Taqwā
تقوىDefinition
God-consciousness and protective piety — the inner quality that al-Nawawi identifies as the goal toward which the entire Arba'in points. Taqwa is not fear of punishment alone but a sustained awareness of Allah's presence and oversight that governs every decision, interaction, and moment of private behaviour. It is the quality that makes the believer honest when no one is watching, fair when unfairness would go undetected, and patient when impatience would be socially understandable. The Prophet described it as being 'here' while pointing to his chest — not a set of rules but a living orientation of the heart toward Allah that produces consistent righteous behaviour as its natural fruit.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Taqwā.
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""Here I am, in reverence, with excuse to You; the offerings of Zubayd have come to You under compulsion, borne by lean, hard-eyed camels, cutting through lowland and rugged mountains; they have left the idols empty and bare." Amr said: But now we say, and to God belongs the praise, as the Messenger of God, God's peace and blessings be upon him, taught us: "Here I am, O God, here I am; here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Indeed all praise and blessing are Yours, and the dominion; You have no partner.""
— Ibn Kathir, Umar ibn al-Khattab
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""The people are in the mosque." So my companion and I went, and there were the people gathered around a group of men in the mosque. He said: I made my way through them until I stood over them, and there were Ali ibn Abi Talib, al-Zubayr, Talha and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. He said: No sooner had this happened than Uthman came walking, and said: "Is Ali here?" They said: "Yes." He said, "Is al-Zubayr here?" They said, "Yes." He said: "Is Talha here?" They said: "Yes." He said, "Is Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas here?""
— Ibn Kathir, Uthman ibn Affan
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"peace be upon him, said, When I was taken on the night journey to Jerusalem, Gabriel took me to Abraham's grave and said, Descend and pray two units of prayer here, for here is the grave of your father Abraham. Then he took me to Bethlehem and said, Descend and pray two units of prayer here, for here is where your brother Jesus was born. Then he took me to the rock."
— Ibn Battuta, Volume One: From Tangier to the Lands of the East
Appears in
2 books in the library
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