Piety

Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 6
Piety

Allah, the Exalted, says:

“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared”. (3:102)

“So, keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can…” (64:16)

This second Verse explains the meaning of the first one.

“O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth”. (33:70)

“… And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine…” (65:2,3)

“If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan [(a criterion to judge between right and wrong), or   (Makhraj, i.e., a way for you to get out from every difficulty)], and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you; and Allah is the Owner of the great bounty”. (8:29)

69. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most honourable amongst mankind?” He (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “The most honourable of them is one who is the most pious of them.” They said, “We are not asking about this”. He said, “Then, the most honourable of men was Yusuf  (Joseph), the Prophet of Allah, the son of  Allah’s Prophet, who was the son of  the Prophet of Allah, who was the son of the Khalil of Allah (i.e., Ibrahim (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam))‘ They said, “We are not asking you about this.” He enquired, “Are you then asking me about the classes of the Arabs? The best of them in the Pre-Islamic Period of  Ignorance are the best of them in Islam, provided they comprehend the religious knowledge”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

70. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “The life of the world is sweet and green. Allah makes you generations succeeding one another so that He may try you in respect of your actions. So beware of the beguilements of the world and those of women. The first trial of Banu Israel was through women”.
[Muslim].

71. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) used to say: “Allahumma inni as’alukal-huda wat-tuqa wal-`afafa wal-ghina (O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency)”.
[Muslim].

72. `Adi bin Hatim At-Ta’i (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) say: “He who has taken an oath (to do something) but found something else better than that (which brings him closer to Allah), then he should do that which is better in piety (and he should expiate for the breaking of oath)”.
[Muslim].

73. Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) during the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage saying, “Be mindful of your duty to Allah; perform your five daily Salat, observe Saum during the month (of Ramadan) , pay the Zakat on your properties and obey your leaders; (if you do so) you will enter the Jannah of your Rubb”.
[At-Tirmidhi].