Ismail ibn Musa Menk Taqwa (Consciousness of Allah)
By Mufti Menk | 2026-01-12T07:19:20.9093+00:00 | Topic: Allah
Taqwa (Consciousness of Allah)
Opening and Introduction
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu. Bismillah walhamdulillahi wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulullahi wa ala alihi wa ashabihi wa man ihtada bihudahu wa ba'd. All praise is indeed due to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Blessings and salutations upon Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless every single one of us and to grant us every form of acceptance. Honored ulama, beloved brothers and sisters and dearest listeners, every time we hear the word taqwa, I'm sure every one of us would like to be from amongst those who are called by that word, muttaqeen, those who are full of taqwa.
Understanding Taqwa
What is Taqwa?
So what is meant by this term taqwa? And who are those who have taqwa? How will I achieve it? And how will a person distance himself from taqwa? To begin with, we should know that mostly if we have two things, we are successful. The first is iman. The first is to believe in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And the second is taqwa. The minute a person has taqwa, they are successful inshallah by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in the Qur'an, He says:
"The most honored from amongst you in the eyes of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala are those who are the most full of taqwa."
Different Meanings of Taqwa
If you noticed, I haven't yet given you the meaning of the term. Because there are several interpretations of this term and all of them are correct. Some of them are broader than others.
Firstly, when we hear taqwa, some people say to fear Allah is taqwa. Sometimes you hear the word, to be conscious of Allah is taqwa. Both of them are correct.
If you have the fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it is part of taqwa. And if you have the consciousness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it is broader than the fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Because consciousness includes the fear as well as the hope.
And it includes the fact that we believe Allah is watching us and we are answerable to Him, and we need to obey His commands and abstain from prohibitions. Then some people say to fear Allah, to be
conscious of Allah, and others say, in fact Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani has made mention of this in his explanation of the book where he has named it Fathul Bari. That is the name of the book.
He says: taqwa is derived from the root word wiqayah, which means to create a barrier between yourself and the punishment of Allah. That is the meaning of taqwa.
How would you achieve that? By fulfilling the commands of Allah and abstaining from the prohibitions of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Also to beware of something, to be alert, to be careful of something is also included in the meaning of the term taqwa. So all these interpretations of the word are correct.
Virtue is Through Taqwa
And this is why in the hadith, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam) says:
(Ahmad)
"There is no virtue of an Arab over a non-Arab. And there is no virtue of a non-Arab over an Arab except by taqwa."
And in one narration he continues, he says, there is no virtue for white over black. And no virtue of black over white. Except by taqwa, by the consciousness of the Creator. Whoever is more conscious is closer to the Creator.
Allah does not look at your size, your shape, your wealth, your color, where you come from, what accent you speak in and what language you know. No. He looks at whether or not you have consciousness of Him.
If you are conscious, if you have piety, in fact that brings us to another meaning of the term taqwa, is also piety. If a person has piety, then inshallah they will be closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant that to us.
Allah's Command to Have Taqwa
The First Command
The first thing that I'd like to mention this evening is the fact that Allah has commanded us to have taqwa, to be conscious of Him. In surah al-Baqarah, He says:
"O you who believe, be conscious of your Creator, your Maker, your Nourisher, your Cherisher, your Provider, your Sustainer to whom you are going to return to. Be conscious of your Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, as you are meant to be. And make sure that you don't die, except in the condition of Islam, except in the condition of submission, that is the meaning of the term Islam."
The Practical Application
And this would mean we'd have to lead our entire lives in submission to the Creator, because no one knows when they are going to die. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, when He revealed this verse, it is reported that some of the companions came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam), and told him, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the Creator, we are instructed to be conscious of Him and to fear Him, and to ensure that we are from amongst those who engage in commands and abstain from prohibitions, as Allah should be feared.
We should be fearing Him as He should be feared. That is quite difficult, because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the Creator. How would we ever reach the level that belongs to Him? We would not be able to do that.
It is reported that when this was uttered, then other verses were revealed explaining this. In surah At- Taghabun, Allah says:
"Be conscious of Him as much as you can, because you will never be able to reach the consciousness that you have to have of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala."
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala help us at least get there inshallah, or get close there. May He make us from those whose piety increases as the days pass and not decrease.
Sound Intellect Leads to Taqwa
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, if anyone has sound intellect, and if anyone has a brain that really works, it will lead them naturally to be conscious of their Creator. And it will lead them naturally to be aware of that issue that Allah has spoken about regarding abstaining from prohibitions and engaging in those commands of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Listen to what He says in Surah Al-Baqarah. He says:
"Be conscious of Me, O you who have sound intellect."
Obviously I'm only selecting one or two verses from every angle. But this topic has been discussed in the Qur'an in more than 100 places. It's amazing, subhanallah. Because the issue of taqwa is extremely important. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us taqwa. Now when we say, may Allah grant you taqwa or me taqwa, inshallah we will be more well equipped in understanding exactly what we are saying and asking for. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala really grant it to us.
When Taqwa is Rejected
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then says, there are some people when you tell them, look brother, fear
Allah. Look sister, fear Allah. Be conscious of Allah, stop doing this. It makes them even deeper into the sin. Because they are arrogant. Allah says, their pride. Their pride leads them deeper into sin. And they begin to say, who are you to tell me? Wallahi the criteria is whether the statement is right or wrong. Not who it comes from.
The criteria is whether the statement is right or wrong. Even if a baby is to correct you. If the baby is right, that's it. You need to take it as a gift and blessing from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. But even if an adult and a senior and a very great scholar is wrong, then that's where we stop. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
This is something we need to understand and realize. Because every human being is definitely from amongst those who are besides some who are protected by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The anbiya, the prophets of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Whereas when it comes to the rest, amazingly and very correctly, we need to take some of what they've said and we need to excuse them for their errors. Forgive them if they're connected with us and seek Allah's forgiveness for us as well as for others.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in Surah Al-Baqarah regarding the hypocritical people:
"Those people when they are told to fear Allah, then they grow stronger in their sin. And they are arrogant, they are haughty. Allah says their abode shall be cast in hellfire."
Remember, a sinner who is proud of his sin is definitely defying the Creator. A sinner who is arrogant and does not want to turn, does not want to admit, is in denial, wants to really promote that particular vice, Allah says, that person is cursed by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Taqwa for All Mankind
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us about how important it is for all mankind, not only those who believe, for all mankind to be conscious of the one who created them, subhanahu wa ta'ala.
In surah al-Baqarah, the first instruction of Allah, the first command in the Qur'an, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
"O mankind, worship the one who created you, don't associate partners with him. Worship the one who created you, no one else. And worship the one who created those before you, in order that you may achieve piety, you may achieve taqwa, you may achieve consciousness, in order that you may create a barrier between yourself and the fire."
Allahu Akbar. See how all the meanings come into play.
The Quran as Guidance for the Muttaqeen
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says after that, that this Qur'an is a means of guidance for those who want to create a barrier between themselves and hellfire. Anyone who wants to have taqwa, who wants to be conscious, who wants to be fearful of Allah, Allah says the Qur'an is a guidance for them. In the opening verses of surah al-Baqarah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
"Indeed in this book there is guidance, no doubt, for those who want to create that barrier, for those who have the consciousness of Allah."
Now when we read the English translation, we will always just read one word. But now you know there is a deeper meaning to the word taqwa. And this is why we've said in the past, the English cannot do justice to the Arabic. No language can do justice to the deeper meanings of the Qur'an.
It is only an attempt of man to try and explain to you what he thinks is the word of the creator. Yet the word of the creator is far deeper. It requires a deep understanding and it requires a tutor to actually explain to us how deep this meaning of the Qur'an goes. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us a deeper understanding.
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in surah al-Imran:
"This is a clear statement to mankind and guidance and admonishment for those who are fearful of Allah, for those who would like to create the barrier between themselves and hellfire."
Remembrance Enhances Taqwa
And this is referring to the Qur'an. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, the constant reminder of the Qur'an and the revelation, when people constantly remember it and constantly remind one another of it, it will enhance and promote their level of taqwa and they will be then creating, they will be in a better position to create that barrier between themselves and hellfire. It will make them pious, it will enhance their piety.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in a few places in the Qur'an, we will mention in surah al-Baqarah, the verse that he says:
"If you would like to achieve piety, you need to constantly remember and remind one another of the revelation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala." (Quran 2:63)
In our case, in this ummah, it is the Qur'an. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help us to understand it as well as the sunnah of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
How to Achieve Taqwa
Through Fasting
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us how we will achieve piety. How will we achieve this piety? How will I be able to create a barrier between myself and Jahannam, the hellfire? How will I be able to fear Allah and be conscious of Him? Let's start with fasting. The hadith says, Fasting is a shield. It creates a shield between a person and the punishment of Allah. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala confirms this in the Qur'an. The verses we all know of by heart.
In surah al-Baqarah:
O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you in the same way that it has been prescribed upon those before you, in order that you may achieve taqwa.
That would include piety, it would include consciousness of Allah, and it would also include a barrier between yourself and the fire of Jahannam, subhanAllah. So if you would like to create that barrier to receive piety, then Allah says, fasting should do that for you. If you fast correctly, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us from amongst those whose fasts are acceptable. And may He make us from amongst those really whose standing in salah in the evenings is acceptable and whose entire ibadah, not only in the month of Ramadan, but even outside the month of Ramadan is acceptable.
Through Self-Reflection
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala thereafter tells us, you want to achieve piety, worry about yourself. If you want to achieve piety, you want to create that barrier between you and Jahannam, you need to be concerned about yourself and you need to be worried about your own weakness.
Give good news of paradise to the one whose own weaknesses keep him or her occupied from engaging in the weaknesses of others. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Listen to what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in Surah Al-Hashr. And I'm sure once again, most of us know this verse by heart:
O you who believe, be conscious of Allah in order to enhance your piety. You need to remember that be... Look into what you have prepared for tomorrow. Look into your books.
Notice that piety or taqwa is mentioned twice in this verse. Allah says, O you who believe, be conscious of Allah in order to enhance your piety. You need to remember that be... Look into what you have prepared for tomorrow. Look into your books.
Look into what you have prepared for the day you are going to meet your creator. How have you prepared your books? Do you know with us, when we have a taxman on our back or when we have a business, we know, I need to have everything prepared. Tomorrow I'm going to be asked of the records. And people will hire and employ accountants. And people will hire bookkeepers, subhanAllah. These bookkeepers, they will help you to a certain extent. And one knows how it feels when the taxman is on your back. Because we want to give accounts for one year. What about the creator whom we need to give our entire life's accounts to? We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help us to be good bookkeepers in that regard, inshaAllah.
We also need to create a link with the ulama of this ummah who would be the equivalent of the spiritual bookkeepers to help us polish up wherever we've gone wrong. Allahu Akbar. Like an accountant will tell you, listen, this you won't be able to justify. They're going to nab you here. Also the scholars of deen, when we have a link with them, and they won't charge us, inshaAllah. When we have a link with them, then what would happen is, naturally they would tell us, look, you're going wrong here.
And you should not feel bad. When your accountant tells you, look, the figures are not settled. You can't say, right, I'm firing you. No. The same applies when the ulama tell us, look, brother, sister, you are engaged in haram. It's not allowed, not acceptable. You are going to be paying for this. We should say, shukran. Jazakumullahu khairan. I really appreciate what you've said. That is taqwa. That is now the consciousness. That is the piety. That is the fear of Allah. That is creation of a barrier between you and Jahannam. Subhanallah. I hope you understand.
Righteousness is Taqwa
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, that if you would like to know what is piety, then piety is righteousness. Righteousness is piety, and piety is righteousness. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala makes mention of this in Surah Al-Baqarah, in one of the places and in the other, He explains it in depth. He says, if you would like to achieve piety, listen to the verse:
It is not righteousness that you come to the houses from the back door. You should go in from the front door. That's the etiquette of visiting.
In Islam, when you are visiting someone, enter from the front door. Unless you are expressly invited elsewhere, you should knock on the front door, subhanAllah. Sometimes you have a long driveway in the houses, stop at the front. Those are the etiquettes of visiting. Until you are called to the back if you are. Otherwise, no. Allah says you should enter from the front door. Knock properly. Make sure they know you are there before you enter the homes. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us understanding.
He says, but righteousness is actually taqwa. He translates it or should I say, He uses the same word to equate it. Righteousness is taqwa. Righteousness is consciousness. And consciousness is righteousness.
And piety. Allahu Akbar.
Ten Qualities of the Righteous
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala explains, what is that piety? He says, But righteousness is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets and gives wealth out of his love to those near of kin and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and those who ask and those in bondage and establishes prayer and gives zakat and those who fulfill their covenant when they make a covenant and those who are patient in distress and adversity and the time of stress. Amazing.
Ten qualities are mentioned of a person who is righteous. Allah says, They are those who believe in Allah, who believe in the Messenger, who believes in all the Messengers and the Books and the angels, who believe in good and bad destiny, that it comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, who spend from the wealth Allah has given them. They are from amongst those who have patience, who bear patience when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tests them with certain calamities. They are those who look after the orphans and the children and the poor and so on. And the list continues. Ten items are mentioned.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, That is what will create the barrier between you and the fire of Jahannam. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us true believers.
Halal Food and Taqwa
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, If you would like piety, you need to make sure that what goes into your mouth is only halal and permissible. Subhanallah. Abstain from that which is haram. If you eat that which is prohibited, piety will be removed. Consciousness will be removed. The barrier will be severed. It will be broken and torn and you might then be affected by that fire. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Look at how the term taqwa, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in Surah Al-Ma'idah:
Eat of that which Allah has provided you on condition that it is halal and pure. And be conscious of Allah.
Be mindful of Allah when it comes to eating that which is pure. When it comes to what goes into your mouth, be conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for that consciousness and piety will lead to the creation of the barrier. Subhanallah.
And this is why it is important that we realize that you need to also look at your income. Where did your money come from? That is a question that a lot of people take for granted. Sometimes we are only worried about whether the animal was slaughtered Islamically or not. Without being worried about whether we actually used money that was permissible to buy the animal that we might have slaughtered ourselves. Because that would also render the animal prohibited. Because the money was dirty.
The money that you earned by deceiving people and cheating people and conning and so on, that itself has already in it prohibition. It is already prohibited. It is already wrong. So therefore when we use that money, it is going to result in the taking away, snatching away of piety and taqwa from us. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Avoiding Interest
This is why Allah says, piety is when you leave interest. Every night we seem to be speaking about it. It's coming in different topics from different angles. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, in Surah Al-Baqarah:
O you who believe, be conscious of Allah and create that barrier by leaving interest, and leaving usury, and by abstaining from it if you are true believers.
This shows us that those who eat interest, they are removing the barrier between them and Jahannam. And at the same time, they are snatching away the piety that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, they would get if they abstained from it. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us halal at all times.
The Clothing of Taqwa
Then a very interesting point in the Quran. The clothing and the dressing I wear and you wear, male and female. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, we've sent you different colors, and we've sent you different types of clothing and so on. Make sure that you cover yourself properly. And over and above that He says:
The clothing of taqwa is better for you.
What is meant by the clothing of taqwa? Two things. One is, if we consider what you wear, to wear that which will really be covering you in a proper way, in a way that would display that you are actually a Muslim, you are actually a person who belongs to Allah, who belongs to the religion of Islam, that would be considered the clothing of piety. So you are not wearing that which is outside the framework of the sharia, and you are constantly looking at your clothing.
You don't want to wear clothing of the arrogant, and you don't want to wear this and that. It brings me very very strictly, and clearly, and very seriously, to the issue of being enslaved by brand names. Brand names are actually a means of enslaving mankind at large. Without you knowing the background of who that person is, people are paying for a name. People have patented that name, and then the rest of the world run behind it, whether it is Pierre Cardin, whether it is Boss, whether it is Armani, no matter what it is. The minute you are enslaved by that, believe me, you will be wasting your money, you will be following the trends of the kuffar, and you will be promoting probably and possibly a gay or a lesbian.
Because most of the people who have these brand names, who are based in the western countries, they are queer and their lives are completely in a mess. And yet we don't even know who Pierre Cardin is, and
we only want to wear his shirts. May Allah protect us, even his undies. Allahu Akbar. Really, it's something that we need to think about. There are people who will not do without such things.
Why do we want to follow brands? We need to follow what is simple. If you get a tailor to sew for you something, it will probably be much more beautiful, much more elegant, and at the same time less than one-tenth of the price. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Let us as Muslims be proud of our simple dress code and wear that which is really good. Sometimes we have a hijab. On that hijab it says Calvin Klein. The two don't go together. They really don't. It says Gucci. It says YSL on the hijab. So a naked person is trying to clothe you and laugh at you, telling you, look, I will show you what it is. Allahu Akbar.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us from the enemies of Islam. It is a serious statement. It is time for us to go into our cupboards, especially the women folk who have hijab of that nature, and really look into what we actually need or what we do not need, and try and make the best use of what is best, inshallah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us. And the same applies to every single one of us. So that is one interpretation of libasul taqwa.
The clothing of piety is better for you. When we say better for you, it might not be haram to wear branded names. It might not be haram, but it is definitely better to abstain from it. Now I've clarified it. We see smiles on the faces, because people right now are wearing shirts with boss on it. May Allah protect us.
Character as Clothing
So subhanallah, let's also go back to the other meaning of this verse. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
The clothing of piety is far better for you.
That means when you yourself have clothed your character and conduct with piety, then inshallah it is the best way of inshallah showing yourself, it is the best way of being as an individual. So no matter what type of clothing you've actually worn physically, you need to clothe yourself with good conduct and good character. That is also piety inshallah. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is telling us, if you are conscious of Allah, that is the best way you could ever clothe yourself.
Because then, إِذَا ٱلْمَرْءُ لَمْ يُدَنِّسْ مِنَ ٱللُّؤْمِ عِرْضَهُۥ فَكُلُّ رِدَآءٍ يَرْتَدِيهِ جَمِيلُ - That is a saying in the Arabic language. That if a person has not messed his reputation with some evil or bad, then whatever he wears, he'll always look handsome. Or she will always look pretty and good.
Because no one knows you for bad. But you can wear the best suit on earth. When you have a bad reputation, people will say, look at that dirty man, you know what he did? He did this and he did that. Allahu Akbar. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us the clothing of piety.
Fulfilling Promises
Now let's move to something else. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, to fulfill your promise is part and parcel of piety. To break your promise will break the barrier. Are you seeing how all the meanings of the term taqwa we spoke about tonight come into play every single time? In one way or another.
That the barrier that we speak about is always there. So whenever we say taqwa, please, please let us be conscious of this huge term in the shari'ah which is extremely deep. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us regarding the fulfillment of promises. In surah Al-Imran:
Indeed, those who fulfill their covenant and promises and they are conscious and pious. They are conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, full of piety. They are conscious of the barrier that they need to create. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, He loves those mutaqeen. He loves those people.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala love every single one of us inshallah.
Resolving Conflicts
Another interesting point, to solve and resolve problems and matters between Muslims and within families and so on is also a sign of taqwa. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us very clearly in surah Al- Anfal:
Fear Allah and resolve your problems between yourselves. Solve your matters between yourselves.
Don't let them brew, because when they brew, they will continue into generations. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us. So part and parcel of piety is to resolve the matters and the problems between us. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us understanding.
This having been said, we need to realize that it is not piety to go to a person and say, Look brother, there's a problem, let's solve it. And then you tell him, just forgive those people. That's not how you solve the problem. You cannot oppress someone by demanding forgiveness all the time. May Allah protect us.
They have the right. If you want to resolve problems, you must be just. Tell those who are wrong, they are wrong. Whether they are your relatives or whether they are the rich or the powerful. Allahu Akbar. They need to know they are wrong and they must come to the party. Notice we use the term yesterday as well. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala really grant us goodness in the dunya and the akhirah.
So, it is not correct for someone to say, Look, you will be held accountable if you don't solve and resolve the matters. When? They are not wrong. They are the ones who are right. And at the same time, the other party is oppressing all the time. Then, that type of a problem, if they don't want to resolve it in the dunya, may Allah protect us, it will be resolved in the akhirah. Really. But still, piety is in the fact that we should try our best to resolve our matters, inshallah.
And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us that resolution in the dunya. The reason why we say in the dunya, in this world, is because when a person dies, some people are quick to say, No, I will fix you on the day of qiyamah. We'll see on the day of judgment. Don't worry, I will see on the day of judgment. You don't know the person making that statement might be the guilty one on the day of judgment. No one knows.
Because the truth, Allah knows in the heart. It is Allah who knows. That is why it is better to resolve your matters here and now. Because on the day of qiyamah, the one who thought he was innocent might then turn out to be the guilty one. No one knows. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala never do that to us.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then tells us, even in surah al-A'raf:
A person who is conscious and makes amends and resolves problems, they shall have no need to fear, nor do they have any need to be sad. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will grant them that reward.
Good Company
Another point of piety is good company. When you have good company, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, that is a sign of piety. It is a sign that you are now creating a barrier between yourselves and the punishment of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So in surah al-Tawbah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
O you who believe, be conscious of your Creator and create that barrier between you and the fire by only being in the company of the truthful.
Which means you must be in the company of those who are good, abstain from lies and falsehood, make sure your friends are decent. Otherwise you will be ripping that barrier between you and Jahannam in such a way that the fire and the flames may then devour. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
So this is why if you notice the issue of company comes in almost every topic we are discussing. Wallahi your company makes you or breaks you. So you'd rather be from amongst those whom it makes instead of breaks. Ameen. So this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala informs us and warns us about good company and bad company. And He says if you are in bad company, you will definitely be from amongst the losers. Because on the day of Qiyamah you will regret that.
Speaking Upright Words
And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, part and parcel of being a person who has taqwa is to utter that which is upright. If you want to create a barrier between yourself and the fire, you need to utter words which are correct, which are upright, which are full of politeness, yet they are respectful and they are not false, they are not in any way full of rumor and evil.
Because a Muslim is a person who is not supposed to be evil from his tongue in any way or evil in any way. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us and grant us the best of our tongues. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
This verse is in Surah Al-Ahzab. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in this verse, O you who believe, be conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and only utter that which is upright, that which will earn the pleasure of Allah.
Abstain from anything which is awkward, anything which is incorrect, anything which is false, anything which has accusation in it, abstain from it. Because if you do that, you won't be able to receive and achieve piety and consciousness, and you won't be able to create that barrier between yourself and the fire of Jahannam. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Allah's Knowledge and Watchfulness
Then Allah tells us, that He is the one who knows who is pious. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, if you are conscious of the fact that Allah knows everything, naturally you will achieve piety. If you are conscious of the fact that Allah is ever watchful, naturally you will achieve piety. And this is why in many places in the Qur'an, I'm going to quote what Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah, but in many places in the Qur'an, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has mentioned this in different wordings.
Listen to this. Allah says:
Be conscious of Allah, and you should know that Allah knows everything. Be conscious of Allah, and you should know that Allah is watching everything.
Be conscious of Allah, and you should know that Allah is taking a record of everything. Those are the type of verses that we find in the Qur'an. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala here, when He is speaking of consciousness, at the same time, if He has mentioned it in the same verse, when you look at the verse carefully, it would be telling you, that if you would like to achieve this, then you need to do that.
Amazing. If you want to achieve consciousness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you need to make sure that you are aware of Him. That will naturally make you conscious of Him. You want to achieve piety, you need to make sure that He is watching. That will naturally give you that piety. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us every form of goodness.
Justice as Part of Taqwa
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, to be just is definitely part and parcel of piety, and consciousness of Allah, especially with your enemies. When you are just with your enemies, then naturally you will be achieving the piety that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is speaking about. Allah says in Surah Al-Ma'idah:
Don't let the hatred you have in your heart against someone make you be unjust with them. Because you must be just, for justice is closer to piety.
It is closer to the consciousness of Allah. It will result in the creation of the barrier. Even if they are your enemies, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us from those who can stand firm for justice. Ameen.
Good Character and Conduct
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, those who have good character and conduct, it is also a sign of piety, inshallah. So those who are conscious of Allah, naturally their tone when they are speaking will be correct. The way they speak will be correct. They won't swear, they won't shout. They won't deceive, they won't defame. They won't mock, they won't scoff. They won't call people names. They won't engage in backbiting and rumor spreading. And they won't engage in slander and falsehood. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us piety.
And this is all mentioned in Surah Al-Hujurat. I'm not going to go through all the verses. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made mention of this in Surah Al-Hujurat. And He tells us, those are the ones whom He has tested for piety. Those who can lower their voices:
Those who lower their voices when it comes to the presence of Rasulullah (peace be upon him), then Allah has tested their hearts for taqwa, piety.
Their hearts are tested. And this surah makes mention of all the good qualities of character and conduct that a Muslim is meant to be engaged in. I think it's our duty, all of us, to pick up even the simple English translation of Surah Al-Hujurat and look at what it says. And see what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala instructs and commands. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us more conscious of the rights that we have over one another. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us the best of people.
Respecting Sacred Things
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that those who respect the sanctities of Islam, those who respect that which is noble in Islam, that which is sacred in Islam, that is definitely a sign of piety. Listen to what he says in Surah Al-Hajj:
Those who respect what is noble, those who respect the symbols of Islam, that which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has elevated in the sharia, that is definitely a sign of piety in their hearts.
So the house of Allah, we respect. The name of Allah, we respect. The book of Allah, we respect. The messenger of Allah, we respect. The haram in Makkah, we respect. Other human beings, they are also a gift of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, we respect them. The other Muslimin, we respect them, subhanallah. We respect the areas that Allah has kept sacred. They are not like other areas.
And we respect the times that Allah has kept sacred. The month of Ramadan is different from outside the month of Ramadan. A person who sins outside Ramadan is a sinner. But a person who sins in the month of Ramadan is a bigger sinner. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
So Allah says, when you can respect a time or a place for the sake that it has been regarded as noble by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, or even an individual or something, then definitely that is a sign of taqwa. Notice the term here is respect, not worship. So we don't worship a month, or a tree, or a person, or a book, no. We worship the creator himself, but we will respect all that which he requires us to respect, and that is a sign of taqwa.
It is a sign of consciousness and piety, and it will insha'Allah create a barrier between us and the fire of Jahannam.
Patience and Forbearance
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, those who bear patience at what Allah has inflicted them with, it is a sign of piety insha'Allah. And this is mentioned in several places in the Qur'an. In surah Al-Imran Allah says:
O you who believe, be patient and be very forbearing. Be patient in a big way, patient in everything. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, be steadfast, be forbearing, and definitely be conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
That is what will make you become conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. If you would like success, then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, that if we would like to achieve piety, then we should help each other when it comes to goodness and piety, and we should never ever assist each other when it comes to sin and evil.
Helping in Good and Avoiding Sin
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in surah Al-Ma'idah:
Help One Another
Help one another when it comes to taqwa, when it comes to that barrier, help one another to do what is good, and never ever help one another in evil, that which is bad and that which is unacceptable, for indeed the punishment of Allah is severe. (Quran 5:2)
May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us all protection. So whenever someone is committing a sin, don't cover up for them, don't. Because if you do, then it is the punishment of Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala that may just be overtaking a person. When a person is committing a sin, it's our duty not to assist, not to help. When a person wants to do something wrong, we are not meant to be helping. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Pondering Over Allah's Creation
So Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala thereafter tells us, you want to receive piety and consciousness of Allah, sit and ponder over the creation of Allah. Look at the stars, look at the moon, look at the skies, look at all the creatures of Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala, everything He has made. Look within yourself, your eyes, your nose, how it works, look at your hands, the skin, look when you get cut, how it suddenly becomes better, and so on.
Amazing, Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala tells us, when you think of all that, naturally it will make you from amongst those who are conscious of Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah says in surah Yunus:
Indeed, there is a sign in the night and the day and the way it alternates, and whatever Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala created, the skies and the earth and what is between them, there are signs for those who are conscious of Allah, those who would like to achieve piety. (Quran 10:6)
May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala make us from those who can take heed insha'Allah.
Gratitude Through Taqwa
Then Allah says, if you want to know how to thank Me, all you need to do is to have taqwa, to be conscious of Me. The consciousness of Allah automatically is gratitude. So sometimes people say, I thank Allah for having given me all these things, but you find them committing sin. They are ungrateful. Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala uses the word ungrateful to refer to people who are sinners. He says, the minute a person sins, they are not grateful for what we've given them.
Imagine someone gives you so much and tells you, look please, just don't talk bad about me. And you go back and you start speaking bad about them. Allahu Akbar, that is ingratitude. Or they tell you, look please, don't walk here. And they've done so much good to you, and you end up walking there. They won't give you in the future. But Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala says, no, we still give man, and we still continue giving them.
Look what He says about the connection between gratitude and piety, consciousness. Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala says: (فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ - fattaqullaha la'allakum tashkurun) Let me make mention of the beginning of that verse, it's interesting.
Allah says in Surah Al-Imran:
Remember when we helped you in the battle of Badr, when you were small in number, smaller than the kuffar. You were 313. And remember how we helped you, Allahu Akbar. Allah says, so be conscious of Allah as a means of thankfulness. (Quran 3:123)
If you want to be thankful to Allah, in order to be thankful, you need to be conscious, that's all. The minute a person is conscious of Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala, naturally they will fulfill their salah, they will give zakah, they will abstain from haram, they will abstain from evil, and naturally Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala will be pleased with them. And they will also raise their hands and verbally also utter the words, Ya Allah, we thank you for what you've given us. And Ya Allah, we actually do thank you Ya Allah for what you've given us.
Homosexuality Destroys the Barrier
So Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala then tells us about how homosexuality will rupture the barrier between an individual and the fire of Jahannam. May Allah protect us. We know Lutalayhi salam, the people of Lot, may peace be upon him. Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about them. And Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala says that they were so engrossed in homosexuality that the curse of Allah fell upon them. May Allah protect us all. It is unnatural. And in Islam it is unacceptable. It is one of the worst crimes that can be committed. Far worse than adultery. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala protect us from both of the crimes.
So Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about it in Surah Hud. And he says, Lutalayhi salam told his people:
When the angels visited him, those people, they saw some very good looking individuals. Those were actually angels. And they started rushing towards them. And Lutalayhi salam said, Oh my people, here are my daughters. They are more pure for you than to come and disgrace me with my guests here. Allah says, Fear Allah. (Quran 11:78)
That is what Lutalayhi salam told his people. Fear Allah. Be conscious of Him. Do not rupture the barrier between you and the fire. There is a barrier. And we would not like to remove that barrier between ourselves and the fire of Jahannam. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant that barrier to us inshaAllah. And may He keep us protected. May He protect all those who are Muslimin. And may He protect our children, our offspring inshaAllah. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us peace on the entire globe. Ameen.
Rushing Toward Forgiveness
Then Allah says, You want piety, you need to rush towards forgiveness. That is a sign of piety. If a person sins and immediately they regret, it is a sign that they are conscious of their creator. If a person sins and immediately feels that I should never have done this, that is a sign of piety. And that is a sign, a flicker of iman.
When your good deed makes you happy and your bad deed makes you regret, it is a sign that you are conscious of your creator. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us taqwa.
And Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in Surah Al-Imran:
.Make haste towards forgiveness. Race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and towards a garden as wide as the heavens. The heavens Allah describes them and He says, they are prepared for those with taqwa. (Quran 3:133)
Heaven is prepared for a person who has created a barrier between him and hell. It is simple to understand. Heaven is prepared for the one who is conscious of the creator. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala make us conscious of Jannah and Jahannam as well.
Things to Have Taqwa From
And Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala then informs us that we need to be conscious of certain items. The term taqwa is used to refer to taqwa Allah, the consciousness of Allah. But Allah uses it also to draw our attention, to alert us, to make us beware and be careful of certain items. What are the things that Allah says, you must have taqwa from that item. Which means create a barrier between you and the evil of that item.
The Day of Judgment
The first thing Allah says, the day of Qiyamah. Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah:
You need to have taqwa for the day. (Quran 2:48)
And the day being described is the day of Qiyamah. Which means, beware of the day. Be conscious of the day. Fear the day. Make sure that you've created a barrier between yourself and the fire of Jahannam by that particular day. Or by what is going to happen on that day. This is what is referred to by that.
Then Allah says, fear the day of accounts. Fear the day you are going to return to your Creator. Be conscious of it. Don't ever forget the fact that you are going to return to your own Creator. Allah says that in Surah Al-Baqarah again:
Be conscious of the day you are going to return to your own Creator. (Quran 2:281)
May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us forgiveness and make us from those who will succeed on that day.
The Fire of Hell
Allah says, fear the fire. Be conscious of the fire as well. The fire of hell. Listen to what He says in Surah Al-Imran:
Fear the fire. Be conscious of the fire. Beware of the fire that has been prepared for those who are ungrateful, for those who are disbelievers. (Quran 3:131)
May Allah not make us neither from those who are ungrateful, nor from those who are disbelievers.
Punishment for Oppression
Then Allah says, fear the punishment of Allah, which will get to those who have oppressed, as well as getting to those who did not stop them from oppression. So Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala says:
Fear the punishment that will come not only to those who have oppressed, but even to those who did not stop them from oppression. (Quran 8:25)
Allahu Akbar. Who did not try to do anything about it. The bare minimum is to feel in your heart that this is wrong. If a person doesn't even feel that what others are engaged in which is wrong, is wrong, then in that particular case that person is guilty of engaging in that wrong by association or even by mere feeling. May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala protect us.
Knowledge Through Taqwa
Then Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala tells us something very very strong. We'd like to achieve knowledge. We want to polish our memories. We want to have the knowledge of Islam. Allah says, how will the knowledge of Islam come to you? It will not come to you unless you are from amongst the pious or the conscious of Allah or you have done something about creating a barrier between you and Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala. Listen to what He says.
In beautiful verses in Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah says:
It is only if you are conscious of Allah that He will teach you. He will give you the knowledge. (Quran 2:282)
Allahu Akbar. You want knowledge? You need to have consciousness of Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala.
It is reported that Imam Shafi'i complained to one of his teachers:
One of the narrations. It is a couplet that has been narrated in various wordings. I've mentioned one of them. Very interesting.
Imam Shafi'i, (رحمة الله عليه - rahmatullahi alayh) he complained to one of his ustads, one of his teachers and tutors, whose name was Waqi' ibn al-Jarrah, (رحمه الله - rahimahullah). He says, I complained to Waqi' about my memory. So he told me abstain from sin. Because knowledge is the nur. The nur. And the nur, Allah does not give it to those who are sinners, those who are sinful. If you'd like knowledge, you need to create a barrier between yourself and the punishment of Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala.
May Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala grant us all knowledge. So that was in Surah al-Baqarah. Beautiful verses.
Allah has all the knowledge. Allah has the knowledge of everything. If you are conscious of Him, He will teach you. He will give it to you. (Quran 2:282)
May Allah grant it to us, inshallah.
The Criterion (Furqan) Through Taqwa
Then Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in Surah al-Furqan that... In fact, this verse is not in Surah al-Furqan, but Furqan is the criterion. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong, or the distinguishing factor between right and wrong. And Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala says, if you are conscious of Allah, He will give you the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. If you want the power to tell right from wrong, truth from falsehood, lies and that which is correct.
If you want the ability to distinguish between the two, you need the piety, you need the consciousness of Allah. You need to be a person who's created a barrier between yourself and the fire of Jahannam. May Allah grant that to us.
Listen to what He says in Surah al-Anfal, O you who believe, if you are going to be conscious of Allah and you are going to increase your piety, then Allah will grant you the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. And Allah says, and He will also forgive your sins. In another verse Allah says, He will give you the ability to feel when shaitan is coming towards you.
Listen to what Allah says, Those who have taqwa, whenever shaitan comes to try and temper with them, they are quickly reminded, they can feel that this is shaitan, so definitely they are rightly guided. That is taqwa. When a person has taqwa, he does not fall in the trap of shaitan because that guidance and piety itself will give him the light. The light to distinguish between what is from shaitan and what is from Allahsubhanahu wa ta'ala.
Acceptance of Good Deeds
Then we have Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala explaining to us that piety is a means of the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Another verse Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, that He will accept the charities of those who are pious. Those who are not pious or those who are not conscious of Him, their charities might be fulfilled physically, but they may not be accepted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
This is made clear in Surah Al-Ma'idah, the story of Abel and Cain, Habil and Qabil. The two of them had delivered their charities and Allah says:
"The charities were accepted from one and not the other. They were accepted from Abel and not from Cain, from Habil and not from Qabil. So Qabil tells Habil that I'm going to kill you. So Habil says, look, Allah accepts the charities of those who are conscious of Him, those who are pious. (Quran 5:27)"
Now this rule applies to all of us. When we physically give, we've done only one aspect. But if we then follow it through with piety, now Allah will show us the blessings of that. And this is why the mercy and the blessings of Allah are achieved through piety. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us consciousness of Him.
Blessings for the Pious
So Allah says, we will open the doors for those who have piety. And Allah says in Surah Al-A'raf:
"If the people of the towns whom we had punished, if they were from amongst those who were conscious and if they believed, we would have opened the heavens for them in terms of mercy and rizq and sustenance. (Quran 7:96)"
And this verse is repeated in Surah Al-Talaq. Allah says:
"Whoever is conscious of Allah, Allah will help them in their problems and Allah will grant them sustenance from a place that they never imagined. (Quran 65:2-3)"
In another verse Allah says:
"Whoever is going to be conscious of Allah, Allah will make his life easy for him. (Quran 65:4)"
And Allah says:
"Whoever is going to be conscious of Allah, Allah will forgive his sins and increase his reward. (Quran 65:5)"
We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for consciousness.
The Reward of Taqwa
And this is why the reward of the one who has been engaging in consciousness is always with Allah. So many places in the Quran Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that He has prepared jannah for those who are conscious of Him.
"In surah al-Mursalat, Allah says, those who were conscious of Me, they will be in the shades of their gardens insha'Allah with rivers and springs gushing and flowing. (Quran 77:41)"
Allahu Akbar, may Allah grant that to us.
Making Dua for Taqwa
Also Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala instructs us to make dua for piety, to make dua for consciousness. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in surah al-Furqan:
"Allah praises the true believers who make a dua, O Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, grant us from our offspring, grant us from our offspring those who will be the coolness of our eyes from our families and our offspring. And make us the leaders of those who are pious, which means the list of those who are pious, put us at the top of the list, O Allah. (Quran 25:74)"
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us every form of piety.
Conclusion
We've said just a little, there is still a lot that should be said about this topic, but it's subhana rabbiyal a'la. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us every form of success and to grant us lesson from what we've uttered tonight, to make us from those who can create a barrier between ourselves and hellfire.