Explanation of al-Taqwá
Allāh (subhānahu wa taʿālá) said, “O you who believe fear Allāh as he should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims." He has commanded us to have taqwá (fear) of him in numerous places in the Qurʾān. But how does one fear Allāh? And how does this benefit him in this life and in the hereafter? Shaykh ʿAbdullāh al-Bukhārī explains.
(The call was accidentally dropped at about halfway through the lecture, and Qurʾān recitation serves as a filler for the rest of the audio. Although the lecture is not complete, there is still great benefit that can be attained from what was captured. And Quranic recitation brings tranquility to the heart.)
Allāh is the one who deserves all of our worship, without any partners. The fear of Allāh is incumbent on us all, and it is something that all the Muslims should be aware of - how to fear Allāh. There are many āyāt in the Qurʾān where Allāh exhorts and commands us to fear Him. He only accepts the good deeds of those who fear Him. Allāh has said that He will give (furqān) clarity and guidance in the dīn to whoever fears Him, and He has prepared the Jannah for those who fear him. The shaykh explains that to have taqwā of Allāh is to have a barrier between you and Allāh's punishment; this barrier keeps you from going over, meaning, keeps you from disobeying the commands of Allāh by doing what He has prohibited and it allows you to keep your duties to Him.