Love for Allah
Allah the Most Exalted said:
“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah.” (2: 165)
Allah Almighty said:
“Say, If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred; the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight…. Are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment).” (9: 24)
Anas (R.A.) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said:
“None of you becomes a believer till he loves me more than his father, and his children and all mankind.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Anas (R.A.) also narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said:
“Whoever possesses the following three (qualities), will have the sweetness (delight) of Faith: (1) The one to whom Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW) are more beloved than anything else; (2) The one who loves another only for Allah’s sake; (3) The one who hates to convert to disbelief after Allah has rescued him from it, as he hates to be thrown into the fire.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
In another version the above-mentioned Hadith begins with the words:
“No one will find the sweetness of Iman (Belief) until and unless…..”
Ibn Abbas (R.A.) said:
”Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, and hates for the sake of Allah, and befriends for the sake of Allah and shows enmity for the sake of Allah, would get Allah’s friendship. Without abiding by this, no one can get the real taste (sweetness) of Iman (Belief) though he may have been a frequent offeror of prayer (Salat) and fasts. Today people keep relationship and love only for some worldly reason but this will not provide them any benefit (on the Day of Judgement).”
[Ibn Jarir (R.A.) mentioned this Hadith]
In interpreting the verse:
“Then all their relations will be cut off from them.” (2: 166)
Ibn Abbas (R.A.) said it means “love”
Important issues of the Chapter
1) Explanation of the verse in Al-Baqarah (2: 165)
2) Explanation of the verse in At-Taubah (9: 24)
3) We must love Prophet Muhammad (SAW) more than ourselves, families, and wealth.
4) Denial of Iman does not mean going out of Islam.
5) Iman has sweetness that is sometimes tasted by a person and sometimes not.
6) No one can get the friendship of Allah and relish of Iman until and unless he possesses four “actions” of the heart: (1) Love for the sake of Allah; (2) Hate for the sake of Allah; (3) Friendship for the sake of Allah; (4) Enmity for the sake of Allah
7) The Companions understanding of the reality that people in general feel fraternity for worldly reasons.
8) Explanation of the verse:
“Then all their relations will be cut off from them” (2: 166).
9) Some polytheists do love Allah intensely.
10) The threat of punishment for the person who loves more the “eight” than his religion. The “eight” being: ancestors, descendants, brothers, spouses, clan, wealth, trade, and habitat.
11) Whoever takes a partner (to Allah) for whom he has as much love as he has for Allah, has committed major Shirk.