Bismillah
Allah azza wa jal tells us in surah Baqarah:
وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ
And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa. (2:197)
Abu Hamid al Ghazali rahimahullah said, “the example of us in this dunya is like the example of people who are boarding a ship. This ship lands on an island and the travelers put together different provisions. One person gathers stones. Another gathers flowers. Another gathers coconuts. Another gathers dates and water, and then they return to the ship for the remainder of the journey. The captain is the angel of death. The island is this dunya. The trip is the trip you are taking to Allah.”
What have you gathered from this Island? A degree? Money? Fun times? Those who gathered the stones and flowers will not travel far and will run out of provisions very quickly. The one who gathered coconuts will have provision, but will have difficulty. The one who gathered water and dates, the smartest person, will reach their destination: Firdaws Al ‘Alaa.
What is the water and dates for this journey?
وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa. So fear Me, O men of understanding! (2: 197)
The best provision is Taqwa of Allah.
What is Taqwa?
Taqwa has three levels:
1- To be muwahhid - to be a person who does not associate others with Allah in acts of worship. Allah only accepts from the people of tawheed, which is mentioned below. The believers will survive the hell-fire, either initially they will be saved from it or will be removed from it after they are punished in it.
2- To fulfil the obligations and stay away from the forbidden.
3- To practice Ihsaan - it is to leave those things that will lead to haraam or are doubtful for the sake of Allah. It is to avoid matters that may be permissible but will not bring you closer to Allah.
Virtues of Taqwa
Allah azza wa jal has enjoined taqwa on everyone and taqwa was the order of His Prophets:
وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ
And verily, We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allah. (4:131)
كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ نُوحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
The people of Nuh belied the Messengers. When their brother Nuh said to them: “Will you not fear Allah and obey Him? (26:105-106)
Those who carry Taqwa with them on this journey will have no fear:
أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ
No doubt! Verily, the close friends of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. Those who believed, and used to fear Allah much. (10:62-63)
Allah instructs the believers to help one another in Taqwa:
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ
Help you one another in virtue, righteousness and piety. (5:2)
Have Taqwa so Allah will give you the knowledge you need:
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ
So have fear of Allah; and Allah will teach you. (2:282)
If you have taqwa, Allah will give you the ability to distinguish between good and evil:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا
O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion to judge between right and wrong. (8:29)
Allah loves those who have taqwa:
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Yes, whoever fulfils his pledge and fears Allah much; verily, then Allah loves those who are pious. (3:76)
Allah will bless the lives of those who have taqwa:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ
And if the people of the towns had believed and had piety, certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth. (7:96)
No one can harm you if you have taqwa:
وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا
But if you remain patient and fear (Allah), not the least harm will their cunning do to you. (3:12)
Taqwa is the condition for acceptance of deeds:
إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are pious. (5:27)
Only the one with taqwa will survive:
وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا ۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا وَّنَذَرُ الظَّالِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيًّا
There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell): this is with your Lord; a Decree which must be accomplished. Then We shall save those who used to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We shall leave the wrongdoers therein (humbled) to their knees. (19:71-72)
وَنَجَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ
And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allah. (41:18)
Taqwa will increase your reward:
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُ أَجْرًا
And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will expiate from him his sins, and will enlarge his reward. (65:5)
Those who have Taqwa will be above everyone on the Day of Judgment:
زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۘ
وَالَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Beautified is the life of this world for those who disbelieve, and they mock at those who believe. But those who obey Allah’s Orders and keep away from what He has forbidden, will be above them on the Day of Resurrection. (2:212)
Jannah will be inherited by those who have taqwa:
تِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي نُورِثُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا مَن كَانَ تَقِيًّا
Such is the Paradise which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our slaves who had fear (of Allah). (19:63)
Friends will be leave eachother except those who have taqwa:
الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ
Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except for those who feared Allah. (43:67)
Those who have taqwa will be taken to Jannah together:
وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا
And those who kept their duty to their Lord (Al-Muttaqun ) will be led to Paradise in groups. (39:73)
Allah will always give those with taqwa an exit and ease during times of hardship:
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. (65:2-3)
We can see from these ayaat that taqwa opens the doors to all good: protection, provisions, love from Allah and complete success in this life and the next. All of these virtues can be summed up in one ayah:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ
It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with wrong (i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided. (6:82)
Those who have emaan are promised security and guidance.
Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah said about this ayah: the emaan and dhulm are levels and the guidance and security are levels. As long as you go higher in your emaan and avoid any trangressions, you will increase in your protection and guidance.
Similarly, as long as we increase in our taqwa, we will increase in these virtues from Allah ta’ala.
May Allah azza wa jal make us from al-mutaqeen, Ameen.
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