“And (those) who have believed have stronger (fervor in) love towards Allah” (Quran, 2: 165); “Whoever loves, hates, gives, and holds only for the sake of Almighty Allah has completed his faith” (Sahih Muslim)
Allah (SWT) has blessed us with many gifts: eyes for seeing; ears for hearing; a tongue for speaking; legs for walking, etc. Similarly, the heart is an organ that performs crucial functions in our body. In this heart, our emotions like hate and love lie. The spiritual function of this heart is to love. If this love is for Allah, we will be rewarded for it, but if this love is for our Nafs (self) or Duniya (the material world), then it becomes a source and path to Jahannum (Hell). If we try to understand the above-mentioned Quranic verse, the main thing mentioned is the Love of Allah.
A classical scholar has interpreted it as: Transporters to Allah are three: Fear of Allah, Hope of Allah, and Love of Allah. Among these three transporters, the love of Allah is the ultimate and most noble thing. It is this that gives meaning to our lives. The love of Allah is such a great thing that turns our ignorance into light, our weakness into strength, and makes us entitled to Jannah (paradise). This ‘Love for Allah’ (Mohabbat-e-Ilahi) works for a believer in the same way as water helps a plant to grow. If we stop watering a plant, it will wither and fall to the ground. Similarly, if the love of Allah is absent in our hearts, we are like withered plants. As Allah has given us the title of ASHRAFUL MAKHLUQAAT (Crown of all the Creations), meaning we are elevated in comparison to other creatures, Allah (SWT) has shaped us in the most beautiful way. He gave us the most amazing gift: the power of thinking, the power of understanding, and the power of differentiating between right and wrong.
Other creatures, whether large animals or insects, lack the ability to realize, to understand what is right and what is wrong. Thus, we (humans) have been elevated high. But at the same point, Allah (SWT) has commanded us to worship Him only; to have fear of Him (which protects us from committing sins); to have hope in Him, and to love Him.
If we recall the event of Prophet Yaqub (AS) and Prophet Yusuf (AS), we see that Allah (SWT) tested the former with his beloved son. He loved Yusuf (AS) immensely, which made his brothers jealous of him, leading them to separate the two through a tricky plan. Due to this separation and grief, the father suffered so much that he lost his eyesight. But he remained steadfast, showed the utmost patience, and used to say: “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know” (Quran, 12: 86).
When the eyes were turned away from all sides, then the mercy of Allah finally came, O my beloved Yaqoob! Now, you turned towards me so much that your eyes are diverted from all sides, and you have proved that My love is very strong in you. Then Allah reunited the son and the father and also restored his eyesight. From this event, we can estimate how much Allah likes and loves His love to prevail in the heart of every Mumin (true believer).
Our true beloved is only Allah (SWT), the Most High. He said in the Quran: “We have not made two hearts in the chest of any human being” (Quran 33:4); one to give to Allah and the other to give to self and Shaitan. He said the heart is one and is the only one. Our hearts should be filled with the love of the Almighty, then we can say we are true believers. And this is what the above-mentioned Ayah is about. It is the love of Almighty Allah that creates a soul within Shariah. If the love of Allah is not in the heart, then this life is of no use. Iblis was knowledgeable, a knower but not a lover, so he was rejected from the court of Almighty Allah. If he was a lover, he would have prostrated before Adam (AS) upon hearing Allah’s command and would not have been cursed.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is reported to have said: “Love Allah as He has blessed you with many gifts.” Now, if we have a look at them, He gave us sight, the ability to hear and speak, health, wealth, sustenance, and the ability to think, etc. If we consider these, more love for Allah will come into our hearts. We should fall in love with this Blessed Reality from the depths of our hearts. Our love or hatred for anyone should be only for Almighty Allah.
Allama Iqbal has put it beautifully in this couplet:
Is Daur Ki Zulmat Mein, Har Qalb-e-Parishaan Ko
Wo Daag-e-Mohabbat De, Jo Chaand Ko Sharma De!
The writer is a student of 1st Semester at Govt. Degree College Sogam (Lolab), Kupwara