“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of God.” (Al-Baqarah 2:2)
Allah says: “This is the Book; there is no doubt in it.”
Al-Firyabi, Abdul bin Humayd, Ibn ad-Durais, Ibn Jarir, and Ibn al-Mundhir narrated from Mujahid that the first four verses of Surah Al-Baqarah describe the believers, two verses describe the disbelievers, thirteen verses describe the hypocrites, and from verse 40 up to verse 100 they talk about the Children of Israel.
Waki’ narrated from Mujahid that these first four verses up to “the successful” [Al-Baqarah 2:5] describe the believers; the next two verses up to “great” [Al-Baqarah 2:7] describe the disbelievers, and up to verse 20 they describe the hypocrites.
Ibn Jarir narrated from al-Rabi’ bin Anas that the first four verses of Surah Al-Baqarah talk about those who believed; two verses speak about the leaders of the confederates.
Ibn Jarir and Al-Hakim narrated from Ibn Mas’ud that “Alif Lam Meem” [Al-Baqarah 2:1] is part of the name of Allah, and “the Book” refers to the Quran; “no doubt” means no uncertainty at all.
Ibn Jarir also narrated from Ibn Abbas that when it says “This is the Book,” it means “this very Book.”
Ibn Jarir and Ibn al-Anbari also narrated similar from Ikrimah.
Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Jarir, and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ibn Abbas on the phrase “no doubt in it,” explaining it means no uncertainty at all.
Ahmad in his Zuhd, and Ibn Abi Hatim from Abu al-Darda said that doubt is a form of disbelief.
Al-Tustari narrated from Ibn Abbas that Nafi’ bin al-Azraq asked him about the phrase “no doubt in it.” He replied: “No doubt at all.” He went on: “Does the Arab understand this?” and quoted Ibn al-Zib’ari who said, “There is no doubt in the truth, O Umamah; doubt comes only from what the liar says.”
Abdul bin Humayd narrated from Qatada regarding “no doubt in it,” meaning it’s free from all doubt.
Ibn Jarir narrated similarly from Mujahid.
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Allah says: “A guidance for the God-fearing.”
Waki’ and Ibn Jarir narrated from al-Sha’bi that “guidance” means freedom from misguidance.
Ibn Jarir narrated from Ibn Mas’ud that “guidance” means light, and “the God-fearing” are the believers.
Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Jarir, and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ibn Abbas that “guidance for the God-fearing” means those who fear Allah’s punishment, avoid what He forbids, follow the guidance they know, and hope for His mercy by believing what has come from Him.
Ibn Jarir narrated from Ibn Abbas that “guidance for the God-fearing” means the believers who avoid shirk (associating partners with Allah) and obey Him.
Abdul bin Humayd narrated from Qatada that Allah made it guidance and light for those who believe and a light for the God-fearing.
Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Mu’adh bin Jabal that on the Day of Resurrection people will be gathered in one place, and one will call out: “Where are the God-fearing?” They will stand under the shade of the Most Merciful; Allah will neither hide from them nor will they hide. It was asked: “Who are these God-fearing?” He said: “They are those who avoid shirk and idol worship and are sincerely devoted to Allah; they pass on to Paradise.”
Ahmad, Abdul bin Humayd, al-Bukhari in his history, al-Tirmidhi (who authenticated it), Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Hakim (who authenticated it), and al-Bayhaqi in “Al-Shu’ab” narrated from Atiyyah al-Sa’di, a Companion, that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “A servant can’t truly be among the God-fearing until he leaves what is permissible but refrains out of fear of what is forbidden.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated in “At-Taqwa” from Abu Hurairah that a man asked: “What is piety (taqwa)?” He said: “Imagine you chose a path full of thorns.” The man said: “Yes.” He said: “So, what do you do?” The man replied: “I avoid the thorns, or bypass or shorten the way to avoid them.” He said: “That’s piety.”
Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Talq bin Habib when he was asked to sum up piety in easy words he could narrate: “Piety is obeying Allah with guidance from Him and hoping for His mercy. It’s leaving sins with fear of Allah’s punishment and light from Him.”
Ahmad in “Zuhd” and Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Abu al-Darda that perfect piety is when a servant fears Allah so much that even a tiny act could keep him away from sin; he avoids what seems lawful for fear it might actually be forbidden. This acts as a shield between him and sin.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from al-Hasan that the God-fearing kept away from much lawful things out of fear of falling into the forbidden.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Sufyan ath-Thawri that they were called “the God-fearing” because they feared what is truly fearful.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Abd Allah bin al-Mubarak that if a person fears a hundred things but neglects one, he’s not truly among the God-fearing.
Ibn Abi Shaybah and Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Awn bin Abdullah that perfect piety is seeking knowledge about what you don’t know from what you do.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Abu Rajaa: “Whoever wants to be God-fearing, let him be humbler than a sitting camel—whenever it is struck, it just moans.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated on the authority of Malik bin Anas from Wahb bin Kaisan that a man wrote to Abdullah bin al-Zubair asking for advice and was told: “As for those with piety, they have signs known to themselves: patience in hardship, acceptance of fate, gratitude for blessings, and humility before the Quran’s rulings.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Ibn al-Mubarak that Dawud (David) said to his son Sulayman (Solomon): “Son, people measure a man’s piety by three things: how well he trusts Allah despite hardship, how content he is with what Allah gives him, and how much he renounces what he misses.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Sahm bin Minjab: “A source of piety is to keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.”
Ahmad in “Zuhd” and Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Sa’id bin Abi Sa’id al-Maqburi that a man came to ‘Isa (Jesus) and asked: “Teacher of goodness, how do I become truly God-fearing?” He said: “It’s simple: love Allah with your whole heart, work as hard as you can, and show mercy to your fellow human beings as you show mercy to yourself.” The man asked: “Who are my fellow humans?” He replied: “The children of Adam, all of them. And whatever you don’t want brought to you, don’t bring to anyone else; this is true piety.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Iyad bin Mu’awiyah that the essence and most of piety is not worshiping anything besides Allah, then people are ranked by their piety and wisdom.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Awn bin Abdullah that the beginnings of piety are good intentions and its end is success; between those are dangers and temptations, the self working against itself, and a crafty, alert enemy.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Muharriz at-Tufawi: “How can one hope for the keys to piety if they prefer this life over the afterlife?”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Umar bin Abdul Aziz that God-consciousness isn’t fasting during the day or praying at night alone, but leaving what Allah has forbidden and fulfilling what He has prescribed; whoever is then blessed with more good gets more good.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Firyabi that he said to Sufyan: “I see people saying: ‘Sufyan ath-Thawri, yet you sleep at night?’ He told me: ‘Be quiet! The foundation of this matter is piety.’”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Shabib bin Shaybah that a wise man speaking before Abdul Malik bin Marwan described the God-fearing as a man who preferred Allah over his creation, preferred the Hereafter over this life, was unmoved by desires or temptations, looked with his heart’s eye at high goals seeking them, yet his life was full of worries; when people sleep, he lay awake with sorrow, woke up troubled in this life imprisoned, with no rest for his ambition short of death. His cure was the Quran, his medicine wise words and good advice; he saw nothing worldly as a reward or comfort except that. Abdul Malik said, “I testify that this is the truest concern and the best way to live.”
Ibn Abi Shaybah and Abu Nu’aym in “Al-Ḥilyah” narrated from Maymun bin Mihran: A man can’t be among the God-fearing until he holds himself accountable more strictly than his business partner; he must know where his food, clothing, and drink come from, whether lawful or unlawful.
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Umar bin Abdul Aziz that when he came into power, he praised Allah and said: “I advise you to fear Allah. Indeed, taqwa (God-consciousness) is the lasting legacy from everything, and there is no lasting legacy except taqwa.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Umar bin Abdul Aziz: “O people! Fear Allah, for none perish except that they leave behind a legacy, except for the God-conscious.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Qatada that when Allah created Paradise, He said to it: “Speak.” It said: “Blessings be upon the God-fearing.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Malik bin Dinar who said: “The Day of Judgment is the wedding feast for the God-fearing.”
Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated from Muhammad bin Yazid ar-Rahabi that when Abu al-Darda was asked why he didn’t compose poetry like others from the Ansar who all had their own verses, he recited:
“A person wants to be given what he desires, but Allah wills only what He wants.
A person says, ‘This is my gain and provision,’ but fearing Allah is the best of all gains.”
Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Abu al-‘Afif, a companion of Mu’adh bin Jabal, who said: The people of Paradise will enter Paradise in four groups: the God-fearing, then the grateful, then the fearful, then those on the right side.”