SURAH AL-BAQARAH Ayat 2 ~ who is God conscious person, almutaqin

 

Translation and reinteration from https://abuanasmadani.com/docs/surah-al-baqarah-ayat-1-5-2/

Who is the person described as "لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ" here? This verse brings forth several of their qualities.

Firstly: i. They are the ones who have faith in the unseen, things that cannot be seen or felt by the ordinary human senses, but are acknowledged and believed through careful consideration and thought based on evidence acceptable to a sound mind. Just like we believe in the existence of Allah SWT, His beautiful names, and His noble attributes.

PN: While we can't see feelings in the same way we see physical objects, we do experience them through our physical bodies and trust in their reality based on those experiences. Similarly, belief in the unseen aspects of faith, such as the events of the hereafter, heaven and hell, angels, and the devil, operates on a similar principle. 

Just as we trust in our feelings despite not being able to see them directly, believers trust in the existence of these unseen elements of faith based on the guidance provided in religious texts, personal spiritual experiences, and the teachings of prophets. Both feelings and beliefs in the unseen are validated through personal experiences and the effects they have on individuals, even though they may not be directly observable in a physical sense.

Similarly, in angels, the Day of Judgment, heaven, hell, and the like. We believe because Allah has declared it so, because the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has mentioned it. The unseen we do not witness, never see, yet we believe solely based on certain knowledge!

ii. Therefore, faith resides in the heart, while Islam manifests in our actions such as prayer, fasting, giving alms, performing Hajj, and more. Faith and Islam must be inseparable as evidence!

Secondly: The God-fearing are also those who establish prayer according to its conditions, pillars, and recommended acts, complete with their protocols. Not merely routine prayers and habits, devoid of any feeling, not enhancing faith, nor stirring the soul!

Thirdly, the qualities of the God-fearing are:

i. Those who spend in the way of Allah from their wealth! Whether it's charity, endowments, mosques, Quranic schools, and various fields of extensive missionary work, we can contribute our sustenance!

ii. The field of missionary work is vast; some may have wealth but no energy, while others may be the opposite, lacking wealth to give but having energy to donate; so donate! Only then will that wealth truly become ours, even if it's just one-third.

Taqwa is being conscious of Allah in all that you do. This aspect of ibaadah - being conscious that God is always watching us- is a part of taqwa. We should inculcate this understanding in our children from a young age.