2. Piety is highly emphasized in the
Qur’an and Sunnah. There are more
than 158 verses in the Quran on piety,
and there are hundreds of hadiths on
this subject. Muslim scholars see piety
as being Islam itself. It is the total sum
of all Islamic values and virtues. If one
has piety, one has achieved
everything.
3. Piety is the consciousness of God. It is
to do one’s best efforts to live by His
commands and to avoid His
prohibitions. The Quran has used the
word piety to mean consciousness of
God, fear of God, worship of God,
sincerity in faith, and avoidance of
disobedience to God.
4. Piety is not a matter of convenient claims and
oral confessions. It is much more serious. As
always, the Qur’an is the best source, and
when it speaks of the pious it describes them
as those
“..who believe in the unseen (which is taught
by God), are steadfast in prayer, and spend
of what We have provided for them; and who
believe in the Revelation sent to you
(Muhammad), and sent before your time, and
(in their hearts) have the assurance of the
Hereafter. They are on true guidance from
their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.”
(Qur’an, 2:3-5)
5. “The pious are those who spend (freely in the
way of God) whether in prosperity or in adversity;
who restrain anger and pardon all men- for God
loves those those who do good; and those who-
having done something to be ashamed of, or
wronged their own souls- earnestly bring God
into mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins-
and who can forgive sins except God?- and are
never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the
wrong) they have done. For such the reward is
forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens with
rivers flowing underneath, and eternal dwelling.
How excellent a recompense for those who work
a(and strive)!” (Qur’an, 3:134-6)
