At- Taqwa is an Arabic word which literally mean “Fear of Allah”. It is believed to be found ONLY in the heart and soul of believers. i.e; The Muslims.
Allah has in several verses, speaks about it but specifically in verses 102 – 103 of Surat Ali Imran, Allah make clarification on it’s actual defination.
Allah says;
﴿يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ – وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُم أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَاناً وَكُنتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُمْ مِّنْهَا كَذلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴾
(102. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, and die not except as (true) Muslims.) (103. And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s favor on you, for you were enemies of one another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may be guided.)
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud commented on the Ayah,
﴿اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ﴾
(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due,)
“That He is obeyed and not defied, remembered and not forgotten and appreciated and not unappreciated.” This has an authentic chain of narration to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud. Al-Hakim collected this Hadith in his Mustadrak, from Ibn Mas`ud, who related it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, “It is authentic according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs ﴿Al-Bukhari and Muslim﴾, and they did not record it.” This is what he said, but it appears that it is only a statement of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, and Allah knows best. It was also reported that Anas said, “The servant will not have Taqwa of Allah as is His due until he keeps his tongue idle.” Allah’s statement,
﴿وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ﴾
(and die not except as (true) Muslims) ﴿3:102﴾, means, preserve your Islam while you are well and safe, so that you die as a Muslim. The Most Generous Allah has made it His decision that whatever state one lives in, that is what he dies upon and is resurrected upon. We seek refuge from dying on other than Islam.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Mujahid said, “The people were circling around the Sacred House when Ibn `Abbas was sitting, holding a bent-handled walking stick. Ibn `Abbas said, The Messenger of Allah ﴿recited﴾,
﴿يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴾
(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, die not except as (true) Muslims.) ﴿3:102﴾, ﴿then he said;﴾
«وَلَوْ أَنَّ قَطْرَةً مِنَ الزَّقُّومِ قُطِرَتْ لَأَمَرَّتْ عَلى أَهْلِ الْأرْضِ عِيشَتَهُمْ، فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ طَعَامٌ إِلَّا الزَّقُّومُ؟»
(Verily, if a drop of Zaqqum (a tree in Hell) falls, it will spoil life for the people of earth. What about those whose food is only from Zaqqum)”
This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Al-Hakim his Mustadrak. At-Tirmidhi said, “Hasan Sahih”’ while Al-Hakim said; “It meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs and they did not record it.”
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said that three nights before the Messenger of Allah died he heard him saying;
«لَا يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ الظَّنَّ بِاللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل»
(None of you should die except while having sincere trust in Allah, the Exalted and Most Honorable.) Muslim also recorded it. The Two Sahihs record that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«يَقُولُ اللهُ: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي»
(Allah said, “I am as My servant thinks of Me.”)
Credit: Tafsir Ibn Kathir
