"And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness)." (6)

Fruits of piety:

Piety is the greatest reason for happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. Pious people enjoy obedience and its fruits in the world, and the proof to this happiness is that when a person falls into a sin due to the weakness of piety, he finds tightness in his heart toward his Lord and toward people, and when he possesses the entire world, it will not compensate up for it.

Urgent fruits of piety in this world:

1- Exit from every distress and sustenance from where a person does not count. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And whosoever fears Allâh 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." [Surat At-Talaq: 2 - 3].

Ar-Rabi` ibn Khathim said: "Allah would give him a way out from everything that may trouble people."

2- Easiness and facilitation of matters. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him." [Surat At-Talaq: 4].

It is a great favor that Allah makes things easy for His Servants without facing hardship, difficulty, and narrowness.

3- Facilitating beneficial knowledge. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "So be afraid of Allâh; and Allâh teaches you. And Allâh is the All-Knower of each and everything. " [Surat Al Baqarah: 282].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan a criterion [(to judge between right and wrong), or (Makhraj, i.e. making a way for you to get out from every difficulty)]." [Surat Al Anfal: 29].

Ibn `Uthaymain (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: Piety can distinguish between the truth and falsehood, harmful and beneficial as knowledge does. Allah opens for a pious sciences which He does not give to anyone such as understanding because piety is the reason of increasing understanding which results in increasing knowledge including physiognomy for Allah gives a pious physiognomy by which a person can distinguish among people.

4- Unleashing foresight. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan a criterion [(to judge between right and wrong)." [Surat Al Anfal: 29].

Muhammad Rashid Rida said: Criterion in the language means the morning which distinguishes between night and daytime. The Qur'an is called criterion because it looks like the morning that distinguishes between the truth and falsehood. Fearing Allah in all matters gives its owner a light by which he can distinguish between doubts which many people do not know.

5- The love of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), loving angels, and acceptance on earth. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Yes, whoever fulfils his pledge and fears Allâh much; then verily, Allâh loves those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)." [Surat Al `Imran: 76].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If Allah loves a person, he says to Gabriel, 'I love so-and-so, so love him,' so Gabriel loves him and then calls out to the people of heaven, 'Allah loves so-and-so, so love him,' and the people of heaven love him, then acceptance is placed in the Earth for him."

Abu Ad-Darda' said: If a person obeys Allah, Allah will love him and when Allah loves him, He makes His Servants love him.

Haram ibn Hayyan said: When a person approaches Allah with his heart, Allah makes the hearts of His Believing servants approach him until they love him.

6- The support and help of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And fear Allâh, and know that Allâh is with Al Muttaqûn (the pious)." [Surat Al Baqarah: 194].

This accompaniment is for support, help, and guiding. It is accompaniment of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) to His Prophets and pious people and His Accompaniment for the pious and the patient. Ibn Rajab (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said This accompaniment is especial for the pious unlike the general accompaniment mentioned in the following Ayah: "And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be." [Surat Al Hadid: 4].

Qatadah said: Whoever fears Allah shall be with him, and whomever Allah with who can overcome him?! He is the Sleepless Keeper and the Guide who never goes astray. One of the Pious Predecessors said: When Allah is with you, whom you fear, and if He is against you, whom you shall invoke?

7- Sending down blessings from the sky and earth. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwâ (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth." [Surat Al A`raf: 96].

8- Guarding against the plot and mockery of enemies. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "But if you remain patient and become Al Muttaqûn [the pious], not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allâh surrounds all that they do." [Surat Al `Imran: 120].

This is instruction and guiding from Allah that people must seek His Help against the mockery of enemies by patience and piety. One of the wise said: If you want to suppress anyone envies you, add virtues to yourself.

9- Protecting weak offspring by the care of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And let those (executors and guardians) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own, if they had left weak offspring behind. So let them fear Allâh and speak right words." [Surat An-Nisa': 9].

Ibn Al Musayyab said to his son: O son, I prolong my Salah for you, hoping to guard you then recited this Ayah: "And their father was a righteous man." [Surat Al Kahf: 82].

10- A reason for the acceptance of actions that bring happiness to people in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Verily, Allâh accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)." [Surat Al Ma'idah: 27].

One of the Righteous Predecessors said: If I had known that Allah would accept one prostration at night and one in daytime, I would have hastened to death.

11- A reason for salvation from the torment of the world. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And as for Thamûd, We showed and made clear to them the Path of Truth (Islâmic Monotheism through Our Messenger, i.e. showed them the way of success), but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sâ'iqah (a destructive awful cry, torment, hit, a thunderbolt) of disgracing torment seized them because of what they used to earn. * And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allah, keep their duty to Him and avoid evil." [Surat Fussilat: 17 - 18].