Sunday August 26, 2013 5:00 PM Umar Bin Khattab said Account yourself before you are called for the accounts and beautify yourself before the meeting. How to beautify? The worship of the heart required to beautify ourselves before the meeting with Allah SWT is the taqwa, which is the king of all the ibadah of the heart: Power of Taqwa: Allah SWT will grant the muttaqin a dress of taqwa libaas-ut-taqwa as a reward for their righteousness and piety; which will be according to our hearts because Allah SWT sees the heart. Allah SWT says in Surah Hujarat Ayah 13 O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. It does not matter from where we belong but the reason for making different group was the ease of recognition and does not carry any weight with Allah SWT but what matters is the taqwa. It is the most powerful of the ibadah and the muttaqi will be the most honourable with Allah SWT. What makes us to take care of our heart is that Allah SWT is All-Knowing and Well-Aware. Scholars say that the richness is when the heart is filled with taqwa and the decision of poverty and richness will be after the meeting with Allah SWT. Taqwa is actually to put the heart in a cage so that you are physically there but your heat is with Allah SWT. Scholars say that the concept of taqwa is that first we purify our heart and then beautify it piety which is first in the heart and then penetrates into other limbs. purifying the hear from the sicknesses: to preserve the heart and preparing it for having taqwa we need to purify it from the sicknesses of the heart. Stories of the Quran tell us the sicknesses of the heart widely spread among the human beings jealousy, arrogance, pride, greed, possessiveness no one can get to the taqwa level unless we get rid of these sicknesses Ayat-ul-Quran make these clear in front of us so that we account ourselves and learn from these stories to avoid problems and punishments. Page 1
When we know our weaknesses it is a blessing in itself from Allah SWT in order to ask Him for help for reforming and nurturing us. After the purification of the heart from the sicknesses we have the heart which is obedient to its Master and ready to beautify it will the actions of the heart the king being the taqwa beautifying with the worships of the heart. Taqwa is a collection of different types of worships of the heart purifying and then Taqwa is to worship Allah SWT with no disobedience - it is a collection of: believing in Allah SWT, His Oneness, Mercy, all His Names and Attributes more than we believe on our eyes; loving Allah SWT more than anything else; and loving others for the sake of Allah SWT because He is the only One who deserves to be loved because of Himself - hoping only from Allah SWT because He is the Most Generous and Merciful when all the doors are closed we know that the door of Allah SWT will be open He stretches His hands to His servants; He is the only One who can forgive us and admit us to the Paradise - we don t have any hope from anyone else except Allah SWT; fearing Allah SWT and His punishment knowing the consequence of following the desires and afraid of our sins, rejection of deeds; magnifying and exalting Allah SWT while worshipping put a cage around your heart and don t magnify your ibadah but Allah SWT because He is the One gives us the ability to worship Him always have the fear that whatever we are doing is not pure enough to be accepted or fulfills the right of His Majesty never feel proud on any of your actions; seeking Allah s help because for even blinking my eyes I need His help for my heart to move to Allah SWT we need His help and that is from where we get the energy and the ability relying only on Allah SWT without seeking anybody else s help; Page 2
needing patience when we are on the way to Allah SWT patience in all the ibadah only for the sake of Allah SWT and to purify oneself without which there is no following of the path of Allah SWT never under-estimate any of the ibadah, little ibadah with purity and exclusively for Allah SWT can have more weight than doing ibadah just with limbs without heart being present; to be grateful to Allah SWT and not to be ungrateful for anything appreciate Allah SWT for every blessing with the heart always doing tasbeeh of Allah SWT who can be more appreciative than Allah SWT when His slave is grateful. It is like putting a cage around the heart to avoid it from appreciating or being grateful to anyone other than Allah SWT; remembering Allah SWT and never to forget while awake, with people, in any situation of hardship, calamity or ease remembering Allah SWT is taqwa be truthful with yourself and asking yourself whether you are doing for Allah SWT or have any other motive; living for the truth and be honest with every action; to be steadfast on the way of Allah SWT don t do so much that is not sustainable or less than what is minimum always checking yourself from the extremes of bida a or falling short of obligations; always returning to Allah SWT very easily we can turn to others because they are in front of them putting the heart in the cage form any distraction and deviation from His way trusting and relying only on Allah SWT easily our heart diverts to others in reliance and trust because they are in front of us without trusting the One who enables every action to be done a heart with taqwa only knows Allah SWT on whom it relies without any worries; Pleased with Allah SWT as our Lord and He will be pleased with us accepting whatever decree Allah SWT brings our way and be content and happy with it; always feeling poor and needy to Allah SWT because He is the Most Rich for every need like good deeds; paradise; acceptance of good deeds we need Him because He is the only One who has the treasures of the heavens and the earth; Page 3
feeling humble to Allah SWT and to the people for His sake humble to the truth and when dealing with people; everything is from Allah SWT so why I am not humble to Him; feeling humiliated to Allah SWT; to be watchful our heart should be watching and guarding the tongue and the limbs from hoping from anybody, needing and fearing anyone other than Allah SWT and seeking help from anyone except Allah SWT to account our hearts and the limbs constantly before, during and after doing the deeds good deeds should be followed by praising Allah SWT and evil deeds by regretting and repenting to Allah SWT; if our hearts with filled with all these ibadah then Allah SWT the Most Rich will enrich us and give us the satisfaction and contentment from inside; Allah SWT commands us in Surah Ale Imran Ayah 102 to be mindful of Him only and fear Him as He should be feared. Monday August 27, 2013 5:00 PM Taqwa Part 2 Taqwa is essential and Allah SWT has commanded us to have taqwa. Taqwa was the advice of the former and the later ones Allah SWT mentions in Surah An Nisa Ayah 131 that He has commanded the whole humanity to have the taqwa because it is us who benefit from it and if someone disobeys then to Allah SWT belongs the heavens and the earth. And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And We have instructed those who were given the Scripture before you and yourselves to fear Allah. But if you disbelieve - then to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And ever is Allah Free of need and Praiseworthy. Page 4
Can we attain to taqwa perfectly? Allah SWT says in Surah Taghabun Ayah 16 that He wants us to me muttaqin but He knows that we cannot reach the perfect level so a relief is that as much as you can do adopt taqwa Allah SWT knows the weakness of His. creation and He wants our heart and our striving in His way with our hearts So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah]; it is better for your selves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful. in Surah Baqara Ayah 177 Allah SWT mentions all the characteristics of the muttaqin actions of the heart, belief, signs of their belief is the charity to the needy, their prayer is perfect, give zakat, fulfill all their promises and are patient under all circumstances and they are truthful that is why Allah SWT has given them the title of Muttaqin. Starts from the inner, goes to the deeds and then the dealings and manners a muttaqi is always accounting himself and that reflects upon his deeds Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. Power of Taqwa: Taqwa includes all actions of the heart starting from the core and then even if the ibadah is not much but heart is always with Allah SWT Quran is full of the actions of the heart and the taqwa and there are a number of ayahs which describe taqwa. Blessings from the heavens and the earth / increase in provision: in Surah Aa raf Ayah 96 Allah SWT tells that the provisions and blessings are linked to the belief and having taqwa Allah SWT extends the blessings on the believers and the muttaqin. Allah SWT will put barakah in our lives, children, wealth, time not anything falling from the sky but blessings in everything this is the power of taqwa. And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they weree earning." Page 5
Exit without means: Allah SWT tells in Surah Talaaq Ayah 2 And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out The one who has taqwa in his heart will think before uttering or doing anything and Allah SWT will make a way to come out of all situations most of the problems these days in the family matters are due to lack of taqwa which we need while dealing with people. Allah SWT makes an exit for the muttaqin without any means and without harming them because they always have fear of Allah SWT. Provision from unimaginable sources: without any problems and difficulties the provisions come to them because they are not concerned about them but only Allah SWT so He rewards them: And will provide for him from where he does nott expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. The doors of the provisions are closed due to absence of taqwa people associate taqwa only with outer actions someone praying or fasting but it is more from inside, both dimensions needed and disobediencee results in the dearth of barakah in everything. Allah SWT appreciates the struggle we do in our hearts to think about Allah SWT, be the best in dealing with people, avoid jealousy or thinking bad about people even small actions are acknowledged and appreciated by the One who knows everything. acceptance of the deeds: Allah SWT tells us in Surah Ma idah Ayah 27 And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons, in i truth, when they both offered a sacrifice [to Allah], and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. Said [the latter], "I will surely kill you." Said [the former], "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him]. Taqwa makes deeds to be valuable and acceptable by Allah SWT and is not according to our wishes and desires Allah SWT does not accept anything not from the heart no matter how much volume the deeds carry but the quality of the intention and the taqwa how much love, fear, hope and reliance on Allah SWT. Page 6
elevation of the slave with the eyes: the most honourable to Allah SWT is the one having taqwa ( ) a muttaqi is close to Allah SWT more than anyone because it is not the limbs but the heart is running, craving and praying to be close to Him. With our hearts we can make the whole year as Ramadhan because it is not about leaving food and drink but the objective of fasting is to attain taqwa. the cover of taqwa beautifies human in front of Allah SWT: Allah SWT mentions in Surah Aa raf Ayah 26 addressing the whole of humanity to cover themselves with clothes which are also a mean of adornment but the gown of the taqwa is better what is the use of external beautify but inside all corrupted it does not have any weightage in the eyes of Allah SWT what is more important for Him is the beautification of the heart with taqwa SubhanAllah. O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember. Taqwa is the provision while on the way to Allah SWT everybody will die and will be accounted on the Day of recompense so the best provision to be taken for that journey is the taqwa of Allah SWT. Allah SWT says in Surah Baqara Ayah 197 is that the best provision to be taken to Hajj is taqwa and that is why Ramadhan comes before Hajj because it trains one to have taqwa and that is the objective of fasting because without taqwa the journey to the House of Allah SWT and fulfilling His command is meaningless and worthless. Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of iúram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do - Allah knows it. And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding. To be continued on August 06 Insha Allah Page 7