God prefers to see His creatures direct their tender feelings towards entities and abstract things He values most. Love for one's parents, spouse and neighbor and acts of charity are among the objects laudable in the first place. Love of the Prophet is the salient characteristic of a mature soul. Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: "Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Âli Ýmrân(3/31)
The servant, who has gone through a preparatory phase, will reach perfection through pious works he will have executed in all sincerity; he will thus attain the ultimate divine experience per excellence.
Share with others the things you value most
By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth Allah knoweth it well. (3/92)
…to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves… (2/177)
The most commendable act that God blesses with contentment is man's sharing his most cherished assets, both material and immaterial wealth and spiritual values, with those who are in need for them. This requires self-sacrifice. This act cleanses and sublimates one's soul and makes a man meritorious in the sight of God.
Love of Faith
…: But Allah has endeared the Faith to you, and has made it beautiful in your hearts (49/7)
… those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah… (2/165)
Wordly Love is an irrational occurrence; but the love of God is an ontological and transcendental experience. However, to love God through ontological argument is not enough; an individual should be able to love Him spiritually also. Religion becomes thus an affair of pure love in its purest and most concentrated form. The highest station of love is therefore the love of the servant for his Creator
Love for human beings
Ah! ye are those who love them, but they love you not,- though ye believe in the whole of the Book… (3/119)
… treat with kindness your parents and kindred, and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the people…(2/83)
… but do thou good, as Allah has been good to thee, (28/77)
The salient characteristic of the believers is their generosity of heart replete with love. Their hearts are soft, and they always display beauty and goodness everywhere, although those that He has created may not be well-disposed towards Him; He is Merciful and Compassionate towards them. The believer harbors no feelings of vengeance for their enemies; even though they may have been target of an ill act, they behave with forbearance. Love between human beings is absolutely necessary for their ripening into perfection. This will be a step toward their ultimate objective, i.e. divine love.
Sharing one's assets with others is a prayer and a consequence of his love for the human being. To be generous and benevolent, that is, sharing one's wealth with one's fellow being, generates sparkles of love. This exchange between the giver and the recipient fosters peace and affection between people and contribute to their integration. The result is will be a harmonious whole. Such a society had once come about under the initial period of the Islam and during the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
In the devotion expressed in sharing one's assets with others (See the present book, Those that God favor, Ten Fundamental Devotional Acts in Piety) in addition to the act of giving away as charity exchange of moral support between human beings also is very important. The wronged, the destitute, the unhappy are in dire need of moral support; to empathize with them would be highly commendable. Visit to the sick for instance is of vital importance. The sick must be comforted. Sharing people's joys which enhances their happiness is a factor that promotes mutual love. Attending the funeral service and conveying one's heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased tighten up spiritual attachments. Uttering beautiful and laudatory words strengthen alliances. If one is not in a position to aid a man in need, beautiful words expressed with a mild countenance will help him to pull himself together.
Love for one's Spouse
…And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts) … (30/21)
And those who pray, "Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous." (25/74)
"God has created every living creature in pairs. And of every thing We have created pairs…" Zâriyât (51/49) The verse lays down the basic principle of the creation. Believers must pray God to appoint them spouses that will make them happy.
Sexual love between spouses is absolutely necessary for the perpetuation of life, and forms an intermediate stage between the human and the divine loves. The sexual union between spouses links them to life and teach them making sacrifices, contributing thus to their maturation. The sexual love is a preparatory phase on the path to divine love. That is why God has prohibited fornication for this purpose. "Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils)." Ýsrâ (17/32) No need to say, venereal diseases and AIDS in particular are punishments exacted in this world.
Marriage and sexual love are necessary not only for the perpetuation of the race, but also for the maturation of man. Those who fail to have such an exhilarating experience are doomed to remain stunted. All the prophets have had matrimonial ties and prepared themselves for a loftier love, i.e. divine love.
LOVE FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. (17/23)
And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." (17/24)
And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning: (hear the command), "Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal. (31/14)
Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous…… (25/74)
God enjoins man love for his parents, right next to prayer to Him. With due decorum, we are obliged to love and revere our mothers and fathers unreservedly, without awaiting anything in return as consideration. This love happens to be at the highest steps in the ladder climbing to heaven. Love for them is in a sense tantamount to love of the Divine Being. In the verse a comparison has been made between the old age of the parents and our state of our childhood. There is a similarity between the love we feel for children and for our old parents.
The mother has a supreme status in her nourishing and succoring her child. She bears her child in her womb, brings her to the world, nourishes it without awaiting any consideration in return and loves her sincerely.
The believers must pray God to bestow them, progeny that will love and respect them in return.
LOVE OF THE PROPHET