Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Love the Righteous

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

Souls feel affinity with others according to the nature in which they were created. 'Although they are all souls, they differ in different ways, so a person will feel an affinity with souls of one kind, and will get along with them because of the special quality that they have in common.' [Qurtubi]

In the story of the companions of the cave (Ashab al-Kahf) in Surah Al-Kahf, a few young men were drawn to each other because of their righteousness.

وَإِذِ ٱعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ فَأْوُۥٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًا ﴿

[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility." [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:16]

One of bases of love is acquaintance and understanding. Man does not not love one with who he is not acquainted. When it is strong and firm, then is deep love. One of the causes of love is secret connection between a lover and his beloved. This love is cemented not for beauty but for the union of their souls. The souls which agree with one another love one another, and those souls which have no agreement differ.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is an object of love because he (sallallahu alayi wasallam is the beloved of Allah. So is love for the learned, religious and good people, as the dear ones of the beloved are object of love. The ambassadors and the messengers of the dear ones are also objects of love.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Imbue yourself with divine attributes." This injunction is only for following the good attributes, such as acquisition of knowledge, honesty, showing kindness, to do good to people, enjoin them good, to show them right path and to prohibit from evils.

There is no higher love other than Allah. The way to love Him is through divine knowledge. A man gets great pleasure getting the secret information of an emperor. Allah is the most High and Most Honorable. So, the pleasure gained by the pursuit of knowledge of His attributes is the greatest. The best and highest pleasure is by the pursuit of knowledge relating to Allah and His attributes. It is many times more than the pleasure gained by satisfaction of lust or greed by the sense organs.

Islam taught us many things and if we apply even a fraction of what we know, life would be wonderful for us and the people around us. Just take for example this one hadith:
"None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." [related by Bukhari and Muslim]

How many of us practice this? For most people, their lives center around themselves and perhaps it extended to their immediate family members, perhaps a little further or to their best friends, but so many people not even to their own mothers, family members and neighbors, let alone to acquaintances and strangers. This is not surprising at all...for people are mostly selfish. But if you are in the company of people who do practice this hadith, this is the true meaning of life. And you are in the company of the true righteous people. Where do you find people like that? Actually they are not hard to find if you are one of them. Birds of a feather flock together.

First, you need to look to your heart and ask these questions. Does my heart incline towards righteous people? Is the heart avid in desiring righteousness? If your heart is moved at the mention of righteous people, this is a sign that you are one of them.

One of the companions came to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and said, “I traveled through the day and night and I am filled with thirst and my mount is tired and fatigued, and it was just because I wanted to reach you before you leave this world to ask you a question.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, asked him, “What is it that you want to ask me about?” He replied, “My question is, what is the sign of those whom Allah chooses, and what is the sign of those whom Allah does not choose?” So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, asked him, “In what state did you awake this morning?” Note here that the man asked about divine election and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam asked him what his state was. He said, “I awoke this morning loving goodness, and joyous with any goodness I do, and saddened by any goodness that I missed….” “Enough,” said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, “these are the signs of Allah in those whom he chooses. If He wanted you for something else he would have prepared you for it.” [at-Tabrani]

May Allah surround us with the righteous, make us and our loved ones of the righteous and resurrect us with the righteous.

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam