Reaching for the Love of Allah Most High

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

To be close to our Creator is a fundamental need of every human being and striving to achieve it can be the healing for our chaotic inner selves which, in turn, leads to:

Allah’s love
Greater productivity
Confidence
Satisfaction and joy

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ‌ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ‌ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨

Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. [Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:28]

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah ) said: "People have discussed about mahabbah (love of Allah); its causes and what brings it about, its signs and its fruits and its rulings. The most comprehensive saying about this is what Abu Bakr al-Kattaanee relates about al-Junayd (d. 279 AH). Abu Bakr al-Kattaanee (d. 322 AH) said:

'A discussion about mahabbah took place in Makkah during the Pilgrimage month. The Shaykhs who were present spoke about this matter and al-Junayd was the youngest of them. They said to him: O 'Iraqi, what do you have to say? So he bowed his head and tears were flowing from his eyes and he said:

"A servant should overcome his soul;

And be continuous in the remembrance of his Lord;

Establishing the Rights of his Lord;

Focusing upon Him with his heart;

The late of fear setting a blaze upon his heart;

Whilst drinking from the vessel of true love;

And certain realities become unveiled to him;

So when he talks, it is due to Allah;

When he speaks, it is from Allah;

When he moves, it is by the command of Allah;

And when he is serene, then it is from Allah;

He belongs to Allah, is for Allah, and is with Allah."

So the Shaykhs began to weep and said: How can that be increased upon? May Allah reward you with good, O crown of the knowledgeable ones!'

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim further said: "The reasons which cause the mahabbah (love of Allah) to develop are ten:

First: Reciting the Qur'aan, reflecting and understanding its meaning and its intent.

Second: Drawing closer to Allahthe Most High through optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory duties.

Third: Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, with the tongue, the heart and the limbs under all circumstances. The more continuous the dhikr, the more muhabbah develops and intensifies.

Fourth: Giving precedence to what Allah loves over personal loves, when being overcome by desires.

Fifth: Contemplating and deliberating over the Names and Attributes of Allah.

Sixth: Recognizing and remembering the favors and bounties of Allah both manifest and hidden.

Seventh: To be humble and submissive before Allah and this is the greatest matter.

Eighth: To be in seclusion reciting the Qur'an, during that time in which Allah descends to the lowest heaven (which is the last third of every night), finishing this recitation with seeking Allah's forgiveness and repenting to Him.

Ninth: To sit in the gatherings of the true and sincere lovers of Allah, reaping the fruits of their speech, and not to speak except if there is benefit in it and that you know that such talk will increase you in goodness and that it will benefit others as well.

Tenth: To stay clear of all those causes which distances the heart from Allah the Mighty and Majestic.

So these are the ten reasons which cause the person to develop true love for Allah and to reach the rank of al-muhabbah, by which he reaches his Beloved.

Allah has different levels or degrees of love for His creatures. One is His general and encompassing love that includes all beings. If there were no such love nothing, would be brought into being.

A higher level of Divine love is His love for true believers, those who believe in Him, the ultimate Truth and do righteous deeds. Those are the people "...He will love and who love Him" (Al-Maida 5:54). In the Qur'an, we find that Allah loves "the doers of justice" (Al-Maida 5:42; Al-Anfal 8:60; 9:49), "those who purify themselves" (9:108), "the pious" (3:76; 9:4 & 7), "those who do good (to others)" (5:13 & 93; 3:134 & 148; 2:195) "those who trust (Him)" (4:35) "the patient" (3:146) and "those who repent very much and purify themselves" (2:222).

It is noteworthy that in the Qur'an in many cases Allah's displeasure is described not by focusing on His hatred, but rather indirectly by phrases, such as "Allah does not love any ungrateful (or unbeliever) sinner" (2:276), "Allah does not love the unjust" (3:57&11:40), "surely, Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful" (4:36) and "surely Allah does not love him who is treacherous, sinful" (4:107).

The highest level of Divine love for any creature is His love for perfect human beings, such as prophets.

If you want to know your worth to Allah Most High, then see what you are doing with your life. Are you pleasing Allah or disappointing Him?

‏اللهم إني أسألك حبك، وحب من يحبك، والعمل الذي يبلغني حبك، اللهم اجعل حبك أحب إلى من نفسي، وأهلي، ومن الماء البارد‏

Allahumma inni as'aluka hubbaka, wa hubba man yuhibbuka, wal-'amalalladhi yuballighuni hubbaka. Allahumm-aj'al hubbaka ahabba ilayya min nafsi, wa ahli, wa minal-ma'il-baridi

O Allah! I ask You for Your Love, the love of those who love You, and deeds which will cause me to attain Your Love. O Allah! Make Your Love dearer to me than myself, my family and the cold water. [At-Tirmidhi]

Ameen

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam

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