1 - Taqwa: Its Definition and Benefis

Sidi Abd Al-Wahid Ashir defines taqwa as "The summation of taqwa is avoiding prohibitions and fulfilling injuctions both inwardly and outwardly."

Taqwa literally means "to ward off," to "to take precaution." According to scholars it is "to protect oneself from the punishment of Allah by obedience to Him."

Ibn Ashir believed there were four (4) aspects for people to aknoweldge and gain benefit from in taqwa; they are:

• fulfilling obligations outwardly
• fulfilling obligations inwardly
• avoiding prohibitions outwardly
• avoiding prohibitions inwardly

These four key aspects must be applied to the heart and the 7 inroads: the toungue, eyes, ears, stomach, genitals, hands, and feet.

The 5 stations to achieve taqwa

• guarding against disbelief - Station of Submission
• gaurding against forbidden thinigs - Station of Repentance
• gaurding against doubtful matters - Station of Scrupulousness
• gaurding against extraneous matters - Station of Freedom
• gaurding against other than Allah ocupying the heart - Station of Vigilance

Reasons for wanting Taqwa

We will prepare for him a way out and provide for him from where he was not expecting
Qur'an 65:2

That is the Garden, and We give it to whoever of Our servants had Taqwa
Qur'an 19:65

Achieving Taqwa

Spiritual struggle isn't something that just happens or drops into your lap. It is a move of the heart that begins to affect your life, making you sincerely repent, purifying ourselves of sins and attempting to remove them from our present lifestyle.

It is impossible to emphasize how important having the intention to change is. Without that sincere intention and asking Allah for success, achieving Taqwa is impossible.