TAQWÂ: THE KEY TO LEARNING

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.” [2]

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).” [3]

Al­Hâfidh Ibn Kathîr (d.777H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“Ibn ’Abbâs, as­Suddî, ’Ikrimah, ad­Dahhâk, 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.”[4]”[5]

Ibn Masûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:
“Indeed I hold that a person forgets knowledge that he used to know because of sins that he commits.”[6]

Wakî (d. 197H) - rahimahullâh - said:
“I seek help in memorization by abandoning sin and disobedience.”[7]

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.”[8]

Imâm ash­Shâfi’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.”[9]

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 wrapped­up (and we do not understand). Rather, Allâh has has put a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief.”[10]

And He said:

“They say: Our hearts are wrapped­up (and we do not understand). Rather, Allâh 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 says:

“In their hearts is a disease, and Allâh increases their disease.”[13]

And He says:

“So when they turned away, Allâh turned their hearts away.”[14]”[15]

References

1. An-Nubadh fî Âdâbit-Talab (pp.12-15).
2. Sûrah al-Hadîd 57:28
3. Sûrah al-Anfâl 8:29
4. Sûrah al-Hadîd 57:28
5. Tafsîr Qur‘ânul-’Adhîm (2/301-302) of Ibn Kathîr.
6. Related by Wakî’ in az-Zuhd (no.329) and its isnâd is Sahîh.
7. Related by Ibn Hibbân in Rawdatul-’Uqalâ (p.39).
8. A’lâmul-Muwaqqi’în (4/258) of Ibn al­Qayyim.
9. Related by al­Bayhaqî in Manâqiush-Shâfi’î (2/171).
10. Sûrah an­Nisâ 4:155
11. Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:88
12. Sûrah al-An’âm 6:110
13. Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:10
14. Sûrah as­Saff 61:5
15. Majmû’ul-Fatâwâ (14/152) of Ibn Taymiyyah.