He does not attend a place where God’s existence...

He does not attend a place where God’s existence, prophethood, imamate, and the Day of Judgment are denied. He will not attend a place where people backbite others, prostitutes or women without headscarf are present. He will not go to places where people gamble, drink wine, or listen to music, and on the whole where sins are committed.

Secondly, piety becomes so internalized in him that when faced with moral, socio-political, and ideological deviations, he will endeavor in a way that he will not only lose his piety but he will enjoin piety too. Beyond doubt, both conditions are good. That is to say once a sound man attempts not to enter a polluted environment in order to keep safe, and at other times vaccinate himself so as if he enters a polluted place he will not be affected by negative factors.

Nevertheless, the latter is preferable, for such an individual will never get deviated whereas in the former state, the danger of deviation is possible. Towards the end, it goes without saying that there are numerous Quranic verses and narrations on piety. In certain cases, the very piety has been stressed, like when it is said “Piety is the best virtue”[^2], or when it is said “Piety is the strongest foundation”[^3].

Elsewhere, it is said “People have not been recommended to anything greater than piety”[^4]. In other cases, a specific subject has been included like when it is said “Avoid small lies when talking seriously or jokingly” [^5], or when it is said “Avoid open sins”. In other cases, time is included like when it is said “Fear Allah day and night”.

At other times, piety as it should be really observed, has been expressed like when it is said “… be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the case which is due to Him”. There are other interpretations of piety which will be elaborated later on in this book. It is well to mention that all the forbidding rules in the holy Quran and narrations like the forbidden acts or such words as “You only” and its likes are true examples of Taqwa (piety and fear of Allah).

If piety means self-restraint from what is bad, it has a positive connotation and is not limited to a negative aspect.