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The Position of Taqwa and Its Importance in Islam
Allah (S.W.T.) said in the Qur an, in surat An-Nisa , (Verse 131), what may be translated as, "Verily we have directed the people of the book before you and you (O Muslims) to have taqwa of Allah."
What does taqwa mean? Linguistically taqwa means protection and shield from what is harmful. In Islam taqwa means for a person to have a protection and shield between him and the anger and punishment of Allah (S.W.T.). That protection and shield can be established by true Iman, which in return will cause great love and fear of Allah, that will lead to doing righteous deeds and avoiding the evil ones. This is mentioned here, so that we will understand what the meaning of the word taqwa is when mentioned in the Qur anic verses and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)
Allah (S.W.T.) is showing the Muslims the importance of taqwa that it is his advice to all the people of the book and to the Muslims. To achieve taqwa and to establish it in the servants of Allah, Allah sent the messengers. Allah said in surat Ash-Shu ara, (Verses 10 & 11), what may be translated as. "Behold, Allah called Moses "Go to the people of iniquity" The people of Pharaoh will they not have taqwa of Allah."
Also Allah (S.W.T.) said in surat Ash-Shu ara (verses 105 & 106), what may be translated as, "The people of Noah rejected the apostles Behold their brother Noah said to them will you not have taqwa of Allah."
Also Allah said in surat Ash-Shu ara (Verse 176 & 177), what may be translated as, "The companions of the wood rejected the Apostles. Behold Shu,aib said to them will you not have taqwa of Allah."
Also Allah said in surat As-Saffat, (Verse 123 & 124), what may be translated as, "So also was Elias among those sent (by us) Behold, he said to his people: Will you not have taqwa of Allah."
For this reason Allah (S.W.T.) sent prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and revealed many verses in the Qur an which advice us about taqwa.
Allah said in surat Al-Baqarah, (verse 21), what may be translated as, "O you people Submit to your Lord, the One who created you and those who came before you, that you may have the chance to learn taqwa."
Also Allah said in surat Al-Baqarah, (verse 187), what may be translated as, "Thus does Allah make clear his signs to men that they may learn taqwa."
From what mentioned from verses we can see that taqwa is a general goal for sending messengers. To achieve this goal there were the laws of Allah. Because if the taqwa is found in the heart of the individuals, they don t need any one to watch over them. Because his taqwa is a shield between him and evils and it is pushing him to do righteousness. If taqwa is missing or became weak in the heart of individuals nothing will stop and protect people from wrongdoing. Because of that, we see in the Qur an in many verses that the message of the messengers to their people is one "Obtain taqwa of Allah and obey me." Allah mentioned it about Noah, Hud, Salih, Sha uib and Jesus (Peace Be Upon Them All). Also Allah said to the Muslims in the Qur an in surat Al-Emran, (verse 102), what may be translated as, "O you who believe obtain taqwa of Allah as should be, and do not die except in a states of Islam."
Allah (S.W.T.) made the measure too be near or away from Allah is taqwa. Allah said in surat Al-Hujurat, (verse 13), what may be translated as, "Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most muttaqi among of you."
Also it is mentioned that the best provision a man can have in this life is taqwa.
Allah said in surat Al-Baqarah, (verse 197), what may be translated as, "and take a provision for the journey But the best of provisions is taqwa."
Also He said in surat Yunos, (verses 62 & 63), what may be translated as "Behold, verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve. Those who believe and they had taqwa."
Also Allah mentioned in surat Al-Ma edah, (verse 30), that he will not accept any deed except from those who have taqwa. Allah said what may be translated as, "Allah does accept of the sacrifice of those who are muttaqin".
Also Allah mentioned in the Qur an that those who will be guided by Qur an are those who have taqwa. Allah said in surat Al-Ha qqah, (verse 48), what may be translated as, "But verily this is a reminder for those who have taqwa". In another verse in surat Al-Emran, (verse 138), what may be translated as, "Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who have taqwa." In another verse in surat Al-Baqarah, (verse 2), what may be translated as, "This is the book in it is guidance sure without doubt to those who have taqwa".
We can deduce from this an important reason that many Muslims are away from the guidance of the Qur an and away from its teachings because they either lost taqwa or it is weak in their hearts.
Also the economic prosperity in this life comes from taqwa of Allah. Allah said in surat Al-Ma edah, (verse 66 ), what may be translated as, "If only the people of the book had believed and had taqwa we should indeed have blotted out their iniquities and admitted them to gardens of bliss. If only they have stood fast by the law, of the Torah, Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There is from among them a party on the right course, And many of them do evil deeds."
If the people apply the book of Allah they can solve the economic problems as the verse said. But how can this be done? And what is the relationship between the economic prosperity and implementation of the rules of Allah? Allah had legislated a complete system that coves all aspects of life that will lead to happiness in this life and the hereafter. And we can find in Islam a part that covers the economic system. This Islamic economic system is completely independent and different from other man made systems.
Also taqwa is a reason for sustenance and removing hardships. Allah said in surat At-Talaq (verse 2 & 3), what may be translated as, "Whoever has taqwa, He Allah prepares a way out for him. And He provides for him from sources he would never expect.
Also the victory, the assistance and love of Allah are for the people who have taqwa. Allah said in surat An-Nahil, (verse 128), what may be translated as, "For Allah is with those who have taqwa and those who do good". Also in another verse in surat At-Tawbah, (verse 36), what may be translated as, "But Know that Allah is with those who have taqwa."
Also in another verse in surat Al-A raf (verse 128), what may be translated as, "And the end is (best ) for the muttaqin".
Also Al-Furqan (The criterion) by which the believer knows truth from the falsehood Allah promised it to the people who have taqwa. Allah said in surat Al-Anfal, (verse 29), what may be translated as, "O you who believe if you obtain taqwa, Allah will grant you a criterion to judge between right and wrong. Remove from you all evil that may afflict you and forgive you."
Also taqwa will lead you to have right deeds, repentance to Allah, and the forgiveness of Allah. He (S.W.T.) said in surat Al-Ahzab, (verse 70 & 71), what may be translated as, "O you who believe ittaqu Allah and Always say a word directed to the right. That He may take your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins".
Also facilitating jobs and removing difficulties is a fruit of taqwa. Allah said in surat At-Talaq, (verse 4), what may be transla
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Journal
Taken from:
https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=3523&id=24079
Provocative? Yes: Insensitive? No. I know quite a lot of Muslims, they were as appalled by 9/11 as westerners were. And since 9/11 mainstream Muslims have responded to events in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine with considerablt more restraint and dignity.
This week will no doubt see a greater outpouring of synthetic emotion than usually greets the anniversary of the WTC attack. Hot on the heels of that will come another hurricane of Islamophobia.
It is wrong to brand all Muslims as terrorists or to accuse Muslims of wanting to see every American dead. There are as many flavours of Islam as there are of Christianity, some are as repugnant as the most extreme forms of Christian fundamentalism, some are as dedicated to promoting peace and understanding as are the Quakers.
Mistrust of Islam existed before 9/11 of course but since then it has grown out of all proportion to any potential threat. Instead of blaming Islam for all the ills of the world though, we who enjoy the benefits of western civilisation should thank Islam for ....erm, well, ... the benefits of western civilisation. While it is true to say that without Islam the WTC would not have been wrecked we must primarily understand that without Islam the WTC could never have been built.
I have said many provocative things about the unreliable foundations of Christianity but my only regret is that I have not gone far enough. The true history of the middle east before the conquest by Alexander is convoluted and complicated but the role of "the Jews" and later Christianity as a civilising influence is totally mythical. Christianity can truly be said to be the worship of ignorance and stupidity. People need to be aware that the adoption of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine the Great heralded the dark ages.
Though Constantine was a cunning and effective political operator who sought advice from the traditional sources, his successors, in order to keep the Christians onside and so stay in power, had to accept Christian leaders and Bishops as advisors and appoint their nominees to governorships and stewardships in the important provinces. These people were intent only on promoting the interests of their religion as a means to increasing their own wealth and power.
Seventy years after Constantine's adoption and subsequent reinvention of Christianity the political structure of the Empire had weakened so that it was effectively a Theocracy. It was the early Christian church (practising a form of Christianity that would not be recognisable today) that ordered the greatest act of cultural vandalism ever perpetrated when Bishop Theophilius ordered the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria and the destruction of all Wisdom that did not come from God," (in other words anything the Bishops had reason to fear.
For almost a thousand years ignorance ruled what was referred to as Christendom. All art music and literature could only be in praise of God, practice of the mathematics, sciences and healing arts developed by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Egyptians was forbidden to secular Christians and only the study of Christian subjects was encouraged.
Ironically some of the knowledge the secular church led by the Vatican was trying to destroy was kept alive in the monasteries. Monastic orders also preserved historic documents that give us some insight into the true mythical origins of Jesus rather than the lurid fantasies of the modern churches. The Monasteries also maintained contact with Zoroastrian and Islamic and other non - Christian scholars in Egypt, Assyria and the east. The knowledge of architecture, mathematics, sciences, astronomy and medicine were thus kept alive.
Much was lost, that phenomenon of the astral bodies, the precession of the equinoxes, known to the Druids in northern and western Europe as well as to the Pyramid builders of Egypt and Mesopotamia was only rediscovered in the nineteen - fifties. This may not seem important but it is essential to understanding the changing of seasons and the coming and going of ice ages. The secret of how the Pyramids were built is still lost however, theories about the building of ramps and moving huge stones on rollers are just unfeasible and even the most powerful cranes we have today could not handle the reach involved when loaded with such massive weights.
Christians did not care about such things though, their obsession with God convinced them that they should just carry on building churches by piling stones on top of each other until the weight of the higher structures caused the lower levels to collapse outwards. Christian churches then were lumpish and ugly structures fare removed from the graceful and elegant temples of the Greeks/ Romans, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians.
All that began to change when the Moors invaded and conquered Spain in 711AD. There were many places of pilgrimage in Spain, and good reasons for pilgrims to go there, after all it was where Jesus and his wife Mary Magdalene had fled to escape the persecution of the Pharisee (Medieval Christians really did believe that, and there is a stack of evidence to support their beliefs) There was also the cult of James, alleged brother of Jesus. So the Christians were pissed off by Moorish rule but even more pissed off when the Moors started to build magnificent temples to Allah and palaces such as the Alhambra.
"Look at how they honour their God and their Kings," travellers said, "can it be their God is greater than ours if he grants them the knowledge to achieve such feats of craftsmanship?"
Initially the Catholic Church had such heretics executed but after a while the hierarchy caught on to the idea that something was going on. "Anything their God can do, our God can do better," the Pope and his Bishops sang in unison as they set about building the kind of magnificent structures the Moors and Arabs were putting up. Without success, unless you count collapsed buildings and loss of labourers lives a success.
The Monastic orders were a bit more cunning though. "Could it be these guys know something we don't?" they asked, "and if so how much will it cost to have them tech us?"
There is a bone of contention about which is the oldest of the Great European Gothic Cathedrals, Durham in Britain or Chartres in France. Durham was actually started first but due to a little local difficulty in England in 1066AD Chartres was completed first (both still stand today but have been extensively rebuilt.) It is possible in either to see the evidence that Muslim architects and builders were involved. Serious scholars can arrange to be taken high into the roof structures where they can observe Islamic symbols carved in the stones along with signatures of the men who carved them, as if the Muslims were saying "well OK, its to the glory of the Christian God but look who built it.
It was contact with the Moors in Spain and the Arabs during the crusades that led to the renaissance. Development in the western world had stood still or in some fields gone backwards since Christianity had become dominant but now important travellers, not just monks, merchants and adventurers but noblemen and Kings were saying "Duh, we got it wrong."
Gradually learning and creativity became acceptable again. The church resisted of course, viz. the persecution of Copernicus, Galileo and others. But we were able to learn some of what the Greeks and Egyptians had known and to build on it. So any time you come across Islamophobia just think that yes, it was deranged, fanatical Muslims that flew those 'planes into the World Trade Centre, but without Islam not only would there have been no world trade centre and no 'planes to fly into it (try building a plane without reference to Pythagorean mathematics) but no U.S.A. to get all stupidly patriotic about because the church would not have sanctioned expeditions to prove the world was round had it not been forced to.
I can't get away from the impression that Christian Fundamentalism will try its damndest to drag us back into the dark ages if we allow it to do so. For that reason I will close with these words from the prologue to Christopher Marlowe's play "The Jew of Malta,"
"I count religion but a childish toy,
and hold there is no sin but ignorance."
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Regards
Ray 
