Taqwa: The Key to Paradise

14/07/2011| IslamWeb

Taqwa (consciousness of Allah The Almighty) is a cause of the salvation of believers from Hell, as mentioned by the Lord The Almighty who Says (what means): {And there is none of you except he will come to it. This is upon your Lord inevitability decreed. Then We will save those who feared Allah.} [Quran 19:71-72] Furthermore, the protective alliance of Allah The Almighty is the share of the pious and righteous only, as confirmed by His Saying (what means):

• {but Allah is The Protector of the righteous.} [Quran 45:19]
• {Unquestionably, [for] the Allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve those who believed and were fearing Allah.} [Quran 10:62-63]

Thus, fasting has been ordained for this meaning, in relation to which Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him].} [Quran 5:27] He never accepts deeds and acts of worship from anyone else except the pious; and salvation in the world and the Hereafter is their share only; and the protection of Allah The Almighty surrounds them, because they are His allies.

This is the reason why Allah The Almighty did not leave them without showing them the ways of Taqwa, one of which is fasting which He ordained for them.

For this reason, the Messenger of Allah used to observe fasting so much that whenever anyone would like to see him fasting (at any time of the month), he would see that. As one of his Companions said, "He used to observe fast (for many days consecutively) that we said he would not leave fasting." He also used to fast every Monday and Thursday, and three days monthly. He used to say: "The best fast is that of Daawood (David); he used to fast a day, and leave fasting the next day (i.e. to fast on alternate days)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Whenever the Prophet came to his wife and found no food, he would make the intention to fast. He also used to fast in the beginning of the month, and fast the whole month of Sha‘baan except for one or two days. He also used to observe six fasts of Shawwaal. In sum, he seemed to be fasting perpetually. He did so simply to realize the different meanings and aspects of Taqwa.

The month of Ramadan is the most specific in this respect. That is, if Taqwa has all those traces referred to by Allah The Almighty, and applied by the Messenger of Allah in fasting, they have been combined, by Allah The Almighty, in the month of Ramadan, in addition to other means, perchance this would enhance the state of the pious.

He ordered them to fast at different times throughout the year. Then, He enjoined upon them the fasting of the month of Ramadan, so that they would concentrate their efforts on deeds of Taqwa, and come out of it in the very state which Allah The Almighty for them in the world and the Hereafter, and realize those traces mentioned by the Lord The Almighty. The believers should so this in order to emerge from Ramadan with their deeds accepted, to come out pious and to come out as the righteous allies of Allah.

You should know that you have not been helped to fast in Ramadan or at any time else, nor are you physically prevented from food, drink and sexual intercourse so that you would return to this the same old state without achieving anything from it. In other words, He prevented you from food, drink and desire in Ramadan so that you would become pious; do you think He will open to you this gate so that you would relapse from piety once again? He opened this gate of Taqwa for you so that it would become your slogan, not only in Ramadan, but after it as well. Allah The Almighty does not like you to be pious only in Ramadan, and after it return to your useless talk, heedlessness, remoteness (from the Hereafter), approach to the world and fall into lusts.