The formula of piety in the Quran: 2:177

Chapter 2 verse 177 defines the term ‘piety’:

Piety is not to turn your faces towards the east and the west, but pious is one who believes in God and the Last Day, and the angels, and the Book, and the prophets, and who gives money out of love to the relatives, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and to free the slaves; and who upholds the contact prayer, and who contributes towards purification; and those who keep their pledges when they make a pledge, and those who are patient in the face of adversity and hardship and when in despair. These are the ones who have been truthful, and these are the righteous.

2:177

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An analysis of the verse reveals a list of things to do to become pious:

• Piety is not to turn your faces towards the east and the west,
• but
• pious is one
  • who believes
    • in God
    • and the Last Day,
    • and the angels,
    • and the Book,
    • and the prophets,
  • and who gives money out of love to
    • the relatives,
    • and the orphans,
    • and the needy,
    • and the wayfarer,
    • and those who ask,
    • and to free the slaves;
  • and who upholds the contact prayer,
  • and who contributes towards purification;
  • and those who keep their pledges when they make a pledge,
  • and those who are patient in the face of
    • adversity
    • and hardship
    • and when in despair.
• These are the ones who have been truthful, and these are the righteous.

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Further analysis

We can classify and summarize attributes of piety or a pious person so:

1 Belief system:

1.1 Believes in God

1.2 Believes in the Last Day

1.3 Believes in the angels,

1.4 Believes in the Book,

1.5 Believes in the prophets,

2 Charitable acts:

2.1 gives money out of love to the relatives,

2.2 gives money out of love to the orphans,

2.3 gives money out of love to the needy,

2.4 gives money out of love to the wayfarer,

2.5 gives money out of love to those who ask,

2.6 gives money out to free the slaves;

3 Contact prayer:

3.1 upholds the contact prayer,

4 Contribute towards purification

4.1 contributes towards purification

5 Pledge keeping:

5.1 keep their pledges when they make a pledge

6 Patience:

6.1 are patient in the face of adversity

6.2 are patient in the face of hardship

6.3 are patient in the face of when in despair.

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Finally, the formula of piety

The Quran uses AND logical conjunction to connect the arguments listed above.

This means we need to engage in all of the acts listed above to become pious.

Piety = AND( 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3)

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Homework: 2:117 Piety Test

QUESTION	YES	NO
1.1 Do you believe in God?	Yes	No
1.2 Do you believe in the Last Day?	Yes	No
1.3 Do you believein the angels?	Yes	No
1.4 Do you believe in the Book?	Yes	No
1.5 Do you believe in the prophets?	Yes	No
2.1 Do you give money out of love to the relatives?	Yes	No
2.2 Do you give money out of love to and the orphans?	Yes	No
2.3 Do you give money out of love to and the needy?	Yes	No
2.4 Do you give money out of love to the wayfarer?	Yes	No
2.5 Do you give money out of love to those who ask?	Yes	No
2.6 Do you give money out to free the slaves?	Yes	No
3.1 Do you uphold the contact prayer?	Yes	No
4.1 Do you contribute towards purification?	Yes	No
5.1 Do you keep your pledges when you make a pledge?	Yes	No
6.1 Are you patient in the face of adversity?	Yes	No
6.2 Are you patient in the face of hardship?	Yes	No
6.3 Are you patient in the face of when in despair?	Yes	No
Total questions answered Yes/No	/17	/17