بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
In Islam, love is more than an emotion and like the weather, a spectrum of vivid or dark colors, is prone to change. Its darker shades can lead to lustful corruption; its purer essence lead to faith. Allah teaches us love (hubb) in various contexts. Here is what Allah mentions about love:
Love is earned - Quran, 30:45
Love is rewarded - Quran, 3:134
Love is steadfast - Quran, 3:146
Love is reliance on God - Quran, 3:159
Loving humanity - Quran, 4:36
Love is not obsessive - Quran, 4:107
Love is intimate - Quran, 7:189
Love is sibling rivalry - Quran,12:8
Love is material - Quran,14:3
Love is true sacrifice - Quran, 2:177
Love alone will not convert people - Quran, 28:56
Love does not corrupt - Quran, 2:205
Love is purity - Quran, 2:222
Love is brotherhood - Quran, 3:103
Love is fair - Quran, 49:9
Love is following the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam - Quran, 3:31
Love is a Divine sign - Quran, 30:21
To love is difficult - Quran, 2:216
You love them but they don’t love you - Quran, 3:119
Fake love is replaceable - Quran, 5:54
Love is temporal - Quran, 3:14
Immaterial love will die - Quran, 29:25
Love is addictive - Quran,100:8
Love can become lust - Quran, 12:30
Beware, love can turn to hate - Quran, 60:7
Real love does not decay - Quran, 49:12
Allah is love - Quran, 11:90 and 85:14
Love is universe’s both light and source of life. As humankind, love is the most comprehensive fruit of the universe; a love so great to cover the whole universe is hidden inside the heart which is the seed of this fruit. Only the owner of infinite perfection and everlasting can deserve such great love. This is Allah Most High. He deserves our utmost love.
Human nature has been endowed with two tools: love and fear. Both of these senses inevitably will be directed to the Creator or the created. Fear of the created or blind love of the created are both dreadful calamities because people become afraid of people and created things that do not show mercy toward them. As for a love of creatures, many of them do not understand love and do not acknowledge us. One may love a beautiful panorama, but the panorama does not acknowledge a person; one may love the stars of night, but the stars do not acknowledge a person; a mother may love her children, but her children do not acknowledge her (they take her for granted). Many of these beloveds leave us without ever saying goodbye, like our youth or our wealth or our children- either they leave us, or we leave them.
We should direct our fear and love to such a One so that our fear will be a pleasant humility and delicate submission and our love a noble happiness free of humiliation.
Fear is a motivator that throws a person on Allah’s mercy just as a child, when threatened, takes refuge in the arms of their mother. Yes, fearing of Allah who is Wrathful means to find a way to His Mercy and seek refuge in Him. Maternal care and compassion for all living beings is only a ray from His Compassion. If we were to gather all mercy from all mothers (humans and animals) together, they are not even equal to a drop of water in the ocean of Allah’s mercy. Our Lord’s slightest love towards us can be larger than the universe. Nothing can be equal to His slightest love.
If fear of Allah is so joyful, then how does the love of Allah compare? There is great joyfulness in the love of Allah. Even the love of creatures is joyful since it is for His sake. Only when you can assign that love to its rightful owner can you love, for His sake and as mirrors to Him, all things without pain or trouble. Such love must not be assigned directly to existence for the sake of existence itself. Otherwise, while being a most pleasurable Divine grace, this love will become a most painful ailment. One who fears only Allah is freed from all other fears. Similarly, if one loves for the sake of Allah, his love for any creature will not be sorrowful.
May Allah love us and make Him our only love. 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
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