عربي
Home


Articles

Articles

Introducing those who Love to the Reality of Love (The Love of Allah and His Messenger)
Author : Dr. Mohammad bani Taha
Date Added : 26-02-2025

Introducing those who Love to the Reality of Love (The Love of Allah and His Messenger)

 

The love of Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is the strongest bond of faith, the shortest path to Paradise, and a sign of disavowal from Satan. How could it not be so when its place is the heart—the very place where the Most Merciful looks. When it dwells there, light radiates from it and spreads to all the limbs. This love manifests in the heart as faith and conviction, and in the limbs as obedience and submission. They loved Him, so He loved them, and He commanded them, so they obeyed Him. Allah Says (What means) "O you who have believed, whoever among you turns back from his religion—Allah will bring forth a people He loves and who love Him, humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers. They strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." [Al-Mai`dah/54].

Preferring this love over all other beloved things is a condition for attaining Paradise and being saved from Hellfire. However, this can only be achieved by striving against all desires and temptations. One who loves but does not struggle against their desires is deluded, and one who strives without love will find their deeds unacceptable. Allah Says in [Surat At-Tawbah]—which is also known as Surah of Disavowal [Bara`ah], the Revealer [Al-Khashifah], and the Exposer [Al-Fadihah] (What means): "Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your relatives, the wealth you have acquired, the commerce you fear will decline, and the homes you cherish are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decision. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people." [At-Tawbah/24].

Whoever attains this true love (for Allah and His Messenger) has acquired great goodness and reached a lofty level of faith. The Prophet said: "None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child, and all people." [Agreed upon]. Therefore, every Muslim must understand the true nature of this love, so they may learn the way to attain it and enjoy its blessings.

The essence of love is the inclination of the heart, and it is of two types [1]:

1. Natural Love: This follows human desires, such as a person’s love for themselves or their parents. By nature, a person loves themselves more than they love others. This type of love is beyond human control and is not subject to religious obligation, as Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.

2. Rational, Volitional Love: This is the inclination towards what the intellect chooses, even if it goes against natural desires. For example, a sick person may willingly take bitter medicine because reason dictates that it will bring healing, despite its unpleasant taste.

The love that Islamic teachings require is of the second type—rational, volitional love—not the natural, instinctive love that a person has no control over. This is because Islamic law only obligates a person with what is within their ability and choice.

This Sharia-based love (for Allah and His Messenger) consists of two stages: the essence of love and its perfection [2].

The first stage: The foundation of Sharia-based love, which is the heart’s inclination and preference for the commands of Allah and His Messenger. This is because a person knows that Allah and His Messenger only command and forbid what ensures the well-being of their religion, worldly life, Hereafter, and ultimate fate [3]. As a result, they incline towards and prioritize their commands based on reason, even if their desires and natural inclinations oppose them.

This love is cultivated through reflection on Allah’s blessings and is proven through obedience. The Prophet (PBUH) emphasized this in the hadith: "Love Allah for the blessings He bestows upon you, and love me for the love of Allah, and love my family for my love." [Al-Hakim]. The Quran also confirms this in the verse, it states (What means): "Say, if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you." [Al-Imran/31].

Some scholars, like Qadi Iyad, considered this love a condition for true faith, as it signifies veneration and reverence for Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), which are fundamental aspects of Faith. However, Al-Qurtubi argued that reverence does not necessarily require heartfelt affection, as one might respect something without loving it, as mentioned by Ibn Hajar in His book Fath Al-Bari [4].

The Second Stage: At this level, a person’s natural inclinations and desires become fully aligned with their intellect and faith. Instead of experiencing the internal struggle of resisting personal desires in favor of divine guidance, the believer finds pleasure in following Allah’s commands. The heart, soul, and intellect are in harmony, loving only what Allah loves and detesting only what He detests. Scholars have described this stage in profound ways: A state beyond verbal expression. The beloved fully possesses the heart, immersing it in constant remembrance. No distinction remains between presence and absence, closeness and distance [5].

Perfect love can be described as the complete transformation of a person’s nature, desires, and pleasure into an unwavering devotion to knowing and worshiping Allah. Hence, the people of love and devotion—may Allah make us among them—express this reality through their well-known sayings: Whoever tastes, knows. Whoever knows, draws from it. Whoever draws from it, acknowledges it. Whoever acknowledges it, becomes immersed in what he knows.

Some have criticized the expressions used by those who speak about this stage of perfect love, objecting to it on two grounds:

First Objection: The Supposed Negation of Reason in Favor of Experience 

Some argue that this concept eliminates the role of intellect and replaces it with subjective experience ("Dhawq") [6].

This objection is clearly unfounded, because reaching this stage of knowing Allah comes only through deep reflection, contemplation, and intellectual engagement with His signs in creation—all of which are functions of the intellect.

Second Objection: The Risk of Straying from Sharia

Another criticism is that such discussions about love and spiritual experience may lead individuals to abandon the clear teachings of Islam, replacing divine guidance with personal feelings and mystical experiences [7].

This argument is also invalid, because one of the greatest fruits of true love for Allah is perfect obedience to His commands and strict adherence to the Sunna. The more complete a person’s love for Allah, the more they follow His guidance. Therefore, true love does not exist without obedience, and no one reaches its perfection without first establishing its foundation through adherence to the Sharia.

In conclusion, the station of love is a great station; whoever attains it has indeed achieved a tremendous success. May Allah make me and you among its people.

 

[1] Sharh Al-Shifa, Al-Hirawi Al-Qari, 2/36.

[2] Sharh Al-Shifa, 2/36.

[3] Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari, by Ibn Battal, 1/67.

[4] Fath Al-Bari, 1/59.

[5] Mu'jam Maqalid Al-Uloom, by Al-Suyuti.

[6] Tanbih Al-Ghabi, by Al-Biqa'i, edited by Abdul Rahman Al-Wakeel, 2/212.

[7] Al-Manar Magazine, 19/50.

 

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it obligatory to make up all missed prayers?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Making up missed prayers (qaḍāʾ) is a sharʿī obligation, established by the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself — when the disbelievers preoccupied him on the Day of the Trench and he missed the ʿAṣr prayer, he made it up afterward. This is further affirmed by the ḥadīth: "Fulfil what you owe to Allah, for Allah is most deserving of being fulfilled." (Reported by al-Bukhārī.)
Accordingly, a person who has missed prayers should set aside his voluntary and Sunnah prayers and replace them with make-up prayers in their stead. There is no objection to making up one missed prayer alongside each obligatory prayer that is performed — praying the equivalent missed prayer together with each current obligatory prayer as a practical and manageable way of gradually clearing one's debt of missed prayers. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on a suitor (khāṭib) going out alone with his fiancée before the marriage contract is concluded?

It is unlawful for a suitor, prior to the marriage contract , to do anything that would be unlawful for any non-maḥram man — including touching his fiancée, being secluded with her (khalwah), or seeing her without her complete sharī‘ah-compliant covering — even after the recitation of al-Fātiḥah (This is a cultural custom to seek Allah's blessing (barakah) and mark mutual consent) and the family's approval [of the engagement]. This is because the engagement, without the formal marriage contract, does not render unlawful matters permissible. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

I have a date farm, and the dates come in different categories, and within each category there are different sizes. How is zakāh paid on the yield?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If the yield reaches the niṣāb (the minimum threshold for zakāh to become obligatory) — which is five awsuq (plural of wasq), equivalent to (611) kg — then zakāh becomes obligatory upon it, at a rate of one-tenth ('ushr) if irrigated by rainwater (i.e., naturally, without the use of machinery), or one-twentieth (half of the 'ushr) if irrigated using machinery/equipment.
If the yield of dates consists of different varieties, then zakāh should be paid from each variety according to its respective proportion. If this proves difficult, it is permissible to pay from a medium-quality variety [representative of the average].
It is stated in Ḥāshiyatā Qulyūbī wa ‘Umayrah (Vol.2/P.22): "Different varieties are combined together [for the purpose of calculating the niṣāb] — such as the various types of dates, the various types of raisins, and so on — and zakāh is paid from each type according to its respective proportion. However, if this becomes difficult due to the large number of varieties and the small quantity of each individual type, then zakāh should be paid from a medium-quality variety among them — neither the best nor the worst — out of consideration for both sides [the giver and the poor recipient]. If one goes to the trouble of paying from each variety according to its proportion, this is also permissible." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

See More