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Newsletter for June 2016
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Taqwa (Piety) Advice of Ahl al-Bayt
By Sayyed Hussain
Sheikh al-Islami Tooyserkani
1) What Is
Piety (Taqwa)
The word Taqwa or piety (to fear Allah and to guard against evil) is frequently
used by laymen and experts and
recommended by one group or the
other. But what does it really
mean? Each group has a special
meaning of piety in mind. To
clarify its meaning, we need to
discuss the views of the
lexicographers and scholars as
well as those of Ahl al-Bayt and
some of the mystics. Allamah
Tarihi, may his soul rest in
peace, has said that Taqwa in
the holy Quran has several
meanings as follows:
a. Fear and awe: “Me
alone should you fear”
b. Obedience and worship: “be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to
Him”
c. Purifying the hearts from sins: “And he who obeys Allah and His Apostle, and fears Allah, and is
careful of (his duty to) Him,
these it is that are the
achievers” (Qur'an, 24:52).
It is said that “This last meaning is the real meaning of Taqwa
and not the first two meanings.”
He has also said: “Taqwa
originally comes from the word Waqaya meaning to ban and to keep.” It is also said that “Taqwa comes from Waqayah meaning safeguard and protect.”
Raghib says: “Waqayah is to keep something from what harms it and
Taqwa is to guard
self from what it fears.” He further says that speaking religiously
Taqwa is to guard self against
sin. Its realization depends on
abandoning what has been
generally forbidden and even
some of the permissible acts.
Allamah Majlisi, may his soul rest in peace, says: “And Allah
safeguarded him from evil, a
good safeguarding. I kept myself
from His chastisement and from
opposing Him.”
Elsewhere he says: “Taqwa means to safeguard and etymologically,
it means self-restraint.
Generally speaking, it means to
keep self from what harms it in
the Hereafter and the more it is
restricted, it will be better
for self.”
An ascetic was asked what Taqwa is. He said: “What will you do if
you enter a piece of land full
of thistles?” The one who had
asked the question said: “I will
keep away myself from it.” the
ascetic said: “Do the same in
world, it is Taqwa.”
An Arab poet says: “Be like one who walks on a piece of land with
thistles in it; he will
obviously keep away from it.
Take no small sin lightly, for
mountains are made up of sands.”
Imam Ali (AS) has been quoted as saying: “Taqwa is to avoid
sins.”
Being asked about Taqwa, Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “Taqwa is to be
present in a place God has
ordered and to be absent from a
place He has prohibited.”
A great part of supplications signifies the same meaning: “O
Allah, find me not in a place
You have forbidden.”
From what we discussed, we infer that Taqwa is self-restraint and
safeguarding oneself from what
is against the Lord. In this way
Taqwa covers all the meanings
mentioned herein.
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