Taqwā
تقوىDefinition
God-consciousness and protective piety — the inner quality that al-Nawawi identifies as the goal toward which the entire Arba'in points. Taqwa is not fear of punishment alone but a sustained awareness of Allah's presence and oversight that governs every decision, interaction, and moment of private behaviour. It is the quality that makes the believer honest when no one is watching, fair when unfairness would go undetected, and patient when impatience would be socially understandable. The Prophet described it as being 'here' while pointing to his chest — not a set of rules but a living orientation of the heart toward Allah that produces consistent righteous behaviour as its natural fruit.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Taqwā.
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"peace be upon him, said, When I was taken on the night journey to Jerusalem, Gabriel took me to Abraham's grave and said, Descend and pray two units of prayer here, for here is the grave of your father Abraham. Then he took me to Bethlehem and said, Descend and pray two units of prayer here, for here is where your brother Jesus was born. Then he took me to the rock."
— Ibn Battuta, Volume One: From Tangier to the Lands of the East
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"to say, O Allah, I intend umrah or hajj or both, so make it easy for me and accept it from me, and release me where you have detained me, and then proclaim the tawbiyah. The tawbiyah is as follows. Here I am, O Allah. Here I am. There is no partner for You. Here I am. Verily, all praise, grace, and sovereignty belong to You. There is no partner for You. One should raise their voice with this, saying it after entering ihram, after the five daily prayers, at the onset of night and day, when meeting companions, when ascending a height or descending into a valley, upon hearing others proclaiming the tawbiyah in the mosques of the sacred"
— Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Al-Ghunya li-Ṭālibī Ṭarīq al-Ḥaqq — Volume One
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"The Prophet مُحَمَّد, peace be upon him, saw a man playing with his beard during prayer and said: "If this man's heart were humble, his limbs would be humble." The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: "Piety is here," and he pointed to his chest three times. Some of the knowledgeable have said: "The good manners of the outward are a sign of the good manners of the inward." One of them saw a man with humble shoulders and body and said: "O so-and-so, خُشُوع is here," pointing to his chest, "not here," pointing to his shoulders."
— Ibn al-Qayyim, Volume One
Appears in
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