Allaah - the Most Perfect, Most High - said:
O you who Believe! Have taqwaa (fear) of Allaah and believe in
His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His Mercy and He
will provide you with a light by which you will walk. "[2]
Allaah - the Most High - also said:
O you who Believe! If you have taqwaa of Allaah, He will give
to you a Furqaan (criterion to judge between right and
wrong)."[3]
AI-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (d.777H) - rahimahullaah - said:
Ibn 'Abbaas, as-Suddee, 'Ikrimah, ad-Dahhaak, Qataadah and Muqaatil ibn
Hayyaan all said about Furqaan "that it means: a way out (from
difficulty)." Mujaahid added: "A way out (from difficulty) both in this world and
in the Hereafter." In a narration from Ibn 'Abbaas he said it means: salvation;
and in another narration from him: being helped. Muhammad ibn Ishaaq said that
it means: "a criterion to judge between truth and falsehood." This explanation
from Ibn Ishaaq is the most general of what has already preceeded and it is a
necessary consequence of it. Since whoever has taqwaa of Allaah by
obeying His command and abandoning what He has prohibited, will be given the
ability to recognise truth from falsehood. This will be the cause for his
salvation, his being helped; and the cause for his worldly affairs being made
easier and his happiness on the Day of Judgement. It will also be the cause for
his sins to be expiated by Allaah, and his being granted forgiveness and Allaah
shielding him from the people. It will likewise be the cause of him being the
recipient (if a great reward from Allaah, as He - the Most High - says:
'O you who Believe! Have taqwaa (fear) of Allaah and
believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His
Mercy and He will provide you with a light by which you will
walk."[4]"[5]
lbn Mas'ood - radiallaahu anhu - said: "Indeed I hold that a
person forgets knowledge that he used to know because of sins that he
commits."[6]
Wakee' (d.197H) - rahimahullaah - said: "I seek help in
memorization by abandoning sin and disobedience."[7]
Maalik (d.179H) said to ash-Shafi’ee when they first met: "Indeed
I see that Allaah has placed a light upon your heart so do not extinguish it
with the darkness of disobedience and sin."[8]
Imaam ash-Shaaf'ee (d.204H) - rahimahullaah - said:"Whosoever
loves that Allaah Should open up his heart for him and grant light to him, then
let him abandon speech about that which does not concern him, and abandon sins
and turn away from acts of disobedience. Then there will be between him and
Allaah a hidden treasure of good actions. So if this is done, then Allaah will
open up such knowledge for him, that will pre-occupy him. And indeed in death is
the greatest pre-occupation."[9]
Shaykhul- Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d .728 H) said: "Allaah - the
MostPerfect - has made as a punishment for people's sins, the absence of
guidance and beneficial knowledge, as He says: "They say: Our hearts are
wrapped-up (and we do not understand). Rather, Allaah has put a seal
upon their hearts because of their disbelief."[10] And He
said: "They say: Our hearts are wrapped-up (and we do not
understand). Rather, Allaah has cursed them for their disbelief.
"[11] And He said: "And we shall turn their hearts and their
sight away from guidance, as they refused to believe therein for the first
time." [12] And Allaah says: "In their hearts is a disease, and
Allaah increases their disease." [13] And He says: "So when
they turned away, AlIaah turned their hearts away." [14]"
[15]
NOTES
1. An Nubadh fee Adaabit Talab (pp.12-15)
2. al-Hadeed
57:28
3. aI-Anfaal 8:29
4. al-Hadeed 57:28
5. Tafsir Qur’anil
Adheem (2/301-302)
6. Related by Wakee’ in oz-Zuhd (no.329) and its
isnaad is Saheeh.
7. Related by Ibn Hibbaan in Rawdatul Uqulaa (p.39).
8.
A’laam ul-Muwaqqi’een (4/258) uf Ibn al-Qayyim.
9. Related by
al-Bayhaqi in Manaaqib ush-Shafi’ee (2/171).
10. an-Nisaa 4:155
11.
al-Baqarab 2:88
12. al-An'aam 6:110
13. al-Baqarab 2:10
14. as-Saff 6l
:5
15. Majmoo Fataawaa (14/52) of Ibn Taymiyyah
Taqwaa (Piety) : The Key to Learning