What is Taqwā?

One of the single most important concepts in Islam, found all over the Qur’ān and Sunnah, but what actually is it?

It is one of the fundamental rights of Allah jalla wa ‘alā as He says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
O you who believe, fear Allah, as He should be feared, and let not yourself die save as Muslims. (Ale-‘Imrān, 102)

It is what Allah has commanded the First and the Last of Creation:

وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُوا اللهَ
We have ordered those who were given the Book before you, and (ordered) you yourselves to fear Allah. (al-Nisā, 131)

In working translation though, we use fear and piety and so on but studying the actual linguistic meaning gives us so much more understanding.

The root of Taqwa is the verb وقي which means to be careful, cautious, weary and most clearly to protect oneself. Indeed, the word wiqāyah from the same verb means to protect and was so given to a shield for example in the old days and is used for the word preservative in our times because it protects the product from being destroyed.

In ones Deen, it means to be “extraordinarily careful.”

Ibn Rajab said in Jāmi‘ al-‘Ulūm wal-Hikam:

أنْ يجعل العبدُ بينَه وبينَ ما يخافُه ويحذره وقايةً تقيه منه ، فتقوى العبد لربه أنْ يجعل بينه وبينَ ما يخشاه من ربه من غضبه وسخطه وعقابه وقايةً تقيه من ذلك وهو فعلُ طاعته واجتنابُ معاصيه

“That the servant places that between himself and that what he is afraid of in order to protect himself. So the taqwā of the servant of his Lord is that he puts between himself a shield that will protect him from that which he fears from his Lord such as His Anger, His Displeasure and His Punishment; this protection is achieved by obeying Him and avoiding disobeying Him.”

So basically, it means to be always aware of Allah, be conscious of Him and His Lordship over us, and for us to utilise every single thing that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has shown us and taught us to protect ourselves from His Anger and Displeasure.

As the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said in al-Tabarāni illustrating the root verb:

فَوَقَي أَحَدُكُمْ وَجْهَهُ النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ
“So protect yourself from the Fire even with half a date.”

We can see the linguistic meaning from the Qur’ān as well when Allah says:

فوقاهُمُ الله شَرَّ ذلك اليومِ
“So Allah will save them from the evil of that day” (Insān, 11)

And when He ‘azza wa jall says:

ما لهم من الله من واقٍ
“…and for them there is none to save them from Allah.” (al-Ra‘d, 34)

i.e. he will not have any Dāfi‘ or someone to protect him and stave off harm.

So that’s the linguistic meaning of Taqwā illustrated in the sources, but what of its position in Islam, what of its importance?

The Uses of Taqwā

1. Sometimes it is used connected to the Name of Allah:

{ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ }
(al-Māi’dah, 96)

{ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ إِنَّ اللهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ }
(al-Hashr, 18)

This means then to Protect yourself from His Displeasure and His Anger and it is the greatest and most serious thing that one can exhibit Taqwā in. No doubt because Allah warns us:

{ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللهُ نَفْسَهُ }
(ale-‘Imrān, 28)

And He is the One most deserving to be feared and to be concerned about as He says:

{ هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ }
(al-Mudaththir, 56)

2. Sometimes it is used connected to the Punishment of Allah, and its Place (such as the Fire) or its Time (Such as Yawm’l-Qiyāmah):

{ وَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ }
(ale-‘Imrān, 131)

{ فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ }
(al-Baqarah, 24)

{ وَاتَّقُوا يَوْماً تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللهِ }
(al-Baqarah, 281)

{ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ }
(al-Mujādalah, 9)

{ وَاتَّقُوا يَوْماً لا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئا }
(al-Baqarah, 48)

Its Benefits in The Qur’ān

Allah does not waste the reward of the People of Taqwā:

قَالُوا أَئِنَّكَ لَأَنْتَ يُوسُفُ قَالَ أَنَا يُوسُفُ وَهَذَا أَخِي قَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
They said, “Is it that you are, in fact, Yusuf?” He said, “I am Yusuf, and this is my brother. Allah has been very kind to us. Surely, whoever fears Allah and observes patience, Allah does not let the reward of such good people to go to waste.”

Allah gives them a way out of all difficulty:

وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا (2) وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا
Whoever fears Allah, He brings forth a way out for him, and provides him (with what he needs) from where he does not even imagine. (Talāq, 2-3)

Allah gives them ease in their affairs:

وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا
And whoever fears Allah, He brings about ease for him in his affair. (Talāq, 4)

Allah writes off their bad deeds, and gives them huge rewards:

ذَلِكَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ أَنْزَلَهُ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُ أَجْرًا
And whoever fears Allah, He will write off his evil deeds, and will give him a huge reward. (Talāq, 5)

Allah promises them the best of Jannah:

قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
Say: “Shall I tell you what is far better than that? For those who fear (Allah), there are gardens with their Lord, beneath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, with purified wives, and approval from Allah.” Allah is watchful over His servants. (Ale-‘Imrān, 15)

لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِلْأَبْرَارِ
But those who fear their Lord, for them there are Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will live forever – as hospitality from Allah. What is with Allah is best for the righteous. (Ale-‘Imrān, 198)

وَلَدَارُ الْآَخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
And surely the abode of the Hereafter is much better for those who fear Allah. Would you, then, still not understand? (Yūsuf, 109)

لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَبْنِيَّةٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ
But, for those who fear their Lord, there are chambers with chambers built on top of them, with rivers running from underneath them. This is Allah‘s promise. Allah does not go back on any promise. (al-Zumar, 20)

Allah gives them extra awareness:

وَإِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (200) إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ
Should a stroke from the Satan strike you, seek refuge with Allah. Surely, He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Surely when the God-fearing are touched by any instigation from Satan, they become conscious (of Allah), and at once they discern (the reality). (al-A‘rāf, 200)

Allah will personally help him and be with him:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ
Surely, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are good in their deeds. (al-Nahl, 128)

Allah will save them from Destruction:

ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَنَذَرُ الظَّالِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيًّا
Then We will save those who feared Allah, and will leave the wrongdoers in it, fallen on their knees. (Maryam)

وَيُنَجِّي اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا بِمَفَازَتِهِمْ لَا يَمَسُّهُمُ السُّوءُ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
And Allah will save the God-fearing (from Jahannam), with utmost success granted to them, so as no evil will touch them, nor will they grieve. (al-Zumar, 61)

وَأَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ
(al-Naml, 53)

Allah will give them a criterion to tell right from wrong:

{ إِنْ تَتَّقُوا اللهَ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ فُرْقَاناً وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ }
O you who believe, if you fear Allah, He will provide you with a criterion (to distinguish between right and wrong) and will write off your evil deeds and will forgive you. Allah is the Lord of great bounty. (al-Anfāl, 29)

Allah will give them a double reward, give them light, and forgive them their sins:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَآَمِنُوا بِرَسُولِهِ يُؤْتِكُمْ كِفْلَيْنِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ نُورًا تَمْشُونَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
O you who believe, fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will give you two shares (of reward) out of His mercy, and will make for you a light whereby you will walk, and will forgive you. And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. (al-Hadīd, 28)

It gives the best foundation:

أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى تَقْوَى مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Then tell me, which one is better, whether the one who has founded his building on fear of Allah and on search of His pleasure, or the one who has founded his building on the edge of an abyss that is about to collapse, then it did collapse with him into the fire of Jahannam? Allah does not give guidance to the unjust people. (Tawbah, 111)

It leads to the Sanctifying of the Deen of Allah:

ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ
Thus, if one observes the sanctity of the symbols of Allah, then such things emanate from the piety of the hearts. (Hajj, 32)

Its Benefits in the Sunnah:

The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would ask for taqwā in the Du‘ā:

« اللهم إني أسألك الهدى ، والعفاف ، والغنى والتقى »
“O Allah, I ask you for Guidance, Virtue, Wealth and Taqwā.” (Adab, 674)

The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said that the Muttaqīn are the most noble:

عن أبي هريرة قال : سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : أي الناس أكرم ؟ قال : « أكرمهم عند الله أتقاهم »
“The most noble of them according to Allah are those with the most Taqwā.” (Adab, 129)

It is the one thing that most enters someone into Paradise alongside good character:

تقوى الله وحسن الخلق
“Do you know what it is that makes most people enter the Garden? Taqwā of Allah and good character.” (al-Adab, 289, Hasan)

The One who uses taqwā in the doubtful matters safeguards his Deen:

من اتَّقى الشُّبُهاتِ استبرأ لِدينه وعِرْضِه
The one who protects himself (has taqwā) from the doubtful matters will safeguard, be free of risk in and purify his Deen and Honour. (والبخاري 1/20 ( 52 ) و3/9 ( 2051 ) ، ومسلم 5/50 ( 1599 ))

The One with taqwā is safe from the fitnah of Wealth:

إنه لا بأس بالغنى لمن اتقى ، والصحة لمن اتقى خير من الغنى ، وطيب النفس من النعم
“There is no harm in wealth for someone who has taqwā, but good health for the person who has taqwā is even better than wealth, and cheerfulness is a blessing.” (Adab, 301)

What the ‘Ulemā have said about Taqwā

1. What is taqwā according to the Salaf?

Ibn ‘Abbās said:

وقال ابنُ عباس : المتَّقون الذين يَحْذَرون من الله عقوبتَه في ترك ما يعرفون من الهدى ، ويَرجون رحمَته في التصديق بما جاء به

The people of taqwā are those who avoid Allah’s Punishment prepared for those who leave that which they know to be from Divine Guidance, and they are those who hope for His Mercy by affirming that which has come.

Hasan said:

وقال الحسن : المتقون اتَّقَوا ما حُرِّم عليهم ، وأدَّوا ما افْتُرِض عليهم

The people of taqwā are those that protect themselves from that which has been prohibited for them, and they fulfil that which has been obligated upon them.

‘Umar b. ‘Abd’l-‘Azīz said:

وقال عُمَر بن عبد العزيز : ليس تقوى الله بصيام النهار ، ولا بقيام الليل ، والتخليطِ فيما بَيْنَ ذلك ، ولكن تقوى اللهِ تركُ ما حرَّم الله ، وأداءُ ما افترضَ الله ،

The taqwā of Allah is not achieved by fasting the day, or standing the night in prayer, or all that is good between that; rather taqwā of Allah is leaving that which Allah has prohibited and fulfilling that which Allah has obligated.

Hasan said:

ووقال الحسنُ : ما زالت التقوى بالمتقين حتَّى تركوا كثيراً من الحلال مخافة الحرام

The Muttaqīn will not lose taqwā as long as they leave much of what is halāl fearing that they may fall into the harām.

Sufyān al-Thawri said

وقال الثوري : إنَّما سُمُّوا متقينَ ؛ لأنَّهم اتقوا ما لا يُتقى.

They have been named “the people of taqwā” because they protect themselves from that which is not normally protected against.

Maymūn b. al-Mihrān said:

وقال ميمونُ بنُ مِهران : المُتَّقي أشدُّ محاسبةً لنفسه من الشريكِ الشحيحِ لِشريكه

The person who has taqwā is more severe in accounting himself than a miserly businessman does his partner.

Abu Hurayrah said:

 قال أبو هريرةَ وسئل عن التقوى، فقال : هل أخذتَ طريقاً ذا شوكٍ ؟ قالَ: نعم ، قالَ : فكيف صنعتَ ؟ قال : إذا رأيت الشوكَ عدلْتُ عنه ، أو جاوزته ، أو قصرت عنه ، قال : ذاك التقوى

Abu Hurayrah (radhy Allāhu ‘anhu) was asked about taqwā, so he said, “Have you ever taken a path with thorns?” He said, “Yes.” “So what did you do?” asked Abu Hurayrah. “If I saw a thorn, I would turn away from it, or pass it, or keep well away from it,” he said. “That is taqwā,” said Abu Hurayrah.

Hence, Ibn Mu‘taz said in his poem

خلِّ الذُّنوبَ صَغِيرَها
وكَبِيرَها فَهْوَ التُّقَى
واصْنَعْ كماشٍ فَوْقَ أَرْ
ضِ الشَّوْكِ يَحْذَرُ ما يَرَى
لا تَحْقِرَنَّ صغيرةً
إنَّ الجِبَالَ مِنَ الحَصَى

“Shun sin, small
And large, for that is Taqwā.
Be like the one walking on
A path with thorns, avoiding what he sees.
Don’t belittle small sins
Indeed the Mountains are made from small stones.”

2. What did the later scholars and Sūfis say about Taqwā?

Some of them mentioned that taqwā can be of five levels: firstly to protect oneself from kufr with Islam, secondly to protect oneself from sin with tawbah, thirdly that he protects himself from the shubahāt (doubtful matters) with wara‘ (caution), fourthly protecting himself from falling into fitnah with even the permissible things with zuhd (asceticism) and then the highest state is when one protects his heart from any other concern or presence other than the ‘ibādah of Allah and this is the state of witnessing with mushāhadah.

So in ascending order: Islam, Tawbah, Wara‘, Zuhd and Mushāhadah.

And Allah knows best.

3. The Ayah of Birr

In the most clearest example, Allah ‘azza wa jall says in the ayah of birr:

وقال تعالى : { وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ }

Righteousness is not (merely) that you turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteousness is that one believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and gives wealth, despite (his) love for it, to relatives, and to orphans, the helpless, the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and (spends) in (freeing) slaves and observes the Salah (prayers) and pays Zakāh and (the act of) those who fulfill their covenant when they enter into a covenant, and, of course, those who are patient in hardship and suffering and when in battle! Those are the ones who are truthful, and those are the God-fearing. (al-Baqarah, 177)

So if you look at this ayah carefully, the Mufassirīn mentioned that if you want to see someone with perfect taqwā, these characteristics must be the very least that are there.

It is very possible to write books and speak on and on about taqwā but the problem though is that is all that we do – talk. How many of us actually are people of taqwā?

As ‘Umar b. ‘Abd’l-‘Azīz said:

وكتب عُمَرُ بنُ عبد العزيز إلى رجلٍ : أُوصيك بتقوى الله – عز وجل – التي لا يقبلُ غَيرَها ، ولا يَرْحَمُ إلاَّ أهلَها ، ولا يُثيبُ إلا عليها ، فإنَّ الواعظين بها كثير ، والعاملين بها قليل ، جعلنا الله وإيَّاك من المتقين

I advise you all to have taqwā of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted – the One who doesn’t accept anything but it (taqwā), and doesn’t confer Mercy except upon its people, and does not reward except those who have it – for those who preach about it are many, and those who actually practice it few – may Allah make you and I from the people of taqwā.