The word Taqwa, in Arabic, means to be aware that Allah is watching us and we are in His presence at all times and that this does not lead to being in a state of reverential consciousness that makes us comply with His orders and avoid His prohibitions.
Some scholars have said that Taqwa is: “To obey the commands of Allah, may He be exalted, and to avoid what He has forbidden, internally and externally, along with being aware of His greatness and being amazed and afraid of Him.
Some commentators on the Qur’an have said that the meaning of the Qur’anic verse that says: Fear Allah as He should be feared (The Family of Imran, 3:102) is that Allah must always be obeyed and never disobeyed; always remembered and never forgotten; always grateful and never despise his favors.
No servant of God will be able to have Taqwa, to be aware of and to fear Him, as He is to be feared, even if He had a thousand souls in addition to the one He has and a thousand lives in addition to the present one, and he used all of them in His services and doing that which pleases Him.
This is because of the immensity of His favors and His rights to His servants, His matchless greatness, His unattainable perfection, and His sublime glory.
The best and most perfect of all those who have engaged in fulfilling obligations and avoiding prohibitions and carrying out the rights of their Lord, the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, confessing his inability to recognize and praise his Lord properly, said: I seek refuge in Your satisfaction from Your wrath, in Your protection from Your punishment, and in You from You.
I can’t do justice to Your praise, You’re like You praise Yourself.
(Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi).
The Benefits of Having Taqwa from Allah
Having recognized the impossibility of being aware of and fearing Allah of Taqwa as He deserves, the fact of being on the path of Taqwa and being aware of it, brings us many benefits that Allah, may He be exalted, enumerates in the Qur’an.
Among them we find: Being aware that God is with those who fear Him, that He is His benevolent protection and closeness to Him.
Allah says in the Qur’an: Beware of Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.
(The Cow, 2:194) And he says: And fear Allah, and Allah will teach you.
(The Cow, 2:282) Have discernment in times of confusion, concealment of wrongdoing, and forgiveness of wrongdoing.
Allah, may He be exalted, says in the Qur’an: You who believe!
If you fear Allah, He will give you discernment, hide your wrongdoings and forgive you.
And Allah is the one of immense favor.
(The Spoils of War, 8:29) Another benefit of Taqwa is fire protection.
Allah, may He be exalted, says in the Qur’an: And there is not one of you who will not come to him, this is an irrevocable decision for your Lord.
Then We will save those who have been fearful (of their Lord) and we will abandon in Him the unrighteous on their knees.
(Maryam, 19:71-72) And he says: And Allah will save those who have been fearful by virtue of His triumph, evil will not touch them and they will not grieve.
(The Groups, 39:61) Another benefit is that Allah will give you a way out of difficulties, provide for you, give you ease in life and a great reward.
Allah says in the Qur’an: And whoever fears Allah, He gives him a way out.
And he provides for him from where he does not expect it.
(Divorce, 69:2-3) And he says: Whoever fears Allah, He will give him ease in his business.
(Divorce, 69:4) And he says: And whoever fears Allah, He will cover his wickedness and increase his reward.
(Divorce, 69:5) Allah has promised the Garden to those who fear Him.
It says in the Qur’an: That is the Garden that We will inherit to whoever of Our servants keeps.
(Maryam, 19:63) And he says: The description of the Garden that has been promised to those who fear (Allah).
(Thunder, 13:35) And he says: The Garden will be brought closer to the fearful.
(The Poets, 26:90) And he says: It is true that the fearful will have, together with their Lord, the Gardens of Delight.
(The Calamus, 68:34) And he says: It is true that the fearful will be in gardens and rivers.
In a place of true rest, next to an Almighty Lord.
(The Moon, 54:54-55) Another benefit of Taqwa is honor in this life and in the next.
Allah, may He be exalted, says: And verily, the noblest of you before Allah is the one who fears Him the most.
(Private Apartments, 49:13) Allah has done the honor before him to be conditional on Taqwa, not lineage, wealth or anything else.
How many times have God and His Messenger promised to the fearful, to whom Taqwa has, goodness, happiness, high degrees, immense reward, well-being, success, gifts and gains, the mention of which is too long to be enumerated.