What Does "Twaqah" Mean?

twaqah academy

Linguistic Meaning of Twaqah:

Tawwaq [singular]: An intensive form of the verb "taqa/taqa ila" (to long for/desire), meaning "one who greatly desires or longs for something." "Man is tawaq to what he has not attained - a yearning soul." {1}

Al-Tawq: The soul's yearning for something, its inclination towards it. My soul "taqat" (yearned), and it "tatuq" (yearns) with "tu'uqan" and "tawqan." A "tawwaqah" (yearning) soul, a "ta'iqah" (longing) soul. "Taqa ilayhi": when one hastens towards it. "Taqa": was anxious/feared. {2}

Abu al-Miqdam Raja' ibn Haywah ibn Jarwal al-Kindi, a scholar who used to frequent Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, narrated: "Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ordered me to buy him a garment for six dirhams. I brought it to him, and he felt it and said, 'It is as I like, were it not for its softness.' So I wept. He asked, 'What makes you weep?' I said, 'I came to you when you were an emir with a garment for six hundred dirhams, and you felt it and said, 'It is as I like, were it not for its coarseness.' And I came to you now, as the Commander of the Faithful, with a garment for six dirhams, and you felt it and said, 'It is as I like, were it not for its softness.' He then said, 'O Raja', I have a yearning soul (nafsen tawwaqah). It yearned for Fatimah bint Abd al-Malik, and I married her. It yearned for the emirate, and I was given it. It yearned for the Caliphate, and I attained it. And now it yearns for Paradise, and I hope to attain it, Allah عز وجل willing.'" {3}

A "tawwaqah" soul is one that always yearns for elevation and a high status. It aspires to noble matters and is not content with trivialities. The owner of a "tawwaqah" soul is always high-spirited, diligent in work, and always looking to higher things, not satisfied with the inferior nor content with little.

Al-Mutanabbi says:

على قدر أهل العزم تأتي العزائم *** و تأتي على قدر الكرام المكـــارم.
و تكبر في عين الصغير صغارها *** و تصغر في عين العظيم العظائم.

Resolutions come according to the resolve of the resolute,
And noble deeds come according to the generosity of the generous.
Small matters loom large in the eyes of the small,
While great matters diminish in the eyes of the great.

The Poet of Islam and Indian/Pakistani Philosopher, Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), says:

وخل الهوينا للضعيف ولا تـكن *** نؤوماً فإن الحزم ليس بنائـم.
همم الأحرار تحيي الرممـــا *** نفخة الأبرار تحيي الأممــــــــا.

Leave indolence to the weak, and do not be slumbering,
For prudence is not asleep.
The spirits of the free revive what is decrepit,
The breath of the righteous revives nations.

The poet addresses you, O son of Islam, warning you against weakness and dependency, urging you to be vigilant and active. He emphasizes that prudence (wisdom and intellect) does not sleep, and that a person must always be alert and aware. The poet affirms that the spirits of the free (courageous) are what revive dead places and bring them back to life, and that the breath of the righteous (pious) is what revives nations and uplifts them. So always be a person of high aspiration and a serious heart that never stops working and striving.

The poet Abd al-Wahhab Azzam says:

قلت لـلصقر وهو في الجو عــــــــــال *** اهبط الأرض فـالهواء جديـــــــب.
قال لي الصقر: في جناحي وعزمي *** وعنان السمـــاء مرعى خصيب.

I said to the falcon, as it soared high in the sky,
“Descend to earth, for the air is barren.”
The falcon replied to me: “In my wings and my resolve,
And the expanse of the sky is a fertile pasture.”

The poet addresses the falcon as it soars high in the sky, asking it to descend to the earth because the air is dry and barren, with no food.

The falcon responds that its wings and its resolve are its strength and unyielding determination, and its sky is its fertile pasture where it finds everything it needs.

Thus, a strong, courageous person does not surrender to difficulties but faces them with all his strength and resolve. There are no limits to his ambitions and no breaking of his determination. He is capable of achieving whatever he desires if he believes in his abilities and strives diligently to achieve them. The sky is open to those who possess will and determination, and all they have to do is exert effort and harness their energies to achieve their goals.

The poet Abu al-Qasim Al-Shabbi (1909-1934) says:

و من يتهيب صعود الجبال **** يعش أبد الدهر بين الحفر.

And whoever fears climbing mountains,
Will live forever among the pits.

This verse is one of Abu al-Qasim Al-Shabbi's most famous, expressing his philosophy of life that emphasizes the importance of courage, determination, and perseverance in achieving success. The poet warns against fear and cowardice, affirming that whoever fears facing difficulties and challenges will not achieve any accomplishment in his life. He encourages the pursuit of dreams and ambitions, and asserts that success comes only through effort and sacrifice.

So, O people of high aspirations and yearning souls (al-himam al-‘aliyah wal-nufus al-tawwaqah), your Lord addressed you saying:

﴿ وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴾ [آل عمران: 133].
And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. [Quran 3:133]

And He said:

﴿ سَابِقُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ ﴾ [الحديد: 21].
Race toward forgiveness from your Lord [Quran 57:21]

And He, glorified be He, said:

﴿ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ ﴾ [البقرة: 148].
So race to [all that is] good. [Quran 2:148]

And He also said:

﴿ فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ ﴾ [الذاريات: 50].
So flee to Allah. [Quran 51:50]

And He said:

﴿ لِمِثْلِ هَذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ ﴾ [الصافات: 61].
For the like of this let the workers [on earth] work. [Quran 37:61]

In these and other verses in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, there is an incitement for believers to compete in matters of the Hereafter, to hasten to everything that leads to obedience and satisfaction of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. They should seek Allah's forgiveness and hasten to every path leading to Paradise.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged us to be diligent in work and to strive constantly. Among his sayings is:

((احرص على ما ينفعك، واستعن بالله، ولا تعجز)) رواه مسلم.
"Be keen on what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not show helplessness." [Narrated by Muslim]

And also:

((إن قامت الساعة وبيد أحدكم فسيلة، فإن استطاع ألا يقوم حتى يغرسها فليفعل)) رواه أحمد والبخاري.
"If the Final Hour comes while you have a sapling in your hand and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, then you should plant it." [Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Bukhari]

And also:

((إن الله تعالى يحب معالي الأمور وأشرافها، ويكره سفاسفها)) رواه الطبراني وصححه الألباني في ((صحيح الجامع)).
"Indeed, Allah loves high-minded matters and noble deeds, and dislikes trivialities." [Narrated by Al-Tabarani and authenticated by Al-Albani in "Sahih Al-Jami'"]

And from Al-Irbad (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

((إذا سألتم الله تعالى فاسألوه الفردوس، فإنه سرُّ الجنة)) [رواه الطبراني وصححه الألباني في ((صحيح الجامع)).
"When you ask Allah, the Exalted, ask Him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the most excellent part of Paradise." [Narrated by Al-Tabarani and authenticated by Al-Albani in "Sahih Al-Jami'"]

Therefore, our name is derived from the qualities of those with unyielding determination and the spirits of the free that do not submit. So our motto is:

“Hearts yearning for Paradise, ambitious (Twaqah).”