love

Today, many people are confused between need, want and love. My hope of sharing this topic with you is for us, especially our youth, to have an in-depth understanding of the topic so they can understand their feelings and allocate them appropriately.

Growing up in a materialistic environment that lacks spirituality, morals and right understanding, causes people to become selfish, greedy, and lonely inside. They become hollow and superficial—those who are concerned with the outer and neglect the inner, those who are more interested in the body and external beauty and neglect the inner beauty of the soul, manners and character of the person. They choose companions, jobs or even a place using their emotions instead of thinking and trying to understand where this love and emotion could lead them.

In a state like this a lot of principles and understandings of life get lost and are replaced by confusion. Imagine when confusion becomes the norm and the normal beautiful aspects of life become confusing! Even our own feelings! To the point that now we have a lot of tragedy, oppression, aggression, and even criminal acts carried out in the name of love. Go To Top

These two forces are driven and ignited or can be channeled according to the person’s knowledge, understanding of life, faith, upbringing, and the influence of the most significant companion in the person’s life. The bottom line is that people’s feelings or thinking are shaped by these elements among many others.

This is what develops strength in the feeling or thinking and influences the purpose and goal that this feeling or thinking generates. This produces the outcome of this feeling or thinking which then reflects in the personality, character, person’s motivation in life and what he is trying to achieve; and can eventually lead the person to success or failure, happiness or tragedy. You add to that the fact that some people are thinking and intellect driven while others are more emotional than intellectual. In simpler words, some people become emotional and then think later while others think too much and their emotion is very minimal

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Some say love is blind.

Others call it selfish.

And yet others say love is to take.

I want you to open your heart and eyes and examine love as a feeling that is generated according to the person’s understanding of life, his priority in life, his belief, what he is thinking about, what he wants to achieve, and what his goal in life is, among many other factors. For example, those who believe that money is the answer, they love money, love rich people, love jobs that can give them big money, love men or women who are wealthy; by this way everything will be driven from money perspective. Those who love prestige will surround themselves with such people. Those who are into body and looks surround themselves with similar people.

How many people actually consider the person’s character, manners and soul while initiating a relationship? How many people check whether they are comfortable with the soul of the other person and his or her presence? Above mentioned are just a few examples but the same goes for everything that people might love such as music, dancing, drugs, alcohol, camping, education and degrees, gaining knowledge etc.

All that I have shared with you so far is to give you a glimpse of our current situation. I believe that over time we as humans have lost many values including basic fundamental understanding of life. If our feeling or thinking is not driven by justice, harmony, peace and happiness then it will be driven by the need of accumulation which causes us to become greedy, selfish, stingy, and oppressive to each other. This causes us to be hollow individuals who are driven by emotions that can lead them to tragedy, hurt, loss and mischief towards others.

We underestimate the consequences of this beautiful, noble value, one of the most powerful elements that we humans posses—our feelings and the term love!

Two Forces of Feeling: Human beings are driven by two forces of feeling—positive and negative. Positive is the feeling of love and negative is the feeling of fear. Positive feeling can have a great impact on us as individuals, group or the whole society. Whereas negative feelings leave a damaging impact on us as individuals, collective and a society. For example, you can examine jails, hospitals, and rehab centers to find out how many people end up in these places because of a bad or broken relationship or after failed love to a wrong person.

Often love is used as a noun which describes an emotion that we experience. However, I believe in the interpretation of the term love as a verb, not a noun. It is an action because it generates a cycle of successive actions—positive or negative. Look at how someone you love can change your life forever, whether good or bad.

Even if you disagree with me, if you continue to bear with me I promise to help you reach a beautiful understanding of this topic which will not only change your life in this world, but also the hereafter!

Love is a feeling and emotion which generates a desire to achieve what is pleasurable and beneficial to us!

Stop and reflect over this statement!

Read it multiple times! Don’t rush!

From now on, the words are weighty.

We as humans normally love those who are beneficial to us. Meaning the more we believe something or someone can benefit us, serve us well, or be good to us, the more it strengthens our feelings for that thing or person.

Normally people are created with a sense which makes them love goodness. We love those who are good and kind, meaning people with good qualities. Apply this to every aspect of our lives. We like fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, fresh air, clean water, we love beauty and goodness, we love good manners and conduct, and we love those who serve us. This is why even in a business the key to success is good service! When you trickle this down to individual level, we love to get closer to those who benefit us or generate pleasure to us.

All the pleasure and benefit from material life is limited. Everything people love eventually fades and ceases to exist. Everyone that we love will grow older and die. Money comes and goes. Certain foods that we love today might become a health hazard for us tomorrow. By this way, every pleasure is limited and cannot be forever!

The same is applicable to our feelings. When we love someone and this love fades or something breaks it, or our feelings change towards this object of our love, we cannot handle it. We become miserable or we get broken inside. This is because the expectation was very high and we were negligent from the beginning of the fact that nothing can last forever!

Youth doesn’t last! Beauty doesn’t last! Life doesn’t last! People do not last! They die! The weather constantly changes!

Everything is in motion and we cannot demand things to remain at a certain status. It will never happen—from financial, economical, social or political aspect. Everything goes through a cycle and we have no control over it. Anything can change anytime without prediction or planning, whether we like it or we don’t. This is the fact and reality.

• If life is unpredictable, how can I have a successful love story in my life?
• How do I search for love?
• Whom to love?
• Why I love so and so?

Asking the right questions will give us different perspectives in life. These perspectives and understandings will help us to govern our feelings and emotions so that when the time comes, we can use them or share them for the right purpose and right cause. This way, we can achieve the maximum pleasure and benefit for ourselves.

People might argue that this is a selfish approach. Actually it is the opposite! It is the most healthy and positive attitude! One of our elders used to say that if you want to be loved, you have to love; and if you love, you have to give!

This brings us to the most crucial point: Who is the one?

• Who do we love?
• Who do we share this feeling with?
• Who do we sacrifice for?
• And for what purpose?
• And since love is supposed to be devotion, who do we devote ourselves to?
• Who do we give ourselves to?

Aren’t these questions important for our lives? Or is our love so cheap that we are willing to throw it anywhere? Who deserves our love? Who can really value it?

So what is more important: love or the one we are going to love?

Love will happen—whether you are smart or naïve, you understand or you do not, you are intelligent or foolish!

Bear with me and I will try to help you achieve the maximum understanding of this feeling and beautiful force. As I said earlier, according to our understanding of life, our faith, and our perspective in life, our goals and priorities will change. Our goals and priorities in life are what define us and make us who we are. They are the driving force within us which cause us to love something or help us achieve what we are looking for.

Take the example of a dancer; s/ he will end up loving a dancer too or a trainer. The person who loves to drink ends up loving a companion who will spend time with him at a bar or pub. Those who love sweets keep eating them. People who love traveling and nature, they love similar people. People who love to write are the same. A woman, who loves jewels and wealth, has to love someone rich who can provide what she loves. She may not necessarily love the person but will end up marrying him because he can provide what she loves. There are many other examples that I can share with you but I am sure you got my point.

People love those who can provide for them the things they love or the things they want to achieve!

Even then, this benefit and therefore this love is limited because it is bound by age, means, health, wealth and life which are all perishable.

Did we ever really think about who it is that can truly benefit us in this life, at the moment of death and life after death?

If you have, you have to be a believer of the Creator and of life after death. An atheist wouldn’t care about any of this. Death is an inevitable reality of life yet most people treat it as if it was doubtful. People claim to believe in it though nobody wants to talk about it, let alone actively prepare for it. This is the real future of our existence yet farthest from our thoughts.

Everyone prepares for future but how many people factor in sickness, illness or death in this equation? It is not in the agenda; almost like it will not happen! But practically and realistically speaking, none of us will live forever, neither will any of us be healthy forever. Meaning we have to die—whether we like it or we don’t! Whether we believe or we don’t! When, how, where…we do not know!

This discussion leads us to our next set of questions:

• If we believe we are going to die, can any of our possessions or all the material life benefit us at the moment of death and after death?
• Can any human being, money, or status help us at the moment of death or after death?
• Can any of our relationships or love stories last forever?

If you are still with me, I will take you to the next stage of understanding.

Human beings are created with a beautiful sense of quality. It is a built-in characteristic; call it quality, call it nature, or genetic. It is part of us as humans. It is the fact that we love goodness. We love anything that is good or that can be good to us. We love high quality!

All of us carry two aspects: good and bad; things that we like and those that we don’t like.

That is why when people at the start of a relationship believe that they will get everything they want; they end up miserable because it will never happen! No status, money, person or pleasure can ever fully satisfy a human soul and cause complete happiness and fulfillment.

This is the reason we find supermodels, multi millionaires and billionaires, famous actors, successful business persons, famous athletes, and pioneer researchers and scientists—those who are materialistically accomplished to be unhappy. Majority of them are found to be depressed, under medications, using heavy drugs and alcohol, involved in crazy actions and abnormal acts, all in the attempts of seeking fulfillment. A lot of them have miserable lives and a lot of them end up committing suicides because of their hollow, unknown, empty and unfulfilled lives.

Why?

Even if human beings achieve everything that they believe will bring them pleasure and joy, or love something that they think will generate happiness and contentment, it ends up as a mirage. Usually it ends up being the complete opposite of their expectations.

Even though we see it and we hear about it, we are still running after the same. At this point we should agree that nothing from the material world can bring real love, happiness, and pleasure as people think it would. This either doesn’t happen at all or if it does, it is for a very short time and soon fades away.

Let’s look into the love story that will never end. The love that brings the true happily ever after in the form of infinite success, happiness, pleasure, peace, and tranquility. This can only be achieved when the person has fallen in love with the One who Himself is forever—the Almighty Creator!

In order to step on this ladder of divine love, let us first examine a few questions:

• Who is the Creator?
• What is He capable of?
• What is His quality?
• How and what can He give us or provide to us in:
• This life?
• To our bodies?
• To our souls?
• To our existence?
• At the time of our deaths?
• And in life after death?

What we need to do is:

• Learn the Creator’s names and attributes.
• Study the Qur’an well, especially Makki Qur’an (the part of Qur’an that was revealed in Makkah).

Once we do this we will discover His qualities, how much we need Him in our lives, and we will come to the conclusion that He is the ONLY one who deserves ultimate love. After gaining this knowledge we have to fall in love with the Creator, His message and the Messenger SAW who delivered this message. This love then drives us to live according to the will and pleasure of the Creator, Allah SWT and devote our lives to Him.

We will gain a continuous relationship that will never end. A relationship that is full of support, happiness, pleasure, caring, benefit—call it 100% successful relationship! Most of all this relationship is with the One who will never divorce us or forget us, get sick, or die. It is with the one who will forgive us despite all our mistakes. He will guard us, protect us, care for us, govern us, take care of our body and soul and help us to have a successful end. He is the One who can give us peaceful ending and the ultimate success and pleasure which is to let us enter Paradise.

When we study the topic of ‘Love of the Creator’ and what kind of love He will offer us and the bounties and benefits of this relationship with Him, we will discover that this relationship actually really starts with our death and its pleasure is for infinity.

He SWT not only promises to love us in return but to please us in this life and the hereafter. Now our lives will be full of peace, tranquility, joy, security, assurance and most all pleasure—regardless of our material status or what we have and do not have.

These feelings of peace and contentment are generated by the belief that the Provider who loves us gives us what is good for us. This brings ease in our lives and makes us content with whatever we have. It also prevents us from running around trying to accumulate material wealth. This understanding eventually diminishes the vicious cycle of greed, selfishness, hoarding, and stinginess from our lives, which are the worms that eat us alive and cause mischief for us, our families and societies.

On the other hand when we have the journey of love to our Creator, it makes us spread love, peace and tranquility around us because this is what we have inside. He SWT already gave it to us and now we share it with our families, communities, society and mankind. What a difference between a person with this status of heart and the one running after mundane material things!

I hope by now you understand that there is no one who can give you, provide for you, forgive you, support you, hide your mistakes, and give you chance after chance except Allah SWT. He deals with you according to His great attributes which include qualities like benevolence, mercy and forgiveness.

Once this relationship of love is established between you and Allah SWT, He will give you an internal navigator which will guide you towards things that will be a cause of pleasure to you in this life and the hereafter. He will support you at the moment of death, journey of your soul after death and ease your eternal life after death.

I am sure you agree with me by now that there is no comparison!

This divine love generates a beautiful feeling; the pleasure of which is so intense that it fulfils our lives and benefits us in this life and the hereafter. And what is more…it is in our own hands to choose this path of divine love!

Some might ask, what about the sinner and those who do mischief? We say that we hate their actions but we still love them as human beings. We love to help them to seek guidance in order to share the bounty of love of Allah. Thus, this relationship of love with Allah SWT trickles down to all aspects of our lives and begins to govern all our actions.

Now this beautiful force of love that is a natural part of us is not for selfish reasons but for the pleasure of our Creator—and the price of that is very high.

Love is:

• devotion,
• sacrifice,
• service,
• obedience, and
• belonging.

Imagine instead of giving these emotions to other humans like us, we direct them to the Creator who deserves them? And share them with each other for the sake of His pleasure and love?

What will happen then?

Allah SWT will be for us and will generate beautiful love and bond between us and others. Even love between us and angels! It is not a talk or word. Love is obedience to the one we love and this demands actions.

Our wise elders used to ask how people can love someone they do not know. They also said that the main element of causing love is to know the person. The more we know someone, the more we get attracted to their quality and the love grows. Who can have higher quality than Almighty Creator Allah SWT? This is why when we look at the religion of Islam, its very essence is the acknowledgment of the Creator and then later on surrender and submission to His Will.

How can it be otherwise? Every creation of the Almighty bears witness to His oneness, His greatness, His beauty, His magnificence, His wisdom, His kindness and gentleness, His power, His ability, His might and perfection!

The Creator Allah SWT has surrounded us with messages and advertisements towards Him. His Creations are a reminder of His existence, His greatness and His qualities. This is why as Muslims when we look at the sky, sea, mountain, valley, even a butterfly, it leads us to declare “Subhan Allah” (all praise and glory be to Allah)! The more we know about Allah SWT, His qualities and what He is capable of, the more it attracts us to Him, causes us to love and respect Him, and reminds us that we are in need of Him at every moment of our lives.

The more we travel the road of knowledge of Allah, the more we understand Him. This understanding develops a bond and love which starts us on the journey of obedience to Him SWT. The more we love Him, the more we find pleasure in obeying Him. Once we truly internalize the magnitude of this relationship, its bounty from Allah to us, the amount of rewarding it brings, and the fruit it bears…it is an overwhelming feeling. What makes it even more exhilarating is the fact that this relationship is not between two limited individuals, but between the Lord and His slave!

Once this relationship of love with the Creator is established, it trickles down to all other aspects and relationships of our lives. And now it will help us channel our love and emotions towards the right goal and right purpose. It will help us to choose the right spouse, the right companions, and the right cause to devote ourselves to, along with all other decisions in our lives. This will allow us to enjoy the love story with others that will not only benefit us in this life but be a legacy for us in the hereafter.

Allah SWT has repeatedly told us in the Qur’an of the characteristics of those He loves and those He does not love. First you need to decide for yourself who deserves your Love…a human being or the Lord of all Creation! After reading these verses and saying s of the Prophet SAW, you will hold the key of the Love of Allah in your hands.

All you have to do in order to earn the love of Allah SWT is develop the qualities that He SWT loves and stay away from the characteristics that He SWT does not love.

But Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided. (Al-Hujurat 49:7)

Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.(Al-Qasas 28:56)

But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.(Al-Baqara 2:216)

Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love. And whatever you spend - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it. (Al-Imran 3:92)

And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah , and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (Nur 24:22)

No! But you love the immediate. (Al-Qiyamah 75:20)

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him… (Al Maidah 5:54)

And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. (Al Baqara 2:165)

O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you - then it is those who are the wrongdoers. (At Tauba 9:23)

Meaning obedience to parents is not recommended if it is against the teachings of Allah SWT and His Prophet SAW.

That is because they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter and that Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. (An Nahl 16:107)

That is because they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter and that Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. (An Nahl 16:107)

The ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert [people] from the way of Allah, seeking to make it (seem) deviant. Those are in extreme error. (Ibrahim 14:3)

And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction [by refraining]. And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good. (Al-Baqara 2:195)

Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (Al-Baqara 2:222)

But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him. (Al-Imran 3:76)

Who spend [in the cause of Allah ] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good. (Al-Imran 3:134) (Al-Imran 3:76)

And Allah loves the steadfast. (Al-Imran 3:146)

And Allah loves the doers of good. (Al-Imran 3:148)

So by mercy from Allah , [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah . Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Al-Imran 3:159)

Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. (Al-Maidah 5:42)

…and then fear Allah and believe, and then fear Allah and do good; and Allah loves the doers of good. (Al Maidah 5:93)

And Allah loves those who purify themselves. (At Tauba 9:108)

Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. (Al Hujurat 49:9)

When we read these verses, we should try to be vigilant and do the maximum to develop these qualities in us until we gain the love and pleasure of Allah.

When we read about the characteristics that Allah SWT does not love, we should be very alert and get away from them. We should avoid them and in fact do the opposite of these hated characteristics until this opposite becomes part of our personalities.

Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors. (Al Baqara 2:190)

Allah destroys interest and gives increase for charities. And Allah does not like every sinning disbeliever. (Al Baqara 2:276)

Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers. (Al Imran 3:32)

Allah does not like the wrongdoers. (Al Imran 3:57)

Allah does not like the wrongdoers. (Al Imran 3:140)

Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful. (An Nisa 4:36)

Indeed, Allah loves not one who is a habitually sinful deceiver. (An Nisa 4:107)

Allah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged. And ever is Allah Hearing and Knowing. (An Nisa 4:148)

Allah does not like corrupters. (Al Maida 5:64)

Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors. (Al Maida 5:87)

Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess. (Al An’am 6:141)

Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors. (Al A’raf 7:55)

Indeed, Allah does not like traitors. (Al Anfal 8:58)

Indeed, He does not like the arrogant. (An Nahl 16:23)

Indeed, Allah does not like the exultant. (Al Qasas 28:76)

Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters. (Al Qasas 28:77)

Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful. (Luqman 31:18)

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "There are three qualities whoever has them, will taste the sweetness of Iman: To love Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) more than anyone else; to love a slave (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah; and to abhor returning to infidelity after Allah has saved him from it as he would abhor to be thrown into the fire (of Hell)". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 375]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give protection with His Shade* on the Day when there will be no shade except His Shade (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection), and they are: A just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosque; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful and high ranking woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): 'I fear Allah'; a person who gives a charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand might not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 376]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Exalted, will say: 'Where are those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory? Today I shall shelter them in My Shade when there will be no shade except Mine." [Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 377]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you shall not believe until you love one another. May I inform you of something, if you do, you love each other. Promote greeting amongst you (by saying As-salamu 'alaikum to one another)." [Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 378]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "A man set out to visit a brother (in Faith) in another town and Allah sent an angel on his way. When the man met the angel, the latter asked him, "Where do you intend to go?" He said, "I intend to visit my brother in this town." The angel said, "Have you done any favor to him?" He said, "No, I have no desire except to visit him because I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious." Thereupon the angel said, "I am a messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake)"[Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 379]

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said about the Ansar: "Only a believer loves them, and only a hypocrite hates them. Allah loves him who loves them and Allah hates him who hates them." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 380]

Mu'adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: 'For those who love one another for the sake of My Glory, there will be seats of light (on the Day of Resurrection), and they will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs."[At- Tirmidhi Hasan Sahih] [Riyad us Saliheen # 381]

Abu Idris Al-Khaulani (May Allah had mercy upon him) reported: I once entered the mosque in Damascus. I happened to catch sight of a young man who had bright teeth (i.e., he was always seen smiling). A number of people had gathered around him. When they differed over anything they would refer it to him and act upon his advice. I asked who he was and I was told that he was Mu'adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) The next day I hastened to the mosque, but found that he had arrived before me and was busy in performing Salah. I waited until he finished, and then went to him from the front, greeted him with Salam and said to him, "By Allah I love you." He asked, "For the sake of Allah?" I replied, "Yes, for the sake of Allah". He again asked me, "Is it for Allah's sake?" I replied, "Yes, it is for Allah's sake." Then he took hold of my cloak, drew me to himself and said, "Rejoice,! I heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, 'Allah, the Exalted, says: My love is due to those who love one another for My sake, meet one another for My sake, visit one another for My sake and spend in charity for My sake." [Malik Sahih] [Riyad us Saliheen # 382]

Abu Karimah Al-Miqdad bin Ma'dikarib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When a man loves his brother (for Allah sake) let him tell him that he loves him."[At- Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud Hasan] [Riyad us Saliheen # 383]

Mu'adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) held my hand and said, "O Mu'adh, By Allah, I love you and advise you not to miss supplicating after every Salah (prayer) saying: 'Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika,' (O Allah, help me remember You, expressing gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner)."[Abu Dawud and An- Nasa'i Sahih] [Riyad us Saliheen # 384]

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man was with the Prophet (PBUH) when another man passed by and the former said: "O Messenger of Allah! I love this man (for Allah's sake)". Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked, "Have you informed him?" He said, "No". Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then said, "Tell him (that you love him)". So he went up to the man and said to him, "I love you for the sake of Allah;" and the other replied, "May Allah, for Whose sake you love me, love you."[Abu Dawud Sahih] [Riyad us Saliheen # 385]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah the Exalted has said: 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him." [Al- Bukhari] [Riyad us Saliheen # 386]

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibreel and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him'. Then Jibreel loves him. After that he (Jibreel) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so- and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 387]

'Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah, (PBUH) appointed a man in charge of an army unit who led them in Salah (prayer); he always concluded his recitation with Surat Al-Ikhlas: "Say (O Muhammad (PBUH)): 'He is Allah, (the) One. Allah-us-Samad (Allah - the Self-Sufficient). He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none equal or comparable to Him."' (112:1-4) Upon their return to Al-Madinah, they mentioned this to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), who said, "Ask him why he does so?" He was asked and he said, "This Surah contains the Attributes of Allah, the Gracious, and I love to recite it. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then told them, "Tell him that Allah loves him."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim] [Riyad us Saliheen # 388]

This relationship of ultimate love is culminated in this world with the following promise by Allah SWT to His slaves at the time of their departure:

[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul, Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], And enter among My [righteous] servants And enter My Paradise." (Al-Fajr 89:27—30)

This love with the Almighty Creator will be a source of honor, dignity, happiness, and elevation in this life and the hereafter. It will not only satisfy the person’s deep desire to love and be loved, it will allow him to leave a legacy of love that will never end.

The choice is in our hands!

May Allah SWT make this reading a source of guidance, wisdom, light, happiness, inspiration and elevation for us in this life and the hereafter. Ameen Ya Rabbal ‘Alameen.

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