is that the servant fears from His Lord even with regard to things, the weight of an atom.”

A heart infused with Taqwa is an attitude that one adopts about following Allah’s guidance. It provides us the filter to get a renewed perspective regarding how we live various aspects of our lives because we become aware of Allah’s pleasure and displeasure in all our affairs.

It is Taqwa that gives meaning to our simple worship rituals that otherwise would be nothing without it. Haven’t we pondered what would the physical actions of prayers, such as bowing and prostrating mean without a heart infused with Taqwa? What makes the hunger and thirst (when fasting) of a believer different from the same actions of a non-believer? How would the physical acts of going between the two mountains of Safa and Marwa (in Hajj and Umrah) become valuable in the eyes of Allah? It’s the Taqwa in our hearts that provide these simple physical rituals a special meaning in the eyes of Allah.

For example, when mentioning the ritual of sacrificing animals (in Allah’s name) in the Quran, Allah says,

لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّـهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٣٧

Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety (Taqwa) from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good. (37)

[Qur'an Al-Hajj 22:37]

Let’s ensure, therefore, that our worship is not limited to empty acts but is rather adorned with Taqwa.

لَـٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّـهِ ۗ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّـهِ خَيْرٌ لِّلْأَبْرَارِ ﴿١٩٨

But those who feared their Lord (Godfearing) will have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein, as accommodation from Allah. And that which is with Allah is best for the righteous. (198)

[Qur'an AleImran 3: 198]

May Allah increase us in taqwa and make us among the muttaqin. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam