Love is the universal language understood by all. The one language that is never foreign, and often best spoken without words. It is communicated with actions of respect, acceptance, kindness and tolerance. To love someone is a great feeling but to be loved is even a greater feeling. But what happens when you love someone and your love is not reciprocated with the same intensity or even worse, all your care goes unnoticed. One naturally feels depressed, lonely and heart broken. If the same feeling occurs recurrently, it is so devastating that one starts wondering whether true love really exists or is it that the love of people is only for their own selfish gains.
There is a love however, that is selfless and more powerful than any love of this world or its people, and that is the love for Allah, for it is never unrequited nor unaccepted. “The believers love Allah more intensely” [2:165]. This implies that a true believer loves Allah the most. How can one love Allah? The answer is simple. Once a man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked him “O Allah’s Messenger, tell me of something I do to win Allah’s love and people’s love”. The Prophet answered “Do not love this world, Allah would love you and do not have a longing for whatever people have, people would love you”. [Ibn-Majah]. At another place in the Holy Quran, Allah says: “Say (O Mohammed) “If you do love Allah, follow me, Allah will love you, and forgive your sins, as Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful”. [3:31]
These hadith and ayahs adds up to the fact that a believer should love Allah first and foremost. All our actions must be directed to Him, as Allah loves those who follow His Prophet (PBUH); and those who do good deeds [2:195], those who ask Him for forgiveness [2:222], those who purify themselves [2:222], those who are Allah-fearing [3:76], those who are steadfast [3:146], those who trust Him [3:159], those who act justly [5:42] and those who strive for His cause [61:4]. When Allah’s love is with a person, all other loves follow as stated in a Hadith “If Allah would love his servant He would call Angel Jibraeel (AS) and tell him “I love this person, therefore love him.” And Jibraeel (AS) would love him and call out in the heavens “Allah loves this person, therefore love him.” And the inhabitants of the heavens would love him. Then he would be embraced by the people of this world.” [Muslim] SubhanAllah, so many ways and rewards of winning Allah’s love!
So do we truly love Allah? If we do, we should pass through the following checkpoints before each action:
· Does my Allah approve of it?
· Am doing it the way my Prophet (PBUH) has taught me?
· Who am I doing this for?
The answer to the third checkpoint is extremely important. All our actions should be based on the following principle: “I am doing it for Allah’s sake.” Believe me, it’s like a magic spell. Before doing anything, cast the following magic spell “Abracadabra…. I am doing this only for my Allah’s sake…… Abracadabra.’’ It works wonders. Not only will your effort be appreciated but even if it doesn’t you won’t feel sad at all because you have done it for the one you love the most – your Lord. Always remember that whatever you are doing, is just to please your Lord since He has ordered you to do so whether you are fulfilling your rights and duties towards your Lord or mankind. Never ever think of doing it for anyone else because that’s the first sign that your love for that person is greater than your love for Allah. Also if people don’t regard your good deed, don’t worry because you did it for Allah only and He is watching you and will surely reward you.
The above is stated beautifully in the following two hadiths; “Whoever loves for Allah’s sake, hates for Allah’s sake, gives for Allah’s sake and withholds for Allah’s sake has a perfect faith.” [Abu Dawud] and “There are three characteristics whoever has them will taste the sweetness of faith; that Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) are more loved by him than everything else, that he loves or does not love a person only for Allah’s sake and that he would hate to revert into disbelief just as he would hate to be thrown into fire.” [Al-Bukhari]
Once a man asked the Prophet (PBUH), “O Messenger of Allah, when will the Day of Judgment be?”, the Prophet (PBUH) replied, “What have you prepared for it?” he said, “I have not prepared for it a great deal of prayer, fasting nor charity, but I love Allah and His Messenger intensely,” the Prophet (PBUH) said, “You will be with those whom you love.” [Al-Bukhari]. SUBHANALLAH! Indeed a glad tiding! Therefore we should never forget to cast the special magic spell that will surely bring us rewards in both the worlds.
Finally, lets us come back to our initial question; does true love exist? True love is nothing but divine love. As stated in the Holy Quran: “It was made attractive to people, the love of things they crave; women, sons, heaped-up heaps of gold and silver, branded horses, cattle and will-tilled land. But that is for the enjoyment of this worldly life, But Allah, with Him is the beautiful homecoming” [3:14]
May Allah instill His love in us and make us love Him and His Messenger PBUH more than anything in the world! Ameen!
By Farhat Aziz
Student, 2nd Year, Essentials Program