Taqwa (Fear of God)

Definition

Taqwa is often translated to mean God consciousness. It also means piety or fear of God.

The Holy Qur’an describes a person who is conscious of God as one who sincerely practices Islam both out-wardly and inwardly. It is he who sincerely practices the pillars of Islam in addition to moral uprightness.

Taqwa should obviously improve the attitude and behavior of the person who possesses it. He is firm, generous and kind to family and relatives and to all beings.

He is patient and relies on God for support.

Tatfif, Zakat, Sadaqah, and Baytul-Mal

    1.        Tatfif is an Arabic term which means deceit and cheating in this context it means cheating and deceiving people in business transactions which is done in the following ways:

i.                     The person will use a standard measures to buy grains, and when he sells he uses a sub-standard one thereby cheating the buyers. The person uses a scale to weigh sack of grains, while selling; he puts in the sack an object that will add weight to them so that he unduly gets better profit.

ii.                   It can also be by way of mixing good and bad products to deceive and cheat the buyer.

Some of the consequences of Tatfif in Islam

i.                     Tatfif is also prohibited by Allah. He promised to punish whoever engaged in it on the Day of Judgment.

ii.                   Economically Tatfif sends away customers if they discover that they have been cheated.

Application of lessons to daily life

Taharah

What is Taharah?

Taharah means purification. It is a means of attaining cleanliness. It is to remove the physical and the spiritual dirt from the place, body and the dress of a worshipper. Certain religious rites and duties require that the worshipper should be in a state of purity. Such rites include Salat, Tawaf, touching the Qur’an etc.

Cleanliness in Islam

1. Islam requires that every Muslim should maintain cleanliness at all times. The Prophet Muhammad was reported to have said in Hadith 23 of Annawawis thus: ‘Purity is half of faith.
2. 'It is therefore important for faithful Muslims to keep the rules of personal hygiene such as washing of hands after visiting the toilet, before and after eating; taking their regular baths, cutting of nails and keeping them neat and tidy, washing private parts after excretion, cleaning the teeth, putting on clean and tidy clothes etc.