TAQWA

 Taqwa تقوی means to be mindful towards Allah/precision in action/

 God Conscious in your mind and actions at all times. However Allah 

The closer we become to Allah, the more we are increased in Taqwa, as Taqwa like Iman (faith) is given by Allah too.

Some Quran Ayas on Taqwa:

 يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ  

O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you races and tribes, that you may know one another.*The best among you in the sight of Allah is the most God Conscious*. God is All-Knowing, Well-Experienced. (49: 13)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِّنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ  

Those who are God conscious—when an impulse from Satan strikes them, they remind themselves, and immediately see clearly. (7: 201)

 وَذَرُوا ظَاهِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ الْإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَقْتَرِفُونَ  

*So abandon sin, outward and inward.*Those who commit sins will be repaid for what they used to perpetrate. (6: 120)

The Highest form of Taqwa, God- Concsiouness, is the Taqwa of the mind. To be able to control the content of the mind and to fill it with useful thoughts and the highest from would be constantly thinking about Allah and his acts.

Hadiths :

صيام القلب عن الفكر فى الآثام أفضل من صيام البطن عن الطّعام.

*The Prophet said : The fasting of the mind from sinful (sinful or useless ) thoughts  is better than the fasting of the stomach from food.

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*Imam Jafar Sadiq : The reality of Taqwa is this, that if you have to expose what’s in your mind, place it on a tray and take it to the market then you should not be ashamed of a single item you have displayed. 

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The Importance of Stages of Taqwa

A person who truly accepts Islam,

Allah initially expands the persons mind for the orders and commands of Islam;

فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ – انعام 125

Whomever God desires to guide, He spreads open his mind to Islam (6:125)

Then Allah enters faith into the persons Intellect/reasoning;

يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ – حجرات 14

Faith entering into your minds (49:14)

And the commands of Allah become in sync with the persons Intellect/reasoning

And starts to seem logical from the persons point of view;

وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ – نحل 106

While his mind rests securely in faith (16:106)

From this Stage, The person gets acquainted with Taqwa (being God Conscious)

And Allah Gifts Taqwa to the person;

وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ – محمد 17

As for those who are guided, He increases them in guidance,

and He has granted them their righteousness(47:17)

And after deciding to observe Taqwa and striving in this path

Allah makes (جعل) the Forqan (Understanding of Quran) for the person.

Meaning, that the Realization and Understanding that did not exist initially,

gradually starts to take shape;

إِن تَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا – انفال 29

If you remain conscious of God, He will give you a criterion(8:29)

This person after making special observations,From what Allah has said,

becomes a  "Bright person" and is called "Motevasem" (The bright people who can discern); 

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ – حجر 75

(15:75)

And after this stage, the person realizes the analogical ayats of the Quran

and firmly rooted in this knowledge, becomes a member of the 

"Rasekhun- Fee- Elm" (those who have been firmly rooted in knowledge);

وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ – آل عمران 7

But none knows its interpretation except God and those firmly rooted in knowledge (3:7)

After the Opening and Expansion of the Intellect of the person

From Allah's point of view, all parts of the persons intellect/mind (Lobes) are opened

And the person is called "Olel- Albab" (The Master of the Lobes) 

These are the people Allah has endowed and gifted with Wisdom;

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ - بقره 269

He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Reminder but men of understanding (whose lobes are opened) (2:69)

And Realize the Quran Ayas till the end;

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ– ص 29 

(Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding(whose lobes have been opened) may receive admonition (38:29)

Now the Interesting part is here, that despite going thru

All the stages, Allah tells these people,

Obeserve Taqwa (God Concsiousness), MAYBE you will be SUCCESSFUL;

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ – مائده 100

So be conscious of God, O you who possess intelligence, that you may succeed.” (5:100)

This subject shows the height of immensity and vastitude of Taqwa

And the necessity of constant watchfulness of people towards their actions.

Meaning, even those whom Allah has given them much Good (Wisdom),

Don't know if they will be the Successful or Not.

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Courtesy: Written by In-House Scholar