Loving Allah
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Brothers and sisters! The topic of tonight’s Ramadan reflection is: “Loving Allah.” Compliance with Allah’s command to fast in the month of Ramadan increases the love of Allah in the heart of the one who fasts.
How does one increase one’s love for Allah (SWT)? Do we feel this deep love for Allah (SWT) in our hearts? Do we long for Him? Most probably, an honest reply would be, “We don’t.” If we can examine ourselves honestly and know what we love, then we have taken a major step forward. If we find that what we love is Allah (SWT), then we are blessed with a great gift for which all praise is due to Allah (SWT). But if what we love is other than Allah (SWT), then at least we know and we have the opportunity to seek to change what is in our hearts.
If anyone derives pleasure from committing sins, then only one thing that can take him or her out of that situation is to taste the pleasure of the intimacy with Allah (SWT). Without that the person will most likely continue to sin even after praying; even after fasting for a whole month in Ramadan, and even after performing Hajj. It is difficult to give up pleasure of this world until one gets a greater pleasure, and that is the pleasure of feeling close and intimate with Allah (SWT). He has given us the gift of His companionship, for He says,
هُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ
“He is with you wherever you are.” (al-Hadid, 57:4)
Allah (SWT) is with you wherever you maybe – Masjid, home, workplace, or anywhere else; whether you remember Him or not; whether you are mindful of Him or not; whether you worship Him or not. He is with you even when you are sinning against Him, just waiting for you to turn to Him in repentance.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ
“And when My servants ask you about Me, say that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls Me:.” (al-Baqarah, 2:186) And Allah (SWT) says,
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ
“So remember Me and I will remember you.” (al-Baqarah, 2:152)
Our remembrance of Allah is His remembrance of us. Our call to Him is His answer to us. Remembrance is the way of intimacy with Allah. And we still don’t desire to be close to Him; we still don’t wish to love Him; we still disobey Him; we still distance ourselves from Him. Brothers and sisters! Allah did not create us to send us to hell. He created us to be eternally happy and to live in Jannah. And how close is Allah to us; closer than we can imagine.
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ
“We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (Qaf, 50:16)
This means that Allah (SWT) is closer to us than our own selves. The relationship of love between us and Allah (SWT), between us and others, and between us and all of creation is essential to reaching our full potential as human beings. When we manifest Allah’s love in our lives, the entire meaning of life changes for us. Of course, love of Allah (SWT) requires us to love what Allah (SWT) loves and to dislike what displeases Him.
Allah’s grace multiplies with our sincere efforts and honest intention to come closer to Him. Whatever we give to Him comes back manifold to us. In this way, little by little, our love for Allah grows and develops and it transforms us into loving, noble human beings.
One of the du’as that the Prophet (S) used to make to express his love, awe, and longing for Allah (SWT) used to be:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَالْعَمَلَ الَّذِي يُبَلِّغُنِي حُبَّكَ
“O Allah, I ask for Your love, and the love of those who love You and love of actions that bring me closer to Your love.”
One of the ways to draw close to Allah is with voluntary acts of worship in order to gain His pleasure. This can be done through righteous acts like prayers, fasting, charity, recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance and other similar acts. A Hadith Qudsi tells us:
“My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him.”
There are certain signs that indicate love for Allah (SWT). Some of these are:
- To love the word of Allah (i.e., the Qur’an) that he revealed to His Prophet (S); to love to recite it and reflect upon its meaning and enjoy closeness to it, and to abide by its teachings in every sphere of one’s life. And we know that Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed.
- To love the Prophet Muhammad (S), follow him and send praise and blessings upon him. Loving the Prophet (S) is ‘ibadah—a part of iman. In a well-known hadith, the Prophet (S) said, “None of you will attain true faith until you love me more than your parents, your children and the whole world.” What does it mean? It means that you are willing to give up your desires to follow the example and to follow the way of the Prophet (S), which means preferring him over everyone and everything else. In fact, ayah 31 of Surat Aal Imran makes following the Prophet (S) a condition for loving Allah (SWT).
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
“Say, If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins; Allah is most forgiving, most merciful.” (Aal ‘Imran 3:31)
- To guard the limits set down by Allah and not to transgress them in any way. To strive with heart, tongue and hand as much as possible to uplift Allah’s law and establish His deen on earth.
- To recognize the honor of being a friend of Allah and to strive to attain that friendship. Describing His friends, Allah says:
أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Look, the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Yunus, 10:62)
- To prefer the eternity of the hereafter to the impermanence of this world, and to prepare for the departure from this world and meeting with Allah (SWT). May Allah bless us with His love, and the love of those who love Him. May Allah fill our hearts with love. Ameen.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
وَصَلَّ اللهُ عَلَى خيرِ خَلقِهِ مُحمَّدٍ وعَلَى آلِه وأصْحَابِه أجْمَعِين- بِرَحْمَتِكَ يا أرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِين
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Some passages have been excerpted and paraphrased from the book “Thirty Lessons for Those Who Fast” by Aa’id Abdullah al-Qarni.
