الحمدُ لله، الحمدُ لله الذي أنعم علينا بالإيمان ومنحنا التقوى لحمايته نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدّى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر قال الله تعالى في كتابه الكريم إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ
Allah, the Most High, says: “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah are those who have the most taqwa.”
My dear brothers, sisters, honourable scholars and respected elders; today’s khutbah is centered around a fundamental concept in our deen. It has been mentioned 251 times in the Qur’an. He Who has it, is loved by Allah. We hear it mentioned in every Jumuah Khutbah. It is, Taqwa!
What is Taqwa?
Taqwa is a term often mentioned, but its precise meaning might sometimes seem elusive. It has been translated as “Consciousness of Allah”, “Piety” “Righteousness”, “Fear of Allah” while these are all parts of taqwa, its meaning is deeper than this. Linguistically, Taqwa is derived from the root word وقاية”wiqaya,” which means a shield or protection. Therefore, Taqwa, at a linguistic level can be understood as a shield or barrier that protects.
In a well-known hadith, the Prophet ﷺ emphasized the significance of Taqwa when he said, التقوى هاهنا “Taqwa is here,” pointing to his chest. This indicates that Taqwa is somehow associated with the heart. A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, advise me.” The Prophet ﷺ said “
عليك بتقوى الله فإنه جماع كل خير،
Adhere to the taqwa of Allah, for it is comprehensive and encompasses all that is good (in this world and the next). Now let’s consolidate what we’ve learnt. We’ve explored the linguistic, contextual, and technical meanings of Taqwa – a shield around the heart encapsulating all goodness. An incredible example that illustrates this, is when a man asked Abu Huraira:
ما التقوى؟ قال: «أخذت طريقا ذا شوك؟ قال: نعم قال: فكيف صنعت؟ قال: إذا رأيت الشوك عدلت عنه أو جاوزته أو قصرت عنه قال: ذاك التقوى»
What is taqwa. Abu Hurairah replied: “Have you ever taken a path full of thorns?” The man said: “Yes.” So, Abu Hurairah asked him: “So how did you act?” Man said: “When I saw thorns, I either maneuvered around them, passed over them, or shortened my steps to avoid them.” Abu Hurairah said: “That is taqwa!
Why is it essential in our lives?
In order to answer this question, we need to understand what the heart is. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ
Indeed, there is a piece of flesh in the body, if it is sound, the whole body is sound, but if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. It is the heart.”
Taqwa protects the heart, التقوى هاهنا, which is the core of our spirituality and connection with Allah. The heart is not merely a physical organ but the centre of our emotions, intentions, and Eman. It is where our relationship with Allah (SWT) is nurtured and where the light of Eman shines brightest. Biqudratillah, This next ayah will guide us to understanding.
۞ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشۡكَوٰةٖ فِيهَا مِصۡبَاحٌۖ ٱلۡمِصۡبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوۡكَبٞ دُرِّيّٞ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٖ مُّبَٰرَكَةٖ زَيۡتُونَةٖ لَّا شَرۡقِيَّةٖ وَلَا غَرۡبِيَّةٖ يَكَادُ زَيۡتُهَا يُضِيٓءُ وَلَوۡ لَمۡ تَمۡسَسۡهُ نَارٞۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٖۚ يَهۡدِي ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلَ لِلنَّاسِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٞ
“Allah is the Light of the skies and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche (an indent where a lamp goes to spread light throughout the room) within which is a lamp (a tool to simulate the morning), the lamp is inside a clear glass, the glass is like an extremely excessively bright star, it (this lamp) has been fueled from a blessed (it gives off more good than is expected from it) olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west (the trees that get the most exposure to sunlight produce the purest oil), whose oil almost gives light even when no fire touches it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills…”
Our scholars have elucidated this ayah for us and unveiled many layers. However, for our purposes we will contain our discussion to that which is relevant to our topic. This ayah starts by describing a profound analogy from the Qur’an about Allah being the Light of the skies and the earth, as we all know, without light you cannot see the true reality in front of you. The imagery used includes a niche مِشۡكَوٰةٖ (like a rib cage) that houses a lamp (representing the heart), surrounded by clear glass (symbolizing the Fitrah, or pure nature humans are born with). The lamp is fueled by blessed olive oil, untouched by the east or west, ready to illuminate even without fire. This symbolizes the potential light within each person’s ruh, awaiting activation. The ruh is a very pure blessed thing that has no biases nor to the east nor the west, a creation of light, it is pure and the child’s heart, the outer layer of the heart, زُجَاجَةٍۖ the glass is so clear that what is inside shines through, the analogy of the lamp is so profound that Allah is telling us that no matter how perfectly situated and ready the lamp is to light up a room, fire is still needed to ignite it. When the light of revelation (like a fire) meets this potential, it creates “light upon light.” The engine of a believer.
However, sins and neglect can dirty the glass, obstructing the light from within and preventing external guidance from entering. Keeping the glass clean allows the light inside to meet the light outside. We have a dichotomy: the outer self has appetites (food, clothing, shelter, attraction), and the inner self also has appetites. The ruh, being made of light, possesses an appetite as well. This essence, blown into us by the angel from Allah, consists of light. When it begins to starve, what does it require? Light! It can only be nourished by light and nothing else.
Taqwa protects your Fitrah, protects or prevents the glass from getting dirty so that light can continuously meet light. Everytime we make salah it’s supposed to be نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُو. Every time we make duah نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُور. Everytime we read the Qur’an نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُور. Sometimes you don’t feel the light, what does it mean? Your glass is dirty and your inner light is starving, causing it to become dimmer and dimmer. The Messenger ﷺ has warned us about this sorry state:
إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا أَخْطَأَ خَطِيئَةً نُكِتَتْ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فَإِذَا هُوَ نَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ وَتَابَ سُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ وَإِنْ عَادَ زِيدَ فِيهَا حَتَّى تَعْلُوَ قَلْبَهُ وَهُوَ الرَّانُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ
When the servant commits a sin, a black mark appears upon his heart. If he abandons the sin, seeks forgiveness, and repents, then his heart will be polished. If he returns to the sin, the blackness will be increased until it overcomes his heart. Allah captures this moment by stating
كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“No, rather a covering is over their hearts from what they have earned.” Taqwa prevents and protects the heart from accumulating black marks, because as we know, Prevention is always better than cure.
اللهم آت نفسي تقواها وزكها أنت خير من زكاها أنت وليها ومولاها
O Allah, give our souls its taqwa and purify it, for You are the best to purify it. You are its Protector and its Guardian.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين. أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته “وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ”
Allah urges us to “march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Jannah as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for al-Muttaqin.”
Taqwa serves as a pathway to forgiveness and Jannah by aligning our actions with the pleasure of Allah and guarding against disobedience to Him. When we cultivate Taqwa, we become more conscious of our deeds and strive to uphold righteousness in all aspects of our lives.
Now, let’s delve deeper into the levels of taqwa as elucidated by scholars. Like Ibn Juzay al-Maliki, who delineated five degrees of taqwa, each representing a higher level of spiritual consciousness. It begins with guarding against disbelief or shirk, followed by guarding against sin and evil, then progresses to guarding against doubtful matters, then excessive indulgence in the permissible, and finally, guarding against anything that occupies the heart except Allah. These levels provide us with a roadmap for growth and refinement.
How is Taqwa gained?
Having understood the levels of taqwa, let’s explore practical steps to cultivate it in our lives:
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ
Actions are dependent on intentions. Therefore, the first thing we must make is a sincere intention to improve our taqwa. Secondly, let us ask Allah to increase our taqwa, as the Prophet ﷺ used to make the following duah:
اللهم إني أسئلك الهدى والتقى والعفاف والغنى
“O Allah I ask you for guidance, taqwa, virtue, and sufficiency.” Additionally, Increase your worship. For Allah says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعۡبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
“Worship Allah…you will obtain taqwa.” Likewise, observe the sunnah whenever possible. The Prophet said, “I have the most taqwa” Thus, following him is a guarantee, if one’s intention is right, that one is on the ways of taqwa. Imam Malik said, “The Sunnah is like the Ark of Nuh. Whoever got on board was safe. Who didn’t, drowned.”
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ ذِكۡرٗا كَثِيرٗا
“Believers, Remember Allah much” and finally, seek the company of the pious
واصبر نفسك مع الذين يدعون ربهم بالغداة والعشي يريدون وجهه ولا تعد عيناك عنهم تريد زينة الحياة الدنيا ولا تطع من أغفلنا قلبه عن ذكرنا واتبع هواه وكان أمره فرطا
“And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose deeds have been lost.” These are crucial steps in our journey towards taqwa.
In conclusion, O traveller on the path of light, praise Allah and cling to Him. How many people have been deprived of His light who are more intelligent, stronger, more knowledgeable, and wealthier than you! The words of Allah (SWT) are of utmost clarity, so contemplate them deeply; Allah will open what was closed to your understanding from it.
May Allah guide us all on this beautiful journey and grant us success in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شُيُوخِنَا ، وَعَلَى رئيسنا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
عِبَادَ اللَّهِ، رَحِمَكُمُ اللهُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ. أَذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَادْعُوهُ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ تَعَالَى أَعْلَى وَأَوْلَى وَأَعَزُّ وَأَهمُ وَأَكْبَرُ.