Real Love - Day 18 (1444.h)
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ سَيَجۡعَلُ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وُدًّا
Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allâh and in His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)] and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Gracious (Allâh) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the believers).
Sūrah Maryam, Āyah 96
﷽
Allāh loves those who believe and work deeds of righteousness as He The Glorious and Sublime mentioned:
وَأَحۡسِنُوٓا۟ۛ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
and do good. Truly, Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn (the good-doers).
Sūrah Al-Baqarah:195
Here in this verse (Maryam 19:96), Allāh mentioned:
[And work deeds of righteousness], meaning do that which will cause Allāh to love you so that when you attain His love, He rewards you with that which He Promised. And when Al-Wadūd loves you, He will bestow in the hearts of the believers and the righteous your love.
Abū Hurairah [رضي الله عنه] narrated:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Jibril (Gabriel) saying: Allah loves so-and-so; O Jibril (Gabriel) love him.' Jibril (Gabriel) would love him, and then Jibril (Gabriel) would make an announcement among the residents of the heavens,
'Allah loves so-and-so, therefore, you should love him also.' So, all the residents of the heavens would love him and then he is granted the pleasure of the people of the earth."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhari 6040]
Those people we try so hard to please and attain their love will eventually forget us, by Allāh! They will forget us when we die even before we’ve been shrouded. They forget that love sometimes even whilst we’re alive so how about when your presence is not there to remind them of the bond you once shared? We’re trying so hard to please people that will flee from us on the Day of Judgement.
There are times we feel distant from everything and everyone. We feel distant even from our closest of kin, and friends. It’s not because you’re not communicating enough but because, at those times, we should assess our relationship with المقدم (The One who brings forward whomever and whatever He wills), المؤخّر (The One who holds back Whoever and whatever He wills). When we neglect and do not take care of that which is between us and our Creator, how can any other relationship prosper?
When Allāh loves and is pleased with you, then you have attained true success. That is why our goal should be the Love and Pleasure of Allāh alone, and just like killing two birds with one stone, when we rectify what is between us and our Lord, He will rectify what is between us and the people. This is the beauty of a bond that is based upon Tawḥīd, based upon Lā ilāha ilā Allāh. That the people do not love you for anything except that you believe in the Shahādah and you live by it, that the love only exists as long as you believe and work deeds of righteousness, and that when you become distant from that straight path, that love is pulled out from their hearts.
Know, may Allāh guide you to His obedience, that the pleasure of the people is not something which is attainable. So upon us is to seek the Face of Allāh and to seek His pleasure, and that is the greatest thing that can be sought.
Imām Ibn Al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said:
"The pleasure of Allah with a servant is greater than Paradise and whatever is in it, because pleasure (al-rida) is an Attribute of Allah whilst Paradise is His creation." - Madarij al-Salikīn (2/208)
Let’s strive to learn this Dīn (religion) so as to worship Allāh the way He deserves to be worshipped, and not the way that is convenient for us.
وصلّى الله وسلّم على نبيّنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
