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Taqwa, the Key to Learning
By Shaykh Abu Anas Hamad al-’Uthmân
Allâh - Most
Perfect, Most High - said: “O you who Believe! Have taqwâ
(fear) of Allâh 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.” [al-Hadîd 57:28]
Allâh - the Most High - also said: “O you who Believe! If you
have of taqwâ of Allâh, He will give to you a Furqân (criterion to judge between
right and wrong).” [Sûrah al-Anfâl 8:29]
Al-Hâfidh Ibn Kathîr (d.777H) - rahimahullâh - said: “Ibn ’Abbâs, as-Suddî,
’Ikrimah, ad-Dahhâk, Qatâdah and Muqâtil ibn Hayyân all said about “Furqân” that
it means: a way out (from difficulty). Mujâhid added: A way out (from
difficulty) both in this world and in the Hereafter.
In a narration from Ibn Abbâs he said it means: salvation; and in another
narration from him: being helped. Muhammad ibn Ishâq said that it means: a
criterion to judge between truth and falsehood. This explanation from Ibn Ishâq
is the most general of what has already preceded and it is a necessary
consequence of it.
Since whoever has taqwâ of Allâh 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 Allâh and his being
granted forgiveness and shielding him from the people.
It will likewise be the cause of him being the recipient of a great reward from
Allâh as He - the Most - says: “O you who Believe! Have taqwâ
(fear) of believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion
of His Mercy and He provide you with a light by which you will walk."
[al-Hadîd 57:28]
Ibn Masûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said: “Indeed I hold that a person forgets
knowledge that he used to know because of sins that he commits.”
Wakî (d. 197H) - rahimahullâh - said: “I seek help in memorization by abandoning
sin and disobedience.”
Mâlik (d.179H) said to ash-Shâfi’î when they first met: “Indeed I see that has
placed a light upon your heart, so do not extinguish it with the darkness of
disobedience and sin.”
Imâm ash-Shâfi’î (d.204H) - rahimahullâh - said: “Whosoever loves that Allâh
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 Allâh a hidden
treasure of good actions. So if this is done, then Allâh will open up such
knowledge for him, that will preoccupy him. And indeed in death is the greatest
pre-occupation.”
Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) said: "Allâh - 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, Allâh has has put a seal upon their hearts
because of their disbelief.” [Sûrah an-Nisâ 4:155]
And He said: “They say: Our hearts are wrapped-up (and we do
not understand). Rather, Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief.” [Sûrah
al-Baqarah 2:88]
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.”
[Sûrah al-An’âm 6:110]
And says: “In their hearts is a disease, and Allâh increases
their disease.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:10]
And He says: “So when they turned away, Allâh turned their
hearts away.” [Sûrah as-Saff 61:5].
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