Tafseer: Importance of Taqwa in gaining `Ilm

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّـهُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾

{So be afraid of Allaah; and Allaah teaches you. And Allaah is the All-Knower of each and everything.} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 282]

From Tafseer al-Muyassar (by a group of prominent scholars in Tafseer):

Fear Allaah تعالى in all that He has commanded you and in all that He has prohibited; and Allaah تعالى will teach you all that which is beneficial for you in this world and the Hereafter. He is the Knower of everything, nothing from your affairs is hidden from Him and He will reward you accordingly.

From the Tafseer of Imaam Ibn Katheer رحمه الله:

Allaah’s saying:

﴿وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ﴾

{So have Taqwa of Allaah} means: fear Him, remember His watch over you, implement what He has commanded and avoid that which He has prohibited.

Allaah’s saying:

﴿وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ﴾

{And Allaah teaches you.} similar to the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿يِـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إَن تَتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا﴾

{O you who believe! If you have Taqwa of Allaah, He will grant you Furqaan (a criterion to judge between right and wrong} [Surah al-Anfaal (8): 29]

﴿ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾

{And Allaah is the All-Knower of each and everything} meaning: He is the Knower of the realities of the matters and their benefit and their aftermath.  Nothing is hidden from Him. Rather His knowledge encompasses all that exists.

From the Tafseer of Imaam al-Qurtobee رحمه الله:

A promise from Allaah تعالى that whoever fears Him, He will teach him; meaning: Allaah will grant Noor (light) to his heart by which he will understand what has been sent down towards him. And Allaah تعالى will give his heart the Furqaan (criterion), by which he will be able to differentiate between the Truth and Falsehood. As Allaah تعالى said:

﴿يِـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إَن تَتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا﴾

{O you who believe! If you have Taqwa of Allaah, He will grant you Furqaan (a criterion to judge between right and wrong} [Surah al-Anfaal (8): 29]