Love for Allah

Love for Allah

The definition of belief in the Qur'an is complete devotion to Allah and Allah alone. The Hereafter is absolutely inescapable. The believer is devoted to Allah because he knows he will certainly give an account of everything he did in the world. Everything a person owns in the world such as health, intelligence, beauty, wealth, career, good standards of living, spouse, children, and other blessings such as food and clothing are all from Allah and is defined by Allah down to the finest detail. There is no provider other than Allah. The true believer knows this undeniable fact and so loves and glorifies Allah ceaselessly. Surely the one who has given everything is deserving of t

he greatest love and respect. He never dares to attribute the source of these blessings to any worldly being, to himself, or anyone else, nor does he love any being as he loves Allah.

“Allah is most compassionate and most merciful to mankind” (Qur’an 22:65)

When people forget Allah and pay no heed to the true religion, they begin to love and chase after objects in life thinking they exist independent of Allah, deceived into thinking that these objects have an existence outside of Allah, who is the One who actually originates them. In Quranic terms, being devoted to objects independent of Allah is associating partners with Allah.

"...Then, when We grant him a blessing from Us he says, 'I have only been given this because of my knowledge.' In fact it is a trial but most of them do not know it." (Qur'an 39:49)

For a believer, the good things in life given to him by Allah, is merely ways to get nearer to Allah. He does this by praising Allah for each and every blessing no matter how disguised it may be. For example, the believer is grateful to Allah for his healthy heart and eyes, this leads him to work more righteously in life as Allah requires him to do so. If he 'loves' anything or any being in life, he does so only so he can increase in his love for Allah and to render thanks to Him. Indeed, that is the purpose of all the blessings Allah has provided people. For example, the believer may love his spouse, this makes him thank and love Allah even more and in no way does he consider this love to have originated from any other than Allah. It is all from Allah. In this way, everything on earth is given to us so we can be more devoted to Allah, and follow His commands as described in the Qur'an. If the believer looses anyone or anything of attachment in the world, he really has not lost anything so long as he has love for Allah and continues to be devoted to Him.

When love for objects or human figures, living or of the past, take an independent standing outside the realm of Allah, a person's purpose of living is faulty and he is only following his own vain desires and not Allah. For instance, a person acquires material wealth without duly thanking Allah or a person who ‘idolises’ an individual due to love for that person outside and beyond the love of Allah, for instance, celebrities, football players, family, scientists, and religious figures.

“Have you considered the one who has taken his own desire as his god? Allah has, knowing him as such, allowed to be strayed? Sealing his ears and heart and covering his eyes – who can guide such a person after Allah has done this? Will you not take heed?” (Qur’an 45:23)

The believer’s only motive on earth is to earn the good pleasure of Allah and only Allah’s approval, no one else’s.

Having now seen the kind of superior understanding of faith and way of life of a true believer, it becomes easier to see that disbelievers are always committing great wrong when they consume Allah's blessings without making it a way to increase in love of Allah and draw nearer to Allah. Indeed, they are arrogant about accepting Allah as the originator of the blessings and deny Him altogether. They begin to venerate human beings and themselves for every blessing they are given and chase after objects thinking they are outside of Allah's originating power. Allah explains this in the Qur'an:

"Yet, there are those who chose to worship others beside Allah as rivals to Him, loving them as they should love Allah, but the believers have greater love for Allah" (Qur'an 2:165)

Knowing that Allah is the source of every single blessing on earth, the true believer derives the greatest pleasure from the worldly blessings Allah has provided for him, while also earning Allah's Paradise in the Hereafter.

The hidden idolatry committed by most people is because their hearts do not reflect on the Qur'an which calls them to true faith by providing necessary lessons and admonitions. They therefore have given themselves no possibility of bringing themselves to true faith. Only the Qur'an explains to people the true sense of faith.

Unfortunately, this form of hidden idolatry we are discussing is not just restricted to disbelievers. Even many so-called Muslims, who think they are practising religion, also fall into this hidden idolatry. For example, some Muslims profess their love for Prophet Muhammad readily and are full of praises and glory for the Prophet. Amazingly, the same does not hold true for Allah. Upon a closer analysis, we find that their case is no different from all the other ignorant people who fail to accept true faith in Allah and fail to love and glorify Allah independent of anything else.

"When you mention your Lord alone using the Qur'an, they turn their backs and run away." (Qur'an 17:46)

Islam is purely and simply a complete surrendering of ones soul to the Almighty Creator and His purpose in Creation. This is actually a comprehension more than anything else. Only the Qur'an provides accurate information on how to attain true faith and comprehension, which is free of corruption, the kind required by Allah in order to be successful in the Hereafter. All Muslims must make sincere attempts to understand what true faith is by taking serious responsibility to study faith directly from the Qur'an, before it is too late. Until a person does this, there can be no chance of true faith.