Benefits of having Taqwa (cautious awareness) of Allah
Khutbah on Benefits of Having Taqwa of Allah
By Khalil Moya
Alhumdulillah, Alhumdulillahi Rabbil A’lamin.
**Qallallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratul Baqarah, ayat 183:
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
- O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may acquire Taqwa.) That you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious, the God-fearing.
Brothers and sisters in Islam, Insha Allah, the topic for today’s Khutbah is going to be about importance and the benefits of having the Taqwa of Allah.
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratun-Nisa 4;131;
وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّـكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ
And verily, We have recommended to the People of the Scripture before you, and to you that you have Taqwa of Allah.
And it is important for us to have Taqwa of Allah at all times because the wise believer is the one who knows and understands that Allah is aware of what we’re doing, at all times. And because the believer knows this in his heart, he strives to remember Allah, and to have Taqwa of Allah, at all times.
** Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) once gave advice to a man, and he said; “I advise you to have taqwa of Allah the Mighty, the Majestic (Azzawajal). There is no escape in meeting Him and there is no other to meet you except Him when you reach the Hereafter, for verily Allah owns this world and the Hereafter.”
*** This word taqwa is a derivative of the word ‘ittaqaa’, from the root word ‘waqaa’, which means, ‘he protected himself from that which harms him.’ Taqwaa is a protection from that which harms the self.’
Ibn Rajab (rh) said, ‘The essence of taqwa is to make a shield (which guards) against Allah’s anger and punishment. That shield is to obey His commandments and abstain from His prohibitions.’
**Allah, Subhana wa ta’Ala warns us in the Qur’an in Suratul Al Imran (3:102)
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
3:102. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, (as He is most deserving) fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except as (true) Muslims.)
** Umar bin Abdul Aziz (rh) said in a speech: “There is a provision for every journey, so take the best provision – At-Taqwa, from this life to the Hereafter.
Be just like those who have just witnessed Allah’s torment, so that you feel fear (from His torment) and eagerness (for His forgiveness).”
Wherever we are, we have to have Taqwa of Allah, and remember that Allah, subhana wa ta’Ala, is watching us, and He sees everything that we do and He knows everything that is in our hearts.
** And in another ayat, Qaala lahu ta’Ala, fi Suratul Hadid (57:4)
[وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ]
(And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do.)
Brothers and sisters in Islam, recognize and understand, that nothing is hidden from Allah. And though we may forget about Allah, when we’re doing things that we shouldn’t be doing, know with a certainty that Allah never forgets about us. And even though we may be unmindful of Allah, when we’re following our own desires, know for certain that Allah is never unmindful of us.
**Abdullah bin Al Mubarak (rh) said, “O son of Adam! Prepare for the Hereafter and obey Allah, as much as you need Him, or make Him angry, as much as you can bear the Fire!
And this is how we should be. We need to fear Allah at all times and fear the day when we will be called to account for our actions.
Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratul Al-Imran, 3:30:
يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدَا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ
“On the Day when every person will be confronted with the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil. And Allah warns you against Himself”
Allah has warned us about the day when we’re going to come face to face with the deeds that we have sent forward. Brothers and sisters, remember the day when we’re going to catch up with all the evil that we have sent forward.
**And this is why Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said in an authentic hadith,
«اعْبُدِاللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك»
The Prophet (pbuh) said “Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you.” Allah is always aware of the things that we do. And when we’re oppressing ourselves by committing sins and by being disobedient to Allah by doing the things that He has forbidden for us to do, know that you are angering Allah.
** Imams Bukhari and Muslim, have recorded from Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Innal-laha ta’ala yagaaru, wa ghairatul-laha, ta’aalaa, An ya’tiyal mar’u ma har-ramallaha alay.”
Abu Hurairah (ra) reported: The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Verily, Allah, the Exalted, becomes angry, and His Anger is provoked when a person does what Allah has declared unlawful.”
**At-Tirmidhi has related that Abu Dharr and Mu’adh ibn Jabal (radiallahu anhuma) reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ
“Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones, the former will wipe out the latter.”
Benefits of having the Taqwa of Allah in this World:
— Allah bestows honor on the people who have Taqwa , 49:13,
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عَندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَـكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware
— Verily, fearing Allah causes the general affairs of mankind to become easy
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratut-Talaaq, 65:4,
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْراً
And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make his matter easy for him
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratul Layl, 92:5-7,
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى – وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى – فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى
(5. As for him who gives and has Taqwa,) (6. And believes in Al-Husna.(a reward from Allah) ) (7. We will make smooth for him the path of ease
— Taqwa protects mankind from the harm of the Shaytan.
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Surah Al A’raf, 7:201;
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَـئِفٌ مِّنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ تَذَكَّرُواْ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ
- Verily, those who have Taqwa, when an evil thought comes to them from Shaytan, they remember (Allah), and (indeed) they then see (aright).)
Ibn Kathir said “(when comes to them) an evil thought, or anger, or the whispers of Shaytan cross their mind, or intend to err, or commit an error, (they remember) Allah’s punishment, as well as, His tremendous reward. They remember Allah’s promises and threats, then repent, go back to Him, seek refuge with Him and ask for forgiveness before death, (and (indeed) they then see (aright)) they become aright and aware of the error of their ways.”
—- Taqwa causes the servant to be able to distinguish the truth from the falsehood, and to have the knowledge of each.
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, Surah Al Anfal, 8:29,
يِـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إَن تَتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا
- O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan
— Whoever has the taqwa of Allah, Allah will provide a way out of difficulty for him and will give him provisions and ease, from where he will never imagine.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاً – وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out.) (3. And He will provide him from where he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him
— Whoever has Taqwa of Allah, will get a double portion of His mercy.
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Surah Al Hadid, 57:28,
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَءَامِنُواْ بِرَسُولِهِ يُؤْتِكُمْ كِفْلَيْنِ مِن رَّحْمَتِهِ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ نُوراً تَمْشُونَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, and believe in His Messenger, He will give you a double portion of His mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight). And He will forgive you. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Aqullukawlihatha, wa astaghfirullaha li wa lakum
Alhumdulillahi Rabbil Alamiin, was salaatu was salaamu ala Muhammad, wa ala alihi, was as-habihi, wa man tabiahum bi ihsan ila yawmidiin, amabad.
Benefits in the Hereafter
— Having Taqwa causes our deeds to be accepted by Allah
Surah Al Maida, 5:27
إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“Verily, Allah accepts only from those who have Taqwa
—- Whoever has the Taqwa of Allah, it causes the remission of bad actions and forgiveness for the mistakes a believer may commit.
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Surah At-Talaaq, 65:5,
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَـتِهِ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُ أَجْراً
and whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will expiate from him his sins, and will increase his reward.)
— Jannah has been prepared for those who have the Taqwa of Allah
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Sural Al Imran, 3:133,
وَسَارِعُواْ إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
- And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the Muttaqin (the pious).
— Paradise will be brought to the people who had Taqwa
** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Surah Ash-Shu’ara, 26:90,
وَأُزْلِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
- And Paradise will be brought near to those who had Taqwa
And Inshallah, I’m going to close this Khutbah with the words of Allah subhana wa ta’Ala, that He commanded His Prophet (pbuh) to tell us:
**Qala lahu ta’Ala, fi Suratul Hashr (59:18)
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”
Allahuma’ Eghfir Lil’ Muslimeena wal Muslimat, Wal Moumineena wal Mouminaat, Al-Ahya’ee minhum wal amwat, Innaka samee’un mujibul dawat
Inna Llaha wal malaikatahu yassalluna ala nabi, Ya ayuhaladhina amanu, sallu alaihi wa sallimu taslima.
Allahumma salli ala Muhammad, wa ala alli Muhammad, kama sallaita ala Ibrahima, wa ala ali Ibrahima
Allhuma barak ala Muhammad, wa ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahima, wa ala ali Ibrahima, fil alamina innaka hamidun majid