Taqwaa: The
Key to Learning
Shaykh Abu Anas Hamadal-‘Uthaymaan[1]
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]
Al-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 preceded 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 shielding him from
the people. It will likewise be the
cause of him being the recipient of 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]
Ibn 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-Shaafi’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-Shaafi’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.728H)
said: “Allaah – the Most Perfect – 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, Allaah turned their hearts away.”[14]”[15]
