Will of Taqwa & Its Essence
الْوَصِيَّةُ بِالتَّقْوَى
أُوصِيكُمْ وَنَفْسِي بِتَقْوَى اللهِ. وَحَقِيقَةُ التَّقْوَى: أَنْ لَا يَرَاكَ اللهُ حَيْثُ نَهَاكَ وَلَا يَفْتَقِدَكَ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكَ. وَفِيهَا سَعَادَةُ الدَّارَيْنِ وَنَجَاةٌ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكْرُوهٍ.
Translation
I pledge taqwa to you and myself. The essence of taqwa: Allah does not see you where He has forbidden you, and Allah does not lose you where He has commanded you. In it there is happiness in the world and the afterlife and salvation from everything that is hated.
Commentary
Al-Imam Al-Haddad (Tarim, Hadhramaut, descendant of the Prophet ﷺ) was the high priest of the Ba'alawiyyah thariqah of the 17-18 AD century. This definition of taqwa is the most beautiful and popular among scholars: where there is Allah's prohibition — you are not there; where there is a command of Allah — you are always present.