Selfless love

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalaamu alaykum

"Whoever possesses three characteristics shall taste the sweetness of faith: that Allah and His Messenger be more beloved by him than all else, that he love someone purely for the sake of Allah, and that he hate returning to disbelief as he hates being caste into a fire." (Bukhari)

All the 1000-1500 Companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, may Allah be pleased with them all, who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, possessed all three characteristics. This was a pledge of allegiance for death. This is selfless love.

Narrated Yazid bin Ubaid: Salama said, "I gave the Pledge of allegiance (Al−Ridwan) to Allah's Messenger and then I moved to the shade of a tree. When the number of people around the Prophet diminished, he said, 'O Ibn Al−Akwa! Will you not give to me the pledge of Allegiance?' I replied, 'O Allah's Messenger! I have already given to you the pledge of Allegiance.' He said, 'Do it again.' So I gave the pledge of allegiance for the second time." I asked 'O Abu Muslim! For what did you give the pledge of Allegiance on that day?" He replied, "We gave the pledge of Allegiance for death."

Allah praised the Companions and rewarded them: "Certainly Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility on them and rewarded them with a near victory." Qur'an Al-Fath 48:18

"Nobody who pledged allegiance under the tree shall enter the Fire." (Tirmidhi)

"And (as for) the foremost, the first of the Muhajirs and the Ansars, and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them for ever; that is the mighty achievement." (Qur'an At-Tawba 9:100)

We must love the Companions for their love of Allah, the Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and their love of Islam we enjoy today. Behind selfless love and hate lies concern, sacrifice and genuineness. The companions are great examples of what selfless love truly mean. Perhaps we cannot achieve selfless love 100% but we can certainly practice concern, sacrifice, genuineness and sincerity and as we realize our slavehood and the heart becomes more attached to our Lord, it will descend from our minds to our hearts. InshaAllah.

May Allah grant us a place in the highest Paradise among the righteous Companions. Ameen.