Ramadan Message: Why Taqwa?

All praises is due to Allah – Who has created man with a natural inclination towards submission
May His choicest salutations continue to descend upon our Master and Leader Muhammad,
who nurtured submission in the hearts of man.

O
you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it Degrees of taqwa:
was prescribed for those before you, so that you 1. Protection from kufr:
may develop taqwa – (Allah Consciousness)" (2:183) To shun any act or belief that is tantamount to kufr

Allah Ta’aala has prescribed fasting for this Ummah as a means of
developing taqwa. Each year Muslims around the globe submit
themselves to a month of fasting, intense prayer and charity with
the hope of developing taqwa. What is taqwa? Why is it necessary to
develop taqwa? What does taqwa do for an individual?
What is taqwa?
Taqwa is a level of consciousness of the Almighty Allah’s presence
that creates a desire to mould our existence in accordance with that
consciousness. Taqwa is a level of consciousness that induces love,
obedience and awe. The reality of taqwa is that your Lord never sees
you where He has forbidden you to be, nor does He find you absent
from where He has commanded you to be!
Taqwa is not:
Taqwa is not a passive idea. It is not merely a positive feeling or an
emotion. It is an active state of mind and heart that results in the
performance of good deeds and positive actions. Taqwa drives you
to make an immediate commitment, to act immediately, the
absence of which results in ending resolutions and hollow promises.
Taqwa is a consciousness that empowers an individual to distinguish
between morality and immorality. It separates humans from animals
as moral beings. It represents love of good with an eagerness to
respond to it, and a strong desire to keep away from what is evil and
harmful
The place of taqwa:
Abu Hurairah Radhi-Allahu anhu states that when the Messenger of
Allah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam spoke about taqwa he pointed to
his heart, and said: "Taqwa is in here" He repeated it three times.
(Muslim) The word “heart” has two meanings. One denotes the
body’s most vital part, which is located in the left part of the chest.
The other refers to the spiritual heart which is embedded within the
biological heart. The spiritual heart is the seat of all intellectual and
spiritual emotions which is directly connected to our faculties, such
as perception, consciousness, sensation, reasoning, and willpower.
Nabi Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam has said: “…. There is a piece of
flesh in the body; if it is good, the whole body is good. And if it
is bad, the whole body is bad. Listen! That piece of flesh is the
heart.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
2. Taubah:
To constantly turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness and mercy.
3. Wara’:
To steer away from all doubtful matters as a precautionary measure
4. Zuhd:
To abstain from the permissible as a means of developing nearness
to Allah and as a means of spiritual growth.
Taqwa is the sole criterion of nobility
“…Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is one who
has the greatest level of taqwa…” (49:13)
Allah has erased all distinctions of racism, cast and color and made
all human beings equal. The only criteria for nobility, honour and
distinction is taqwa!
The benefits of taqwa:
% Gives you a sense of relish and satisfaction in being a slave of Allah
% Sensitizes you to the commission of sin
% Drives you to constantly seek His forgiveness and mercy
% Creates a desire to be sincere and steadfast in whatever you do
% Gives you the discipline to discharge all your obligations
% Develops a sense of generosity and compassion
% Helps you to subdue your anger
% Permits you to readily forgive those who offend you
% Gives you the moral integrity to fulfill all contractual obligations
% Helps you to be patient in times of hardship and difficulty
In order to achieve taqwa during the month of Ramadan, the spirit
of abstention must be alive in our hearts and minds. Abstention
from wasting time, abstention from vain talk, abstention from any
act or thought that goes against starving our vain desires.
May Allah grant us the good fortune to achieve the true
objective of Ramadan.

Prepared by:
Jamiatul Ulama
Tel: 011 373 8000 Fax: 011 373 8022