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In response to the last blog, the following evidences were raised to further understand the connection between taqwa and knowledge; which demonstrate a strong dependence of taqwa on knowledge:
- "And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?" [18:68]
- "...And fear Me, O you of understanding." [2:197]
- "...Only those fear Allah, from among His slaves, who have knowledge..." [35:28]
And then, when I was mentioning the al-Baqarah taqwa-knowledge pattern to my father-in-law (who is a big-time lover of Islam, may Allah preserve him), he reminded me of such an obvious verse that had been left out of the last list:
Alif Laaaaaam Meeeeeem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt; a guidance for the muttaqeen. [2:1-2]
And what amazes me more is that there are two valid ways of reading this ayat, the second of which stresses "in it (fee hee) is guidance for the people of taqwa."
So we'll go through all the 6 verses and then I'll attempt to link this with other evidences to propose a hypothesis or "a pattern".
Disclaimer: I will be the first to say I'm not a scholar and I'm not issuing any fatwaas here. I am sharing with the others my findings in the hope that they will provide me with other pieces of the puzzle and they could fit this with those that are their own: "Do they not reflect upon the Qur'an; or are their upon their hearts locks." [47:24] This is by no means "the" correct opinion, the end of the story or my final position on this issue.
- O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may have taqwa. The one who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know. [2:21-22]
- And [recall] when We took your covenant, [O Children of Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may have taqwa." [2:63]
- And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life, O you [people] of understanding, that you may have taqwa. [2:179]
- O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may may have taqwa. [2:183]
- These are the limits [set by] Allah , so do not approach them. Thus does Allah make clear His ordinances to the people that they may have taqwa. [2:187]
- And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow the [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may have taqwa. [6:153]
In addition to this, recall one of the ayaat that we discussed in the comments to the last blog was the following which brings tazkiyaa (purification of the souls) after reciting the ayaat to the people and before teaching them the book and the wisdom (vis-a-vis 2:129 where tazkiyaa is in the end of the verse).
"Just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know."[2:151]
So what is the reconciliation. The explanation I can offer based on these evidences, and Allah knows best, is as follows:
- There are two levels of knowledge: primary and secondory knowledge.
- Primary knowledge is the one that is referred to with the phrase in 2:151 as "reciting to you Our verses". This is the knowledge required for belief in the first place. By reciting the ayaat of Allah, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah pray for him and grant peace) convinces the people of the Oneness of Allah in Lordship, Divinity and establishes for them His perfection in Names and Attributes. It is for this reason that "those of understanding" are more likely to accept these signs: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding...and they give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]..." [3:190-191]
- Secondary knowledge is then what is being referred to in 2:151 as "teaching you the Book and wisdom", i.e. the detailed knowledge of the Shari'ah. We know from interpretations of scholars, such as Imam Shafi'i, that "wisdom" is even used to refer to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (refer to [33:34]). So the secondary knowledge requires taqwa.
- Primary knowledge is one source of taqwa: as in the ayaat above - 2:197, 35:28, 2:21-22, 2:179. If the heart fears Allah and acts in a way to protect itself from His Anger and its ensuing consequences, then it has cured one of the diseases of its heart. Hence, attaining taqwa is a form of tazkiyatun-nafs.
- Reminding oneself of the Shari'ah [2:63, 187] and acting on it is a second source of taqwa: Even in 2:21, we are told worship Allah so that you may gain taqwa. Fasting is prescribed upon us so that we may attain taqwa. It is an excercise in building taqwa [2:183]. Of course, the Hajj is a difficult and patience-testing worship and its interesting that for this specific worship Allah tells us to take taqwa as a provision for the way. Interesting also is that Ramadan immediately precedes the season of Hajj!
So, in a nutshell, one set of knowledge leads to Imaan - the source of taqwa. Then starts the circle of taqwa leading to knowledge of worship --> worship leading to more taqwa --> more taqwa leading to more detailed knowledge: "until his hand becomes Allah's Hand..." and he "worships Allah as if he sees Him; for if he deosn't see him, then Allah sees him..." and Allah knows best.
wassalamu alaikum
4 comments:
Salaam. Jazaak-Allah khayran bro.
It must be an important link between knowledge and taqwa given that the earliest main Surat discusses it as its main subject.
You reminded me of the verse, "Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on taqwa from Allah and His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people."
I just realized bro that there were more verses that we should quote. The search must've been limited to the "you" and not "they". Here are more verses about gaining taqwa:
And those who fear Allah are not held accountable for the disbelievers at all, but [only for] a reminder - that perhaps they will have taqwa of Him. (6:69)
And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may have taqwa of Him." (7:164)
And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an and have diversified therein the warnings that perhaps they will have taqwa or it would cause them remembrance. (20:113)
[It is] an Arabic Qur'an, without any deviance that they might have taqwa. (39:28)
Looking at your sources - they fall under the "second" source. I would separate zikar (rememberance) from acting on Shariah. All the ones I've given fall under the zikar part.
But jkkk bro. I never paid attention to it before.
Wa alaikumussalam br "quran lover" wa rahmatullah. May Allah reward you. That's why I put the disclaimer.
Yes, maybe, Dhikr is a category in itself - but you could argue it comes under Ibaadaat and the purpose of Ibaadaat is to do zikar. But also acting on the rules other than Ibaadat does increase taqwa so maybe we can say: (2) is Ibadaat and (3) is continuous compliance with Shari'ah... don't know... anybody else?
Given your additions I would only add the following verse which supports the importance of primary knowledge before taking on the Qur'an as a reminder:
[Qaaf(50):45] "...But remind by the Qur'an whoever fears My threat."
So the reminding of others is perhaps best done by establishing for them that Qiyaamat is going to come (through primary knowledge and reciting the Ayaat); then further reminder from the Qur'an increases one's knowledge. Allah knows best.
Since this blog almost 6 years ago one point structure me. That an important source of primary knowledge is that fitrah we are all born with. Thus Messenger reciting the ayat has the function of dhikr of fitrah. As a daee this is important to grasp in an age when the Qur'an's linguistic miracle has become inaccessible.
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