The Garment of Piety

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ”

(Qur’ān 07:26)

“Wa Libāsu At-Taqwá Dhālika Khayrun”

“But the clothing of righteousness – that is best.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Now people dress just for showing off, looking at what you wore, what you didn’t wear. It was like that in the old days too, but now there are more fashion trends. “Which one suits me, which one doesn’t suit me. I don’t want cheap. Let it be expensive so people can see that on me.”

These are the thoughts and interests of people of this time. “My dress should be nice. From my shoes, to my hat, my shirt, everything will definitely have a brand.” They used to want nice and good clothes. But now no. It must be good and a brand. Why are you doing this? Are you doing it for the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ? If so, Allāh ﷻ doesn’t want any of this.

What Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla wants is your wearing the garment of piety. The garment of piety is fearing Allāh ﷻ. The person who fears Allāh ﷻ has the best garment. It conceals a person. It makes a person look beautiful in the sight of Allāh ﷻ. Your maqām doesn’t increase with in the sight of Allāh ﷻ with the useless cloth they deceive you with. You will not be beautiful.

What you should do is what Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla has ordered and fear what He ﷻ has forbidden. That is what piety means. Taqwā means to fear Allāh ﷻ, to be ashamed of Allāh ﷻ, to be shy of Allāh ﷻ. If you see me in such bad situations, if you do things that are not good, wear the most expensive dress, it is of no benefit. What is beneficial is, as we said, piety. Even if you wear torn clothes, if you are pious, you are the most beautiful person in the sight of Allāh ﷻ.

Now they say a dress costs a thousand dollars, or thousand euros. Allāh ﷻ, Allāh ﷻ! What thousand dollars? Is that possible for a dress? They say, “What’s a thousand dollars! There are dresses for ten thousand and one hundred thousand dollars.” What is this? Do they have a motor? Does a person fly in it?

They say, “You don’t understand. It’s a beautiful dress. Everyone wants to wear it.” You can want it, but Allāh ﷻ won’t be happy. Especially those who do not recognize Allāh ﷻ. They may wear dresses that cost not a hundred thousand, but a hundred million worth of clothes. There is no value in the sight of Allāh ﷻ. Value is what is inside you. Value is what you have inside.

Nasreddin Hojja, may Allāh ﷻ raise his rank. His neighbors said one day, “Nasreddin Hojja, there was so much noise in your house last night. Something came out of nowhere. What happened? What was it?” He said, “My Jubbah fell.” “If the Jubbah fell, there wouldn’t be that much noise.” “I was inside it”, he said.

What’s inside is important. What’s outside is not important. Even if the outside falls or doesn’t fall. What’s inside is what’s important. That’s why, you must look inside you. Your outside doesn’t matter. They are trash and of no use.

May we be pious ones, in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ help us, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

11 May 2025/ 13 Dhul Qa’dah 1446

Lefke, Cyprus

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