15ـ اِتَّقُوا اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ...
15ـ اِتَّقُوا اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقاتِهِ، واسْعَوْا في مَرْضاتِهِ، واحْذَرُوا ما حَذَّرَكُمْ مِنْ أليْمِ عَذابِهِ. Be wary of your duty towards Allah with the wariness of one who hears [the message of guidance] hence humbly submits, commits a misdeed hence confesses [and repents], learns [the truth] hence trembles in fear, is cautious [about the Hereafter] hence takes the initiative [to do good] and performs an action and does it well.
16ـ اِتِّقُوا اللّهَ تَقِيَّةَ مَنْ سَمِعَ فَخَشَعَ، واقْتَرَفَ فَاعْتَرَفَ، وعَلِمَ فَوَجِلَ، وحاذَرَ فَبادَرَ، وعَمِلَ فَأحْسَنَ. Turn to God-wariness, for indeed it is an impenetrable shield. Whoever turns to it, it protects him and whoever holds on to it, it preserves him. 17ـ اِلْجَأُوا إلَى التَّقْوى فَإنَّهُ جُنَّةٌ مَنيعَةٌ، مَنْ لَجَأَ إلَيْها حَصَّنَتْهُ، وَمَنِ اعْتَصَمَ بِها عَصَمَتْهُ.
Hold on to God-wariness, for indeed it has a rope with a firm handle and a stronghold with an insurmountable peak. 18ـ اِعْتَصِمُوا بِتَقْوَى اللّهِ، فَإنَّ لَها حَبْلاً وَثيقاً عُرْوَتُهُ، ومَعْقِلاً مَنيعاً ذُرْوَتُهُ. Indeed God-wariness is like trained [and docile] riding mounts with their riders on them and their reins given to them, so they take them into Paradise. 19ـ اَلا وإنَّ التَّقْوى مَطايا ذُلُل حُمِلَ عَلَيْها أهْلُها،وَ أُعْطُوا أزِمَّتَها فَأوْرَدَتْهُمُ الْجَنَّـةَ.
The most protective shield is God-wariness. 20ـ أوْقى جُنَّة اَلتَّقْوى. The most impenetrable fortress of religion is God-wariness. 21ـ أمْنَعُ حُصُونِ الدّينِ اَلتَّقْوى. Verily God-wariness is a protection for you in your life and a means of gaining nearness [to Allah] after your death. 22ـ إنَّ التَّقْوى عِصْمَةٌ لَكَ في حَياتِكَ، وزُلْفى لَكَ بَعْدَ مَماتِكَ.
Verily Allah the Most High has enjoined God-wariness upon you and has made it the means by which His pleasure is attained by His creation. So fear Allah, [the Lord] who is closely watching you and in whose grip are your forelocks. 23ـ إنَّ اللّهَ تَعالى أوْصاكُمْ بِالتَّقْوى، وجَعَلَها رِضاهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، فَاتَّقُوا اللّهَ الَّذي أنْتُمْ بِعَيْنِهِ، ونَواصيكُمْ بِيَدِهِ.
Verily the wariness of their duty towards Allah has shielded His friends from what He has forbidden and has made their hearts bound by His fear, so much so that their nights pass in wakefulness and their midday’s in thirst; thus they take comfort in hardship and are quenched by thirst.
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