…. But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah…. (2/165)
… soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him …(5/54)
…. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Full of Kindness, Most Merciful… (59/10)
Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers… (5/55)
A tradition runs as follows: “I was a hidden treasure; I desired to be known, so I created the universe” Love lies underneath this. Love is a characteristic feature of God; it is out of love that He created the world. Dread or endearments are not conducive to God, but love. God is man's true friend. He created him in his own image. Love directed toward women, progeny and wealth are but transitional experiences that may be considered as a foretaste of the divine love. The true love is the love felt for the Absolute Being. Having the tendency to love one's own kind is a sign that one has the capacity of attraction, desire, or affection felt for a person who arouses delight or admiration in him or elicits tenderness, sympathetic interest, or benevolence. The verse 5/54 points out the relationship of affection that reigns between God and his servant. Another fundamental sine qua non of divine love is the parental love. To respect and serve one's parents means serving God. The peak of a man's love and maturity is translated by the love of the Prophet.
The person that matures during the preparatory phase enters the world of yearning for the entity from whom he had separated. As the nafs (self) purifies and sublimates through the emulation of divine attributes the person begins to perceive the mystery of eternity. This is a long and continuous process. On the one hand, the Supreme Being, the source of beauty and love, on the other the nafs (self) undergoing transfiguration, two poles that converge towards each other, eventually becoming one; the mystical union has thus been realized.
Unless one loves one's fellow being, the created can not experience divine love. Men and other creatures constitute the summum bonum of God's attributes. Every creature owes its being to a cause derived from God's vast wisdom. The peak of all such causes is occupied by man to whom God projected his sublime characteristics. Love should lie beneath all ties between humans. Love is the guide that leads the part to the whole.
Love should be directed not only toward human beings, but toward the entire creation, reflecting images of God. Believers being in the lead, all men, beasts and plants as well as the creatures of whose existence we are unaware must be loved. “I love the created because of my love for the Creator” beautifully expressed this mystical experience.
Unless one loves faith one cannot experience divine love. God has endowed man to have an insight into Him. Faith is the act or state of wholeheartedly and steadfastly believing in the existence, power, and benevolence of a supreme being, of having confidence in his providential care, and of being loyal to his will as revealed or believed in. "Allah has endeared the Faith to you, and has made it beautiful in your hearts" Hucurât (49/7). Religion is a love affair between the created and the Creator. As man is left free to choose between belief and unbelief basing on the principle "There is no compelling in religion" ,part of human beings have chosen disbelief. "Yet no faith will the greater part of mankind have, however ardently thou dost desire it" Yusuf (12/103).
The path to the All-Merciful goes through faith. Faith once sparkled begins to expand in one's soul till it reaches heaven. Man sublimates to the extent he cherishes faith. . "For, Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear His signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their trust in their Lord" Enfal (8/2) "Let us lend our ears once again to the Qur'an: It is He Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the Believers, that they may add faith to their faith" Fetih (48/4) The summit of faith is man's attaining the love of God. "… those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah…" Bakara (2/165)
Unless one loves the Prophet one cannot experience divine love. God stipulated one's love for the Prophet before reaching his final station in God. "Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day…" Ahzâb (33/21) The person whose faith is the most unshakeable is the person who emulates the Prophet. Man becomes perfect when his love for the Prophet becomes overwhelming. To love God is possible only by loving and abiding by His perfect image. : "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Ýmrân (3/31)
Unless one becomes perfect one cannot experience divine love. Love of God becomes possible only after the lifting of the curtain of nafs that stands between the Created and the Creator. The nafs is expected to cleanse its impurities and evil attributes by a superhuman effort before aspiring for higher stages of love. This is possible only by piety. (See This book, Those that God favor, the pious life). The nafs, that rids itself gradually of the fascination of the transitional gifts of nature, assumes certain characteristics; namely, the person shares the surplus of his worldly goods with others, establishes regular prayers, repents for his misdeeds, exercises patience, becomes beneficent, fulfills his promises and acquires wisdom. One becomes conscious of the Absolute Being and of the fact that love for the created is but a step towards the heavenly love. A tradition of the Prophet runs as follows: “No space can encompasses me but the heart of my servant.” In direct proportion with the love kindled in the believer's heart for the Supreme Being, the nafs wanes. The Prophet had said: “Die before you die". Man who partakes of God's wisdom and perception reaches the summit of the stages one has to climb in this world before he finds himself in the presence of the Almighty. (To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Return to thy Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. So enter among my servants, and enter My Garden” Fecr (89/27-30)
O young men! There is a Power that loves and protects us more than our parents, spouses and children: God is He called. We have no one to take refuge with except Him in our direst needs. We should peruse and recite the Qur'an understand it and use it as our guide so that we may be blessed by Him!
O God! Please bless us by your grace and mercy!
THOSE THAT GOD FAVORS