Taqwa: The Cornerstone of Islamic Faith

We discussed in an earlier post the importance of “La Ilaha Illallah” and how that’s a prerequisite to being a Muslim. But molding our lives on the basis of those words is equally important in the eyes of Allah and thus we need to ensure that those solemn words indeed get lodged in our hearts so that they direct our behavior and lives.

More than a billion people today say “La Ilaha Illallah”, yet many of us would agree that the Muslim ummah as a whole will be quite possibly missing out on additional mercy and blessings of Allah unless we start living by those words in our lives. Many among us either don’t know how to live up to those words or simply don’t find it necessary to do so. To them, recognizing a deity called “Allah” is all that is needed to be categorized as a “believer”. As we shall see later, Quran tells us that it may be nothing short of a sign of hypocrisy.

The fact is that those who call themselves “Muslims” need to infuse their hearts with “Taqwa” if they want to be viewed by Allah as true believers. In the English language, “Taqwa” has been translated and interpreted in various ways so that it may mean piety, righteousness, fearful of Allah, being God conscious, and so on. But we know that, similar to other words in the Quran, it is difficult to get a corresponding one word translation. Instead, some Quranic words pack more detailed concepts that must be elaborated on when translated into other languages.

After the first Surah (Al-Fatihah), which is mostly considered as a Dua, the Quran continues with Surah Al-Baqara (verse # 2) as follows:

“This is the Book (the Quran), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqin (People of Taqwa).” (Sura Al-Baqarah:2)

This verse thus makes Taqwa a prerequisite for seeking guidance from Quran (a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun, i.e., who have Taqwa). Tafsir ibn Kathir states: “Hidayah – correct guidance – is only granted to those who have Taqwa.” He went on to point out that “the guidance in it (Quran) is only granted to the righteous (people with Taqwa in their hearts), just as Allah said,

(O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord, and a healing for that which is in your breasts (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences), a guidance and a mercy for the believers (Surah Younus:57).

What is Taqwa?

Rather than coining our own definitions, let’s look at how various scholars have defined Taqwa (Reference
 

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

Sheikh Muhammed Tantawi says: “The word ‘Muttaqoon’ is the plural of ‘Muttaqi’. ‘Muttaqi’ is the gerund from the verb ‘Ittaqa’ (acquired protection). ‘Ittaqa’ is from the root verb ‘Waqa’ which means he protected himself from that which harms him.”

One of the more complete definitions and explanations was provided by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. He states that Taqwa “includes doing everything that Allah has enjoined whether it is waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (recommended), and avoiding all that He has forbidden, whether it is haraam (forbidden) or makrooh (disliked).” [Reference 1]

A heart infused with Taqwa is, therefore, an attitude that one adopts about following Allah's teachings. 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 salat (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, “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is Taqwa (piety, etc.) from you that reaches Him. Thus have We made them subject to you so that you may glorify Allah for His guidance to you…” (Surah Al-Hajj: 37).

Let’s ensure, therefore, that our worship is not limited to empty acts but is rather adorned with Taqwa. Again, as the verse states, “…but it is the Taqwa (piety) from you that reaches Him.”

Where do we fall related to our Taqwa and the guidance from Allah?

If we read the first few verses of Surah Al-Baqara (almost the beginning of the Quran), we would note that Allah describes three types of people related to guidance.

The first group: In the first few verses (verses 2 – 5), He clearly explains that the Quran is a guidance for those who have Taqwa in their hearts and this guidance causes them to be successful. The people described in these verses are those who:

(1) Believe in the unseen (e.g. Allah, angels, the holy books that Allah revealed but got changed, prophets, day of resurrection, and Al-Qadr)

(2) Perform salat

(3) Spend for Allah’s causes from what Allah has provided to them

(4) Believe in what Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad

(5) Believe in what Allah revealed to the prophets before Muhammad, and

(6) Believe in hereafter.

The second group: The second group (described in verses 6 and 7) falls on the other end of the spectrum, and are the disbelievers. In describing them Allah says that it is the seal on their hearts and ears as well as a covering in their eyes that has caused them to disbelieve.

The third group: Finally, the Quran uses more verses (verses 8 through 18) in describing those regarding whom Allah says, “And of mankind, there are some who say: “We believe in Allah and the Last Day” while in fact they believe not” (verse 6). Some of the attributes that Allah points out in those people (in those verses) are the following:

(1) They think they are deceiving Allah and the believers but in fact they are deceiving themselves.

(2) In their hearts there is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy).

(3) When Allah tells them to believe by modeling themselves according to the prophet and the true believers, they say, “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?” Allah then responds by saying that “Verily, they are the fools but they know not.”

(4) They mock the believers in turn and then Allah says: “Allah mocks at them and gives them increase in their wrongdoings to wander blindly.”

(5) Allah remarks about these people: “These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided.”

The above (based on verses 2 – 18 of Al-Baqara) should be sufficient to move our hearts to the core and should create the urgency to associate ourselves with the first group (the ones with Taqwa). While a majority of us believers will associate ourselves with the first group, our behaviors and attitudes may instead make us appear to belong to the third. Let’s, therefore, ensure that our actions (not just words) disclose that we are people who have Taqwa (as mentioned in verse 2).

On the road to inculcate Taqwa

Once we say “La Ilaha Illallah”, we should take a few steps to lodge Taqwa (piety, righteousness, humbleness, fear, God consciousness, etc.) in our hearts. Some of the steps we can take include the following:

Know as a believer that it’s Allah’s (our creator and sustainer’s) right to be obeyed: Let us never forget that it is Allah’s right to be obeyed. Ibn Qayyim said: “A benefit of understanding Allah’s right over the servant is that it opens the door of humbleness in front of Allah and closes the doors of conceit. It allows one to realize that salvation is only through Allah’s grace and mercy. It is Allah’s right that He should be obeyed and not disobeyed: that He should be remembered and not forgotten and that He should be appreciated and not unappreciated . . . Many people think about their rights over Allah and do not about His rights over them. This is how they are detached from Allah and deprived of the desire to meet Him. This is the epitome of ignorance of their Lord and of themselves” (Ighathatul lahfaan 1/99-101; secondary reference).

Audit yourself: From time to time we should pause and assess the condition of our hearts. If we do that with full introspection, it wouldn’t be difficult to determine whether our hearts are filled with piety and fear of Allah (Taqwa), or have remnants of hardness and a carefree attitude about Allah and His teachings. Allah says in the Quran: “O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow (tomorrow), and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do” (Surah Al-Hashr:18). Ibn kathir says that the phrase ‘let each soul see’ or “let every person look” in the above verse means to take an account of one’s own actions before being audited (by Allah) (Tafseer of Ibn Kathir: 4/346). Omar bin Khattab wrote to one of his employees: “Audit yourself in prosperity before the auditing of adversity. Whoever does this will be pleased and envied. Whoever is distracted from this by his life and fantasies, will face remorse and loss.”

Reflect your Taqwa in your deeds: Once you build the Taqwa in your heart (become cognizant of, and fear Allah in all your affairs), you should start practicing it in your actions. The sahaba and salaf used to exert themselves in ensuring that their actions reflected the Taqwa in their hearts. It’s said that Ibn Omar used to stay awake the whole night if he missed a prayer in congregation (because he knew (through the Taqwa in his heart) Allah’s pleasure associated with one praying in congregation). Imam Ghazali mentioned that we let ourselves (our nafs) off the hook when it (our nafs) is our biggest enemy and is more likely to rebel against our own selves (Ihya’ul ulum al-din, 4/381). About ensuring that we bring Taqwa in our actions, Abu Dhar reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: “Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up an evil deed with a good one which will wipe (the former) out, and behave good-naturedly towards people” [Al-Tirmidhi].

Condition yourself to inculcate Taqwa: We have to condition ourselves to fear Him by observing and reflecting more about our existence, our vulnerability as humans in this ocean in which we are journeying, and about the end that each one of us will meet soon. We should also become avid learners about what pleases Allah and what displeases Him and take that seriously. This observation and learning will enable us to learn new truths that can help us condition our states and hearts to inculcate the required Taqwa in our hearts.

Parting Words

Let’s ponder over Quran’s last verse that was revealed to the prophet (agreed to by many scholars, including ibn Kathir). It says: “And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly (Surah Al-Baqara: 281).”

Remember, we are what we are – with the rewards and punishments from Allah and His mercy on us – based on the level of our faith in Allah and the Taqwa in our hearts. Sometimes we forget the connection between how our lives turn out to be and the One who makes it all happen. Once you remind yourself of that, remember the power bestowed by Allah on you as regards “free will” and how you can use it to influence the quality of your own lives. As long as you respect the limits that He has set for us (through the Taqwa in your heart), you can earn the blessings that He has promised for you, both in this life and in the hereafter.

We should, therefore, not delay to take a strong decision to increase our Taqwa. As Allah says in the Quran: “Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa” [al-Hujrat 49:13].

Source: iqrasense.com

Matters of the (Muslim) Heart

In a metaphysical sense, we use our hearts in a variety of interesting ways. We love, hate, shed tears, feel happy, etc. based on the beliefs and understanding of various matters that we hold in our hearts. In general, our behavior is largely driven by the world that we build in our hearts. Mankind are known to go to great lengths to perform acts that range from being heroic to being absurd, all based on the value that one places on various matters – people and things – in one’s heart.

It is no wonder therefore that Allah mentions the “heart” in various contexts in more than 100 places in the Qur'an.

Consider what the prophet said in a hadith:

“There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled, the whole body gets spoiled – and that is the heart.” [Bukhary, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 49: Part of the Hadith Narrated by An-Nu’man bin Bashir]

If what we hold in our hearts drives us to act – sometimes pushing us to extremes – then it’s only prudent that we feed the right beliefs and knowledge to the world of our hearts.

Without proper knowledge and religious understanding, we can’t expect to build the levels of our faith and without faith there can’t be devotion in our actions. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “..if actions were useful without devotion, He (Allah) would never have dispraised the hypocrites.” He also said, “Allah will never purchase any good (deed) that has not been refined by faith.” (Al Fawwaid)

It should come as no surprise therefore that we will be questioned about the knowledge that we acquire and how we use that knowledge to build the worlds of our hearts.

Consider the following verse:

“And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not, or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allâh)” [al-Israa’ 17:36]

We know that the foundation of our religious understanding is based on our upbringing and our continued efforts to acquire knowledge. The weaker the foundation, the more difficult does it become to live Islam. It also lets a carefree attitude take root in our hearts making us even more negligent of our priorities. One of the pious and knowledgeable salaf ‘Ata’ al-Sulaymi was asked about his fear of Allah and his concerns and he said: “…. Death is close at hand, the grave is my house, on the Day of Resurrection I will stand and my path is over a bridge across Hell, and I do not know what will become of me.”

Obviously, if our knowledge and understanding is weak, our minds wouldn’t worry about such matters.

Unfortunately, in such a state many don’t even care to know what they don’t know and what they need to know.

On the contrary, when we invest in building the foundations of our knowledge and religious understanding, we become more cognizant of Allah and fear Him accordingly.

For those of us who feel better about their levels of knowledge, understanding and faith, we need to be careful about not developing a false sense of ‘Iman’ (faith). This is because we live in a world where it is common to find religious understanding founded on superficial knowledge garbled with philosophies of the day (that abound) and bits of personal viewpoints.

Sometimes that religious understanding is also tainted with cultural norms giving rise to Islamic viewpoints that are not in line with what was revealed by Allah on our prophet Muhammad (SAWS).

We, therefore, should be wary of falling into such traps of distorted enlightenment.

Consider the example of Umar Al-Khattab (the second Caliph of Islam). The prophet had said that if there was going to be a prophet after him, it would have been Umar. It was the same Umar who on his death bed asked for his head to be put on sand and he kept saying that “…May God be merciful on me. Oh you whose kingship never deviates have mercy on the one whose kingship has just deviated.”

If Umar – one of the very few who had been promised paradise in his life – was so worried and anxious about getting Allahs mercy, how can we become complacent about the levels of the faith and Iman that live in our hearts?

Elevating our knowledge and religious understanding thus should get a renewed sense of urgency. Let’s remind ourselves that the excuses that we may have today for not enhancing or correcting our religious knowledge and understanding, won’t pass the test of time. They have not for anyone in the past.

ibn Al-Qayyim said, “The person who is profoundly knowledgeable of Allah would be interested in consolidating the foundation and strengthening it. And the ignorant person would be interested in constructing but without taking care of the foundation, and in no time, his establishment would collapse.”

Allah says in the Quran:

“Is it then he, who laid the foundation of his building on piety to Allah and His Good Pleasure, better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on an undetermined brink of a precipice (steep rock) ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the Fire of Hell?” (At-Tawbah, 9:109)”

Getting the right knowledge will also elevate our positions in front of our Creator. As Allah says:

“Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge” [Part of the verse in al-Mujaadilah 58:11]

Finally, a useful Dua that we can make to inculcate the fear of our Creator is the one taught to us by the prophet. He (SAWS) used to make the dua:

“I seek refuge in you, O Allah, from knowledge that does not benefit and from a heart which does not fear.”

Let’s therefore spend our time to acquire the knowledge that can correct the condition of our hearts and make our lives a bit more meaningful. Let’s also be wary of what we are not feeding our hearts. Ultimately, we are in front of people and in front of our Creator based on what’s in our hearts.

Source: iqrasense.com

Achieving “Khushu” and a Positive State of Mind

We have all heard about the importance of inculcating Khushu in our prayers. It refers to a state of mind when we stand in front of Allah and fully direct our minds and hearts towards Him. Ibn al-Qayyim defined Khushu as a state “. . . when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness . . .” (Al-Rooh, p. 314).

Anything less not only diminishes the rewards of our worship and Ibadah but we should consider it as a sign of our disregard for our creator, as well as a lost opportunity for our spiritual rejuvenation. After all, what good is being in front of anyone – let alone our creator and sustainer – when our minds and hearts are not focused on “the moment”?

Khushu – A Positive State of Mind

In psychological terms, we can liken this state of mind to a single-minded immersion of oneself with deep focus on the activity at hand and one that leads to maximum performance. We know that our state of mind, directly or indirectly, impacts almost everything that we do in life. A bad state of mind can have a debilitating effect on our overall performance, shows its effects on our outward appearances, and in general becomes a hindrance to bringing out the best in us. On the other hand, we also know the good feelings associated with being in a good state of mind. It makes us feel livelier and more productive, and life generally seems more fulfilling.

Needless to say, we must find ways to get in the right states of minds to maximize our performance for any given activity or else we can expect subpar results. The activity of “Prayers” or salat is no exception to that rule. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) alluded to something similar in that we get only a portion of the reward for our prayers depending on the level of our efforts. He said: “A slave may pray and have nothing recorded for it except a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a quarter, or a third, or a half” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1626).

The Tendency to Get Distracted

However, voluntarily getting in a focused state of mind and staying there is easier said than done. Many a time we tend to get sidetracked by our own thoughts. As for prayers, the reality is that as soon as we enter the state of prayers, various thoughts rush into our minds distracting us from the state of worship. These distractions also include satanic whispers, also referred to as “waswaas” (insinuating thoughts from Shaytaan) and sometimes reach to a level where the act of worship fails to deliver any notable spiritual value.

Sadly, this lack of control on our thoughts and states of our minds not only deprives us from establishing a relationship with our creator but also prevents us from bringing calm to our jittery nerves and lives in general. Among other things, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) relied on prayers to provide him comfort and mental calm. He once said, “The source of my delight is the prayer” (authenticated by Al-Albani). He also used to ask Bilal to give the Adhan for the prayer by saying: “Give us comfort by it, O Bilal.”

Stepping towards Khushu and a Positive State of Mind

Inculcating Khushu in our prayers, therefore, is about getting in the right state of mind where we are fully guarding our thoughts from any distractions and focused on Allah and the various prayer invocations. Besides spiritual rejuvenation, the practice of Khushu also teaches us to induce a positive state of mind for any other moment or activity by teaching us to keep distracting thoughts at bay and enabling us to focus on the task at hand with the heart and mind fully immersed.

So, what can we do to get in the right state of mind to help us perform optimally? The following are some tips that can come in handy:

Get passionate about the activity: One way to get in a positive state of mind so you may excel at a task is to ensure that you develop a passion for it. The more passionate you feel about doing something, the less likelihood there is to get distracted from that activity. We know this from our hypnotic interest in the many TV shows, movies, and numerous other entertainment episodes that occupy our minds on a daily basis. So, if you complain about reduced khushu levels in your prayers, you ought to assess your passion and level of interest in prayers and your relationship with your creator. How does it compare with your life’s other passions and interests? A reduced interest drives you to rush through prayers so that you can get back to your other activities of interest. The reason behind your poor khushu levels, therefore, may be rooted in your lack of interest to pray in the first place.

For some of us, this may be a harsh reality check but until our behavior proves otherwise, our priorities may be skewed.

You can get over this problem by spending time (when you are not praying) to learn and internalize the merits and rewards of prayer. That can help you go a long way in raising your passion for prayers and other forms of worship, thus minimizing the likelihood of getting distracted. In this context, we should remind ourselves of what Allah said about developing the right khushu in prayers. He said in the Quran (interpretation of the meaning),

“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness” [Surah al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]”.

Remember, the more passion you fill in your mind and heart about anything, the less vacuum you leave for the distracting thoughts to fill the void when you are involved in that activity.

Prepare for the activity before the activity: Another sure method to help one perform optimally in any activity is to get mentally ready for that activity beforehand. Athletes do it regularly. We do it too before getting ready for any challenging activity (taking an exam, for example). This preparation before the actual event helps clear the clutter from our minds that maybe lingering from previous activities. As far as prayers are concerned, performing ablution, the high value associated with making dua before obligatory prayers in congregation, sunnah prayers, and so on are some of the things that can get us in the right state of mind before we start the obligatory prayers.

Be mindful of the activity: To ward off distracting and negative thoughts, psychologists and psychotherapists also recommend the use of “mindfulness”. Mindfulness helps in directing your consciousness to what you really want at the moment rather than letting negative thoughts pull your mind from one distraction to another. Being mindful in prayers can help you consciously guard your state of mind from being poisoned by negative thoughts as well as satanic whispers (waswas). While praying, be mindful of the meanings of the invocations of your prayers. Done repetitively, this voluntary control can gradually help you control your state of mind and achieve high levels of Khushu.

In Summary

Khushu, therefore, is an ideal practice to help you increase the quality of your prayers that, as the prophet told us, can bring delight and calm to your lives and help bond with your creator and sustainer. The psychological underpinnings of this practice can also help you master the art of getting in the right state of mind for other activities too. It can also help keep unpleasant thoughts from the past at bay and also to stop related feelings of anxiety. That can come in quite handy in your relationships, at work, and in other aspects of your lives.

To get the ebook “33 Ways of developing Khushoo’ in Salaah” click here…

Source: iqrasense.com