"O you who have faith, fear Allah as it is His right to be feared and do not die except while you are Muslims" [3:102]

Godfearing Piety and Righteousness | Al-Nawawi | Riyad al-Salihin

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Taqwa: Godfearing Piety and Righteousness

Al-Nawawi recorded in his book Riyad al-Salihin:

باب في التقوى

Chapter on Godfearing piety and righteousness (al-taqwa).

Source: Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn 1/42

Allah Almighty said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

O you who have faith, fear Allah as it is his right to be feared and do not die except while you are Muslims.

Surat Ali Imran 3:102

And Allah said:

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَأَنفِقُوا خَيْرًا لِّأَنفُسِكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

Fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend in charity, as it is better for yourselves. Whoever is protected from the greed of his own soul, it is those who will be the successful.

Surat al-Taghabun 64:16

And Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا

O you who have faith, fear Allah and speak words of straightforward truth.

Surat al-Ahzab 33:70

And Allah said:

وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ

Whoever fears Allah, Allah will make for him a way out from a place he does not expect.

Surat al-Talaq 65:2-3

And Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

O you who have faith, if you fear Allah, he will grant you a criterion for right and wrong, and he will expiate your sins and forgive you, for Allah is possessor of great bounty.

Surat al-Anfal 8:29

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked, “Which people are the most noble?” The Prophet said:

أَكْرَمُهُمْ أَتْقَاهُمْ

The most noble to Allah are the most righteous.

They said, “That is not what we are asking about.” The Prophet said:

فَأَكْرَمُ النَّاسِ يُوسُفُ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ابْنُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ابْنِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ابْنِ خَلِيلِ اللَّهِ

The most noble of people was Joseph, the prophet of Allah, son of the prophet of Allah, son of the friend of Allah, Abraham.

They said, “That is not what we are asking about.” The Prophet said:

فَعَنْ مَعَادِنِ الْعَرَبِ تَسْأَلُونِي

Are you asking about the Arabs?

They said, “Yes.” The Prophet said:

فَخِيَارُكُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُكُمْ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ إِذَا فَقُهُوا

The best of you in the time of ignorance is the best of you in Islam, if they have religious understanding.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3194, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا حُلْوَةٌ خَضِرَةٌ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مُسْتَخْلِفُكُمْ فِيهَا فَيَنْظُرُ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ فَاتَّقُوا الدُّنْيَا وَاتَّقُوا النِّسَاءَ فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ فِتْنَةِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ فِي النِّسَاءِ

The world is sweet and green. Verily, Allah will make you successors in it to see how you will behave. Beware of the world and beware of women. Verily, the first trial of the children of Israel was with women.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2742, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى

O Allah, I ask you for guidance, righteousness, chastity, and independence.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2721, Grade: Sahih

‘Adi ibn Hatim reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَرَأَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَلْيَتْرُكْ يَمِينَهُ

Whoever has given an oath and then he sees something better than it, let him choose that which is better and abandon his oath.

In another narration, the Prophet said:

ثُمَّ رَأَى أَتْقَى لِلَّهِ مِنْهَا فَلْيَأْتِ التَّقْوَى

Then if he sees something more righteous, let him choose righteousness.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1651, Grade: Sahih

Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said during his farewell sermon:

اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَصَلُّوا خَمْسَكُمْ وَصُومُوا شَهْرَكُمْ وَأَدُّوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا ذَا أَمْرِكُمْ تَدْخُلُوا جَنَّةَ رَبِّكُمْ

Fear Allah your Lord, pray your five prayers, fast your month of Ramadan, give charity from your wealth, and obey those in authority over you. You will enter the Paradise of your Lord.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 616, Grade: Sahih

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.