Abû Hurayrah on Taqwâ

A man once asked Abû Hurayrah – Allâh be pleased with him, ‘What is al-taqwâ?” He replied, “Have you ever taken a path filled with thorns?” The man replied, “I have.” Abû Hurayrah asked him, “What did you do?” He replied, “When I saw a thorn I would dodge it or pass over it or behind it.” Abû Hurayrah said, “That is al-taqwâ.”

Al-Baihaqî, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr p351.

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February 6, 2008 - الأربعاء 30 محرم 1429

Topics: taqwâ

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2 Responses to “Abû Hurayrah on Taqwâ”

  1. covertly on October 29, 2008 - الأربعاء 01 ذو القعدة 1429 06:44

    Assalamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah,I’ve read this narration before and loved it then, too. Any way we could get a full explanation of the analogy>Wassalamu ‘alaykum

  2. sayingsofthesalaf on October 29, 2008 - الأربعاء 01 ذو القعدة 1429 14:25

    Wa alaykumus-salam wa rahmatullah,
    I haven’t come across a detailed commentary on this narration, but Al-Hâfidh Ibn Rajab mentions it in his Jâmi’ Al-‘Ulûm wa Al-Hikam while discussing the meaning of taqwâ. He mentions two points in the context of this narration:
    [1] Taqwâ is often used to refer to protecting oneself from falling into harâm
    [2] Taqwâ is based on first knowing what one should avoid and protect oneself from
    So, the thorns on the path can be understood to signify the forbidden things that obstruct a person’s journey to Allâh and the hereafter. They are a danger. A person must learn and recognize what things are forbidden so as to be able to avoid them; just as a person who has to traverse a path strewn with thorns must look carefully where he is treading and maneuver to avoid being injured.
    Hope this helps. Allâh knows best.