What is Taqwa?
Fear of God, Love for God, and God Consciousness
To understand fear, or Taqwa, of God it is necessary to comprehend what it is that Muslims have reverence for. Muslims revere the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The Lord of all there is. Every man, woman, and child is a product of the creative intelligence we call God. This intelligence has the power to undo what it has done. To un-create what it has created. This intelligence has the power to undo the very fabric of reality. Hence, this intelligence is deserving of humanity's conscious attention.
Taqwa is God Consciousness Achieved by the Seeker of Knowledge
In the Quran the very first verse in the second chapter states,
“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear [Taqwa] Allah;” (Quran 2:2)
This relates that humanity is not to remain in ignorance. Excelling and developing through learning and understanding is the reason for being. Discovery of self and the created world is the activity of the human being. Men and women both have a divine right to education, knowledge, and pursuit of wisdom. No one has the right to tear down schools built for girls to satisfy an errant agenda, nor remove women from their professions.
It is through education that we discover that the universe’s basic underlining reality is consciousness. Divine Consciousness is the first cause of everything that exists.
Moses Contemplation of God Consciousness
Taqwa is translated as god consciousness. A verse from the Quran illustrates the definitive moment that Moses understood it.
“When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! Show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust [the mountain crumbled]. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! To Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (Quran 7:143)
It is not so much that Moses was the first to believe in God, he was stating that he was the first among his people to believe with knowledge and certainty. This is beyond a system of belief. It is with knowledge and certainty that Taqwa is instilled within the soul.
It is through Taqwa that the seeker will learn that God is the underlying principle of all existence. God is the only sustaining factor of everything. Remove God and we cease to be. Even as the mountain crumpled so would the human being.
Taqwa is a Gift from God
“But to those who receive Guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint [Taqwa]. “ (Quran 47:17)
Thus Taqwa is not something that is left for the human to development. But as the saying goes, take one step toward Him and He will take two towards you. Taqwa is placed in humans as a gift from God in response of their striving (Jihad) to understand, and good deeds. With it the human makes it through life in hard times as well as good. Life is seen as a stepping stage to something greater. Not a mere paradise filled with physical pleasures but the higher goal of developing and moving closer to the source of all created things.
The person with Taqwa sees within her/his particular situation opportunities for growth instead of stumbling blocks. This individual moves to make life more meaningful for self and those around. This person with Taqwa is pleasing God.
Taqwa is Love of God
“O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do. (Quran 59: 18-19)
Muslims are taught to fear God. Not as a man fears another in cowardice. Not as a child fearing the bogey man. Not as a rich man who safe guards his wealth in fear of poverty. Fear God, as in reverence which is analogous to love. Love God more than you love your own soul!
A Clear Path
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