Love, that burning feeling residing in the heart of man and woman, idealized by cinematic and literary works, is the driving force behind many motivations. Whether it is directed toward a person or the things of this world, love, a source of balance in the lives of human beings, fuels passionate debates, for it can build magnificent stories just as it can destroy lives.
Allah, to Him belong Majesty and Glory, speaks of love in the Quran, He who knows His creatures better than they know themselves. How does He mention it? That is the subject of this article.
The love of Allah
Allah informs us in the Quran that He is Al-Wadud, translated as \"The Most Loving\". This is an Attribute of the Lord that the scholars explain in these terms. Unlike the love felt by human beings, a love full of expectations, Allah, to Him belong Majesty and Glory, expects nothing from anyone. He is the One who needs nothing and no one, and from whom all creatures expect everything. The Wadd, the love of our Lord, is offered to His servants sometimes without their having done anything to deserve it. Even if we were to attain all the qualities He expects of us (for our own good!), this would not represent something He owes us, but rather something He offers us out of Love.
S.11 V.90 (…)\"And ask forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance. Indeed, my Lord is Most Merciful and Most Loving.\"
It is easy to know what Allah expects of us.
What are the qualities He wishes to see us adopt? How can we hope to be among those He loves? We need only read the Holy Quran as often as we can:
- He, Glorified be He, mentions three times in the Quran that He loves the pious.
S.3 V.76 (…) On the contrary, whoever fulfills his promise and fears Allah… Allah loves the pious.
- He, to Him belong Majesty and Glory, says at least five times that He loves the doers of good
- Then He, ta'ala, says that He loves those who are just, who judge with equity
S.5 V.42 (…)For Allah loves those who judge with equity.
- He loves those who repent and He loves those who purify themselves
S.2 V.222 (…) for Allah loves those who repent, and He loves those who purify themselves.\"
- He loves those who put their trust in Him
S.3 V.159 (…) so put your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.
- He loves those who are patient and steadfast.
S.3 V.146 (…)And Allah loves the steadfast.
Finally, Allah affirms that He grants His Love to those who believe and do good works. How could we not answer His Call?
S.19 V.96 \"To those who believe and do good works, the Most Merciful will grant His love.
The love of the believers
How could we not feel love for the One who breathed into us His invitation to love Him, to know Him, to follow Him on the Straight Path that leads to meeting Him on the Last Day, with the reward of Eternal Rest in His Paradise?
The love of the believers for Allah is an ardent love that Allah mentions in contrast with those who associate partners and equals with Him, Purity be to Him.
S.2 V.165 \"Among mankind are some who take, besides Allah, equals to Him, loving them as one loves Allah. But the believers are the most ardent in love for Allah.
The love of the prophets such as Zakariyya (Zechariah) and his wife, and their pious son Yahya (John), is mentioned as a balance between love and fear. This was one of their qualities that Allah highlights as an example for us.
The natural love of mankind
Allah invites us to draw near to Him through righteousness, goodness, equity, steadfastness on His Path, and trust in Him. So many ways to devote to Him an exclusive worship, far from anything that could distance us from His Love. And yet He knows us, since He created us and knows what He has placed within us in the way of love for beings and for the goods of this world.
Steadfastness on His Path implies precisely this struggle between this attraction, this innate love for the beauty and glitter of this lower world, and, on the contrary, His Love and His Forgiveness, to be sought ardently throughout our lives.
Remembrance and love for Allah are the safeguards against this \"soul that incites to evil\" which we must control and spend our lives educating. This struggle against disobedience to the Lord, incited by the soul that desperately loves other than Him, is very well illustrated by the woman who actually spoke this phrase. The wife of Al-Aziz, minister of Egypt, fell in love with the one who was raised as a servant, under her roof like her son, to the point of transgressing all the laws.
S.12 V 53Yet I do not absolve myself, for the soul is indeed prone to inciting evil, unless my Lord, out of mercy, [preserves it from sin].(…)
Thus Allah has placed in the hearts of mankind love and desire for certain things, as He mentioned in this verse:
In the same way, He urges us not to place this love for possessions above our love for Him and His recommendations. The attraction of the false appearance of this worldly life can indeed prevent the believer from giving of his money, from giving charity, if he does not fight his soul (nafs). Allah clearly expresses that what harms our efforts on His Path is our love for the Dunya and what it contains.
He, to Him belong Majesty and Glory, explains to the doers of good what pious goodness is. To give despite the love one has (for the thing), and thus to fight against greed:
S.76 V.8 \"And they give food, despite their love for it, to the poor, the orphan and the captive,
Then Allah, ta'ala, in Surah Al-Fajr reveals that man becomes arrogant when He tests him with possessions and honors him, and conversely that man becomes despairing when He tests him by reducing his possessions. Whereas in fact the source of the problem comes from his uncontrolled love for all these goods, and this leads him to his ruin, to making bad choices:
17 But no! It is rather you who are not generous toward the orphans;
18 who do not urge one another to feed the poor,
19 who devour the inheritance with ravenous greed,
20 and love wealth with a boundless love.
And in Surah Al-Adiyat (The Chargers), Allah speaks of a love that He describes as ardent. Now, this ardent love is that of the believers for Allah!
S.100 V.8 \"and in his love of wealth he is indeed ardent.
Conclusion
Each day brings us closer to meeting Him, so let us not be among those who make the wrong choice, so that we may deserve for Him to grant us His Nearness and His Love at every moment of our lives.
Following His sacred Prescriptions while avoiding becoming too attached, placing too much of our feelings on the beauty of this world, allows us to reach this noble objective. In the same way, following the Tradition (Sunnah) of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, leads us to prove our love for Allah. The proof of this is this verse:
Beyond following the Sunnah in the customs and habits of our beloved, it is on his character that we must most focus our efforts in order to resemble him, improve our qualities and erase our faults, so as to become models of righteousness for future generations.
Perfecting our character out of love for Allah is a daily task. May Allah make us humble and gentle believers toward one another, firm and respectful toward others, so as to deserve His Help and His Love. And the final abode is better for those who reflect.
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