In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

By Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen may Allah have mercy on him

The Shaykh mentions this point of benefit in his explanation of “Riyaad as-Saaliheen” under the chapter of “Taqwa”. He comments on the verse in Surah al-Anfal: 29,

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن تَتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ فُرۡقَانً۬ا وَيُكَفِّرۡ عَنڪُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلۡفَضۡلِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ

“O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan (a criterion to judge between right and wrong), and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you; and Allah is the Owner of the Great Bounty.” 

There are three benefits from this verse:

The first benefit: “He will grant you Furqan” meaning, He grant you a criterion to judge between truth and falsehood and between harm and benefit. Allah gives to mankind knowledge and opens for them sciences which were not opened for other than them. Indeed, Taqwa increases one in guidance, knowledge, and the ability to memorize. This is why it was mentioned by ash-Shaafi’ee 204 AH (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said,

شَكَوْتُ إِلَى وَكِيعٍ سُوءَ حِفْظِي… فَأَرْشَنِي إِلَى تَرْكِ الْمَعَاصِي 

وَقَالَ بِأَنَّ الْعِلْمَ نُورٌ … وَنُورُ اللهِ لَا يُؤتَاهُ عَاصِي

“I complained to Wakee’ of a deficiency in my ability to memorize … So he instructed me to abandon sin

And he said to me that knowledge is a light … And the light of Allah is not granted to a sinner.”

There is no doubt that whenever one increases in knowledge one also increases in the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood and between harm and benefit. Allah also grants for His slave fiqh (understanding).

Taqwa is also a cause for having deep understanding and increase in knowledge. Certainly, if you see two men memorizing one verse from the Book of Allah, and one is able to derive three rulings while the other is able to derive more than that than, then this is a result of Allah giving the second more fiqh.Therefore, Taqwa is a means of increasing in fiqh.

Taqwa also has an effect on a persons’ insight. Allah bestows insight upon those who have Taqwa allowing them to distinguish between people. With this insight a person is able to look at others and know if they are liars or truthful and pious or wicked. It comes to a point where one is even able to judge another while never have lived or possess knowledge of that person, and this is a result of receiving insight from Allah.

Allah also bestows upon some of the Muttaqeen (those who possess Taqwa) miracles, and this has occurred in the time of the Companions and Tabi’een. ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon one day on a pulpit in al-Madeenah and the Companions heard him say, “O Saariyah, the mountain! O Saariyah, the mountain!” The Companions were amazed and confused as to why ‘Umar was saying this speech (out of no where) in the sermon. This occurred because Allah revealed to ‘Umar that Saariyah bin Zanaym, who ‘Umar sent as a commander to Iraaq, was in danger. Saariyah’s enemies were about to intercept him so Allah revealed this to ‘Umar as if he were seeing it with his eyes. So ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Saariyah, the mountain!” meaning, protect yourself by heading to the mountain. Saariyah was able to hear this so he took shelter with the mountain.

‘Umar’s (may Allah be pleased with him) ability to aid Saariyah came as a result of his Taqwa. These miracles are bestowed to the Awliyaa (friends of Allah) as a reward for their Taqwa. The point is that from the effects of Taqwa is that Allah puts for the Muttaqeen a Furqan (criterion) which they are able to differentiate between many things, and this is not obtained except by the Muttaqeen.

The second benefit: “and will expiate for you your sins” meaning, expiation of sins occurs by performing righteous actions. Righteous deeds expiate evil deeds as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

‏الصلوات الخمس والجمعة إلى الجمعة، ورمضان إلى رمضان، مكفرات ما بينهن إذا اجتنبت الكبائر

“The five daily (prescribed) prayers, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, is expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.” [Muslim]

العمرة إلى العمرة كفارة لما بينهما

“(The performance of) ‘Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous ‘Umrah…” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Therefore, expiation is by way of righteous deeds. This indicates that when mankind has Taqwa, Allah will make it easy for them to perform righteous deeds which will be expiation.

The third benefit: “and forgive you” meaning, He will make it easy for you to seek forgiveness (saying istighfaar) and make repentance (tawbah). It is from the blessings of Allah that He makes it easy for His slaves to seek forgiveness and make repentance.

From the calamities upon an individual is for one to persist upon sin not thinking that it is sin, and Allah’s refuge is sought. Allah said,

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!'” [Surah al-Kahf: 103-104]

Many people do not abstain from sin because it has been beautified to them, and Allah’s refuge is sought. They become connected to the sin and it becomes harder for them to abandon it. However, if a person is fearful of Allah, then Allah will make it easy for them to refrain from the sin and they will be forgiven. Certainly Allah forgives His slaves as a result of Taqwa, therefore a person’s Taqwa is an expiation for their sins.

Just as it was said about the people of Badr,

“Allah looked at the Badr warriors and said, ‘Do whatever you like, as I have granted Paradise to you, or said, ‘I have forgiven you.”‘ [Bukhari]

Their sins were forgiven because of their Taqwa for partaking in the Battle of Badr.

Translated by: Abu Awzaa’ee AbdusSalaam

الفقير الى الله