Taqwa

You know,

Taqwa

Mindfulness of God

is translated in a number of ways,

one of which is Piety,

but also perhaps the most common is Godfearing.

Now Piety means devotion to God,

what might be called God awareness

in the way that the Messenger advised us

to act as if we see God all the time.

And although we know that it's impossible for us to actually see God,

we can know that God sees us,

and that the Face of God is everywhere as far as we can see

both outside of us and inward.

And the Creator is infused with such Beauty

and displays such monumental Power.

What can we feel but awe.

What relationship can we have apart from surrender.

But this God is Judging our behaviour,

so we are fortunate that the Qur'an makes it so clear

that God is not just the most Wise and Just of Judges,

but also that the closest man can come to understanding God's Essence

is to think of One Who is All-Merciful.

So what's to be afraid of?

Well, no matter how trusting of God's Mercy we may be

we can never be sure what God will send to try us,

and we can imagine any number of ways

these fragile bodies of ours

would have to deal with stuff that we'd rather not.

Just think of all the things there are to be afraid of,

volcanos, tsunamis, earthquakes,

forest fires, lightning strikes, meteor strikes,

nuclear war,

and whatever kind of improvised carnage might be exacted

by various people who call themselves muslims of some kind.

Then there's all kinds of sickness and pain,

and emotional distress we might have to go through,

loss of loved ones or loved things,

and all kinds of accidents,

sharp knives, car crashes, and electric shocks.

Are you scared yet?

These are the kinds of things we have to deal with in life,

and most people are afraid at the thought.

But that is just Fear,

Khawf, not Taqwa,

and God says in the Qur'an that it is good for us

to fear God in the unseen,

that general amorphous fear of what might happen

due to whatever God might create.

It's useful because humans tend to find it

easier to remember God when they are scared of something,

then they quickly forget once they realise they are safe

and that everything's actually OK.

But surely non-stop fear would drive a person crazy,

and doesn't sound like a way to be able to live a life,

and indeed Taqwa is constant Godfearing

suffused with an understanding of God's Mercy.

Taqwa comes from an Arabic word

meaning self-defense and avoidance,

so there is a certain amount of fear in there.

It is protecting oneself from punishment

by doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.

It is thinking of God all the time,

seeking refuge with God,

and asking God for protection.

It is endeavouring to purify our minds

as well as our bodies,

and taking shelter in God's Forgiveness and Mercy

from the temptations of the world

and the whisperings of Shaitan in our ears.

This is true Piety,

and Qur'an tells us that the noblest

and most honourable of us

in the sight of God

are those who possess the most Taqwa.

It is so important it is mentioned over 150 times in the Qur'an,

and from the first verse of Surah Baqarah, the Cow,

which speaks of the Book in which there is no doubt being a guidance for the pious,

those with Taqwa,

the muttaqeen, are mentioned frequently

throughout God's Message to humankind.

Taqwa involves believing in God

alone without partner,

understanding God's guidance

as to what is good and what is bad,

and striving to do only good

and refrain from what is bad.

That is all.

We just have to do it all the time.

In the context of worship and obedience to God

taqwa means purity of heart,

depth of spiritual understanding, and sincerity.

In the context of refraining from what is unlawful,

taqwa means being determined not to commit sins

and to avoid doubtful things that trouble our conscience.

So if Taqwa is the ultimate standard of our worth,

why have we only just got around to talking about it?

Well, in fact we have been talking about it all the time to get here,

as taqwa includes all the aspects of the Deen that we have mentioned.

It is to do with our approach to everything,

all we think and do.

Taqwa,

being conscious of God,

God's Power and Beauty,

all the time,

is really at the heart of our Deen.

And if it helps us to live in the best possible way,

what's wrong with being aware of those fears

that we usually try to forget and avoid thinking about.

If we need help to deal with them we can ask for God's help and mercy,

but humans are fragile things,

and it is important to remember that our lives are in God's hands

and Death can visit us at any time.