This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Heart To Heart. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

[Episode 1]

In episode 2 we discuss The People of Taqwa

Transcription:

Reflections #2 – The People of God-Consciousness

One of the main objectives or goals of fasting throughout the month of Ramaḍān is to nurture and develop the quality of taqwa, which is being mindful, conscious, and aware of Allah ﷻ. Oftentimes taqwa is translated as fear; however, this translation does not capture the true essence and meaning of the word. Fear is only one aspect or part of taqwa. Linguistically, taqwa is defined as forbearance, fear, or abstinence. It is derived from the verb waqā/yaqī, which means to protect or prevent. To make a shield or barrier between one’s self and what one fears for protection.

In the context of the Quran and Sunnah, it refers to being mindful, conscious, and aware of Allah ﷻ. Being conscious and aware that Allah ﷻ is the All-Knowing, All-Seeing, and All-Hearing and that everything a person says or does is being recorded. It means being aware of the fact that there is a Day of Judgment and on that Day a person will be held accountable for whatever they have said or done. This consciousness then drives a person’s behavior and motivates them to try their best to obey the commandments of Allah ﷻ and stay away from His prohibitions. Practically speaking, scholars define taqwa as obeying the commands of Allah ﷻ and staying away from His prohibitions. The Prophet ﷺ is advising his followers to be conscious and aware of Allah ﷻ at all times and under all circumstances.

In the opening few verses of Sūrah al-Baqarah, Allah ﷻ tells us who the people of taqwa are; what they look like in real life. Allah ﷻ tells us, “Alif-Lãm-Mĩm. This is the Book! There is no doubt about it—a guide for those mindful ˹of Allah˺, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ and what was revealed before you, and have sure faith in the Hereafter. It is they who are ˹truly˺ guided by their Lord, and it is they who will be successful.” In these verses, Allah ﷻ describes the people of taqwa with five distinct qualities or characteristics: belief in the unseen, establishing prayer, generosity, belief in revelation, and certainty in the hereafter.

The first quality of the people of taqwa is belief in the unseen. As people of īmān, as Muslims, we believe in al-ghayb, the unseen. The ghayb, or the unseen, refers to what is invisible in the sense of belonging to another order of reality; things that lie beyond human faculties of perception. It can refer to those things that have not yet come into existence or have come into existence but Allah ﷻ has not informed anyone regarding it. Al-Ghayb includes information such as when and where a person will be born, what they are going to do, how many breaths they are going to take, and where they are going to die. All of this information is known only to Allah ﷻ. It also includes when resurrection and the Day of Judgment will occur. al-Ghayb is the realm of Allah ﷻ, only He alone has knowledge of it. Allah ﷻ says in Sūrah al-Naml, “Say: None in the heavens or on the earth know the unseen, except Allah.”

قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ

Allah ﷻ explains in Sūrah al-An’ām, “He has the keys to the unseen: no one knows them but Him. He knows all that is in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowledge, nor is there a single grain in the darkness of the earth, or anything, fresh or withered, that is not written in a clear Record.”

وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

The second quality of the people of taqwa is to establish prayer. Iqāmah al-Ṣalāh means to establish prayer; to pray it properly, at its time, fulfilling all of its pre-conditions, performing all of its integrals, and sunan. More importantly, it means to pray with purpose, meaning, and understanding. Praying with khushūʿ; to contemplate, reflect, think, and ponder over the words and phrases being recited.
Iqāmah al-Ṣalāh has two main aspects: 1) outward (external) and 2) inward (internal). The outward aspect is praying properly according to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ; the form of prayer itself. It includes making sure every aspect of prayer is being performed properly. The inward aspect refers to praying with the presence of heart and mind, consciousness and awareness, and with ikhlāṣ and iḥsān. This is what some would refer to as the substance or spirit of prayer.

Ibn ʿAbbās described iqāmah al-ṣalāh as, “Establishing the prayer is to perform its bowing, prostrations, and recitation in a complete manner as well as having fear of Allah and complete attention to it.” It means praying with the quality of the Prophet ﷺ so that it becomes the coolness of one’s eyes as well. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The coolness of my eyes was placed in prayer.” Meaning the Prophet ﷺ found peace, happiness, tranquility, serenity, and contentment in prayer.

The third quality of the people of taqwa is generosity. One of the defining qualities of a person of faith is selflessness and generosity. There are several verses of the Quran and aḥādīth of the Prophet ﷺ that encourage giving, charity, and generosity. Throughout the Quran, Allah ﷻ provides detailed descriptions of the characteristics and qualities of the people of īmān. One of those characteristics and qualities is generosity. Generosity in Islam is not limited to the amount of money one gives. It is related to the willingness to give.

The fourth quality of the people of taqwa is to believe in revelation or scripture. We believe in all of the scriptures that were divinely revealed to the Prophets and Messengers throughout history including the Ṣuḥuf of Ibrāhīm, the Psalms of David, the Towrah, the Injīl, and the Quran. The Quran is the last and final revelation sent for the guidance of humanity until the end of times. The Quran is our own personal book of guidance that leads us toward success in this life and salvation in the next.

The fifth quality of the people of taqwa is to have certainty in the hereafter. We have firm conviction that the life of this world is temporary and that the life to come is for eternity, and one must believe in resurrection and judgment. One must believe that every single human will be held accountable for what they used to do in the life of this world. It includes belief in the concepts of accountability, reward and punishment, forgiveness and repentance, Paradise, and Hell.

The people of taqwa, those who possess these five fundamental qualities, “are ˹truly˺ guided by their Lord, and it is they who will be successful.”

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