The Connection Between Taqwa and Tawakkul Opening In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, ask His help, ask His forgiveness, and rely on Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whosoever Allah guides, there is no one to misguide him. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is One, and has no partner. We bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and His messenger. A Reminder of Our Mortality I begin with a personal experience that occurred this morning - a powerful wake-up call. One of my closest friends of nearly fifty years, who lived in Oakwood, Chicago, passed away at 3 AM. I had hoped to meet him after completing my work here, but Allah's decree came first. Let us make dua for him: Allahumma aflahu wa arhamahu wa aafihi wa afwanahu wa kareem nuzulahu wa wasi muzikallahu wa ghusilhu il ma'i wa saj wa al barat wa naqihi min al qataya kama qayt al thawwil abiyatun min al danas Allahumma adhukilhu fi jannatil firdausil ala bidoon hisab wa a'idhu hu wa a'ifiz hu min adhabi al qabri wa min al naar Understanding Taqwa Allah SWT commands us in the Quran: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ "Ya ayyuhalladheena amanu taqullaha haqta tukatih, wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun." "O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." [3:102] What is taqwa? Is it merely fear? The English translation often presents it as "fear Allah as He should be feared." However, taqwa is not simply fear - it is much deeper than that. Fear is a negative emotion; what you fear, you tend to hate. But Allah SWT says about the believers that they love Him ashad (most intensely). The Relationship Between Love and Taqwa Taqwa is the fear of disappointing the One whom we love the most. The more we love Allah, the more we fear disobeying Him. This is not out of terror, but out of deep love and respect. This brings us to a crucial question: How can we love someone we don't know? Knowing Allah SWT We come to know Allah in two primary ways: 1. Through His Self-Introduction Allah SWT introduces Himself through: Ayatul Kursi Suratul Ikhlas His Beautiful Names and Attributes When we reflect on His glory and majesty, our hearts fill with khashiyah (reverent awe). 2. Through Gratitude (Shukr) We recognize Allah by reflecting on His countless blessings: The earth beneath our feet The mountains that stabilize Our sleep and waking Our sustenance Our families The rain and crops The Test of Faith Allah SWT provides a framework in Surah Al-Anfal: إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ "The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone)." [8:2] The test of our faith lies in: When Allah's name is mentioned, do our hearts tremble? When His verses are recited, does our faith increase? Do we place our complete trust (tawakkul) in Him? The Practice of Islam Islam is not merely a philosophy or ideology - it is a practice. A Muslim is one who practices Islam, with Salah being the primary manifestation of this practice. Allah promises two things for true believers: Elevated stations (darajaat) Forgiveness (maghfirah) The Power of Tawakkul: The Story of Hatim al-Asam and His Daughter Hatim al-Asam رحمه الله, a contemporary of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and who lived during the time of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutawakkil, was renowned for his exceptional tawakkul (reliance on Allah). His life principle was simple yet profound: whatever e...
