[And
of people are some who take (for worship)
others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah).
They love them as they love Allah. But those
who believe, love Allah more (than anything
else)]
(Al-Baqarah 2:165)
If I asked you, have you ever
felt true love?
What would you say? Would you
think about your spouse? Parents? children?
Siblings? Friends? What would your answer be?
How many married people remember
the day they glanced over at their spouse and
realized in that very moment that they were in
love? And how many Muslim women remember the
love, joy, and happiness that entered their
hearts on the day they gave birth?
Although these examples are
realities of life, the true love that I speak
of is one that fills all hearts, without an
atom's weight left untouched.
Within our heart remains a void,
one that can truly be filled only with love
for the One who gave us life. The purest, most
elevated, and most exalted type of love that
exists is love for The One
whom hearts were created to love.
Hence, true satisfaction, true comfort, and
true love can only come only from our Creator,
Allah, Exalted be He.
All except Almighty Allah are
loved for the love that they give in return.
But He is loved for His own sake, in every
respect. As a result, all goodness that occurs
is one of its fruits and a branch from its
roots. The love for Allah is a love so great,
it never ceases to be acknowledged, never
exists without appreciation, and brings about
true blessings for the one that harbors it.
When you deeply love someone, you
are willing to do anything to gain his or her
pleasure. So what about our Lord? Is He not
worthy of having us please Him in all that we
do?
If the question of love was put
to any Muslim, none would deny the love they
have for Almighty Allah. However, the truth of
the matter is, the love that is claimed does
not truly exist in the heart, for if it did,
the actions of the body would not be contrary
to the claim. Thus, for persons to truly be
lovers of Allah, their lives should show
evidence of this love.
The true love that believers feel
for Allah renders them completely at His
service, and though they are fully
aware that their Beloved is in no need of
their actions, they continue to strive,
nevertheless, so as to prove to their Lord the
weight of their love.
When believers reach the ultimate
station of love (in Arabic: mahabbah),
the heart becomes attached to Almighty Allah
to such an extent that it realizes its
complete need for and utter dependence upon
its Lord.
As a result, such believers are
constantly on guard to ensure that they hasten
toward what is beloved to Him and leave that
which might bring about His displeasure.
When they speak, it is purely for
Allah. When silence is observed, it is for
Allah. They give for Allah and withhold for
Allah. Never would their feet move, except for
their Beloved; likewise, they remaining still
occurs only for His sake .
Such believers are so overwhelmed
by the love of their Beloved that even
difficulties and tribulations become a source
of delight for them, as they remind themselves
that these are from their Lord, thus should be
accepted for Him.
Some may wonder why it is that
they have never felt such overwhelming love
for their Lord before, or why is it that their
actions do not affirm their love for Almighty
Allah. Let us remind ourselves that Allah
(Exalted be He) has not created anything that
is sought after without providing the causes
and means that can lead to it. Thus, the
question is, Have we taken the time to
discover what the causes and means are? If so,
did we then take the appropriate steps to
achieve the desired goals?
From some of the greatest
ibadah
(Arabic for: act of worship) outlined by Ibn
Al-Qayyim in his book The Path to Guidance
are ways through which to gain love of Allah:
Increasing in the remembrance
(dhikr) of Almighty Allah with presence of
heart, reflecting upon His Noble Words,
acknowledging the tremendous bounty that
Allah has bestowed upon you, standing
before Him with presence of heart and due
etiquette, attending the gatherings of the
lovers of Allah, withholding from any
statement, action, or thought that will
sever you from attaining the love, and
turning away from anything that may cut
you off from any of these.
Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Al-Qayyim, and
other canonical Islamic scholars have
described love of Allah as the highest station
that believers will ever achieve, as it is the
root of all good and the source of great
blessings. Therefore, let us seek the aid of
Allah in acquiring this honorable quality, for
it is only by His aid and assistance that it
can be attained.
Those who compete for this
station find Almighty Allah as their Guide and
as is beautifully mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim
(may Allah be pleased with him):
It is the station for which
the competitors compete;
To it, do the workers fix their gaze;
For reaching its mark, do the forerunners
strive;
Upon it, do the lovers annihilate
themselves [i.e. work hard toward pleasing
Almighty Allah];
And with its refreshing breeze, do the
worshippers revive themselves.
It is the heart's strength, the soul's
nourishment, and the eye's splendor.
Seek the love of Almighty Allah
by loving Him, and strive for the ultimate
goal, the best of all stations, and the summit
of all states.
So if I were to pose that
question to you again, have you ever felt true
love?
Now, your answer might be
different. But if I asked you, do you long to
experience such a love? Without a doubt, your
answer would be a definite yes.
Love of Almighty Allah is a
sentiment, a sincere feeling of the heart that
fills believers with benevolence and affection
for their Creator. When such an immense love
enters the heart, it takes over the believers'
soul to the extent that they become
overwhelmed and completely in awe of their
Lord. It creates a realization so intense that
comprehension seems too inconceivable; an
honor so great, it almost renders it beyond
worldly belief. Yet it remains, most
certainly, an achievable goal by many means,
as Al-Junayd says,
There is a servant who has
left his own soul behind,
Who is attached to his Lord's remembrance,
Who is steadfast in fulfilling His rights;
Who looks to Him with his heart,
His heart burning with the lights of His
Divine awe.
The Almighty has raised for him the veils
of the Unseen.
When he talks, it is for the sake of
Allah;
When he utters, it is about Allah;
When he moves, it is by the command of
Allah;
When he rests, it is with Allah.
He is for Allah, by Allah, and with Allah.
Thus, with all the things we grow
to love, never will we understand the meaning
of true love until our hearts experience
divine love — the greatest love of all: love
of Allah.
With sincere striving we can
become believers who, not only love Allah with
all their heart, but who have completely
fallen in-love with Him.
Thus, let us love Him and
sincerely serve Him more than anything. For
lovers of Allah are His true believers.
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