Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-'Imran -> Meaning of `Taqwa of Allah

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud commented on the Ayah,

﴿ط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ط­ظژظ‚ظ‘ظژ طھظڈظ‚ظژط§طھظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(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,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ…ظڈظˆطھظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†طھظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظڈط³ظ’ظ„ظگظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(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﴾,

﴿ظٹط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ط­ظژظ‚ظ‘ظژ طھظڈظ‚ظژط§طھظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ…ظڈظˆطھظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†طھظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظڈط³ظ’ظ„ظگظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, die not except as (true) Muslims.) ﴿3:102﴾, ﴿then he said;﴾

آ«ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ‚ظژط·ظ’ط±ظژط©ظ‹ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ط²ظ‘ظژظ‚ظ‘ظڈظˆظ…ظگ ظ‚ظڈط·ظگط±ظژطھظ’ ظ„ظژط£ظژظ…ظژط±ظ‘ظژطھظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظ‰ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط£ط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ط¹ظگظٹط´ظژطھظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’طŒ ظپظژظƒظژظٹظ’ظپظژ ط¨ظگظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ظ„ظژظٹظ’ط³ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ط·ظژط¹ظژط§ظ…ظŒ ط¥ظگظ„ظ‘ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط²ظ‘ظژظ‚ظ‘ظڈظˆظ…ظڈطںآ»

(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;

آ«ظ„ظژط§ ظٹظژظ…ظڈظˆطھظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژط­ظژط¯ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظ‘ظژط§ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظٹظڈط­ظ’ط³ظگظ†ظڈ ط§ظ„ط¸ظ‘ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظگ ط¹ظژط²ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ„آ»

(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,

آ«ظٹظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظڈ: ط£ظژظ†ظژط§ ط¹ظگظ†ظ’ط¯ظژ ط¸ظژظ†ظ‘ظگ ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظگظٹ ط¨ظگظٹآ»

(Allah said, "I am as My servant thinks of Me.'')