\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0628\u0633\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u062d\u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u062d\u064a\u0645<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the Haj season in Makkah. An assembly of sufi shuyookh was discussing the definition of love. (In the sufi context, love refers only to love for Allah.) The youngest person among them was Junaid Al-Baghdadi rahimahullah. He was eventually asked, \u201cTell us what you think, O \u2018Iraqi.\u201d With a lowered head and tears rolling down his cheeks, Junaid rahimahullah replied: \u201cThe lover is one who has lost himself. Constantly engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah and discharging His huqooq (rights), he sees Him with his heart which is burnt by the radiances of Allah\u2019s awe. His drink from the goblet of divine affection is unpolluted. Thus Allah manifests Himself to him through the veils of the unseen. If he speaks, it is to Allah. If he utters anything, it is about Allah. If he moves, it is due to the command of Allah. If he remains still, it is because he is with Allah. In short, he is lillah, billah and ma\u2019allah (to Allah, for Allah and with Allah).\u201d Hearing Junaid\u2019s eloquent explanation, the shuyookh began weeping and said: \u201cThere is nothing to add. Jazaakallah Yaa Taaj-al-\u2018Aarifeen (May Allah reward you, O Crown of those who recognize Allah!).\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth, however, is that there is no comprehensive definition of love. In fact, definitions merely complicate its understanding. It is best defined by its existence. There is therefore no clearer definition of love than: love itself. (What we are saying is that words cannot define love. It has to be experienced to be understood.) \u2026 All the suggested definitions (Ibn-ul-Qayyim mentioned thirty of them, including the above definition of Junaid Al-Baghdadi) do not actually define love. Instead, they focus on its causes, signs, demands, benefits and other related issues. For example: Shibli defined love as \u2018obliteration of everything besides the beloved from one\u2019s heart\u2019. Abu \u2018Abdullah Al-Qushari defined it as \u2018surrendering oneself to the beloved to such an extent that he no longer bothers of himself.\u2019 Abu Yazeed defined it as \u2018regarding one\u2019s many actions as too little and the few favours of the beloved as too many.\u2019 None of these quotations actually define love. Instead, they highlight the demand of love.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Arabic Word for Love<\/p>\n
There are ten levels of love and the Arabs have a separate word for each one of them. However, the most common word is al-mahabbah. The root of this word is \u062d\u0628 (hub) which has five possible meanings viz.<\/p>\n
1. <\/span>Whiteness and purity. \u062d\u064e\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0633\u0646\u0627\u0646\u0650 means whiteness of the teeth.<\/p>\n 2. <\/span>To be apparent and above. Thus the ripples that appear above the water are called \u062d\u064e\u0628\u064e\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0621\u0650 and \u062d\u064e\u0628\u0627\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0621\u0650<\/p>\n 3. <\/span>Firmness. The Arabs say \u062d\u064e\u0628\u064e \u0627\u0644\u0628\u0639\u064a\u0631\u064f when the camel kneels firmly and refuses to stand up.<\/p>\n 4. <\/span>The essence and core of anything. Thus \u062d\u0628\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0642\u0644\u0628 refers to the interior of the heart.<\/p>\n 5. <\/span>To Retain and protect. Hence the utensil in which water is stored is called \u062d\u0650\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0621\u0650<\/p>\n There is no doubt that all five of these meanings are found in love. It entails purity, appearance of one\u2019s feelings for the beloved, firmness of such feelings, surrendering of one\u2019s heart (which is the core of one\u2019s existence and his most valuable possession) to the beloved, and confinement of intentions and desires to him.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Inculcating Love for Allah<\/p>\n Ibn-ul-Qayyim mentioned ten ways through which love for Allah could be inculcated. They are:<\/p>\n 1. <\/span>Recitation of the Qur\u2019aan.<\/p>\n 2. <\/span>Engagement in nawaafil (optional acts of \u2018ibaadah) after performance of the faraa\u2019id (compulsory acts of \u2018ibaadah).<\/p>\n 3. <\/span>Constant dhikr (remembrance) of Allah.<\/p>\n 4. <\/span>Giving preference to His likes and desires over one\u2019s own.<\/p>\n 5. <\/span>Pondering over His names and attributes.<\/p>\n 6. <\/span>Pondering over His benevolence and favours.<\/p>\n 7. <\/span> Crying to Him with total humility.<\/p>\n 8. <\/span>Sitting in solitude in order to speak to Him, read His speech (the Qur\u2019aan) and express one\u2019s servitude to Him. This should be done at night when Allah descends to the skies and it should be terminated with taubah (repentance) and istighfaar (seeking of forgiveness).<\/p>\n 9. <\/span>Sitting in the company of true lovers of Allah.<\/p>\n 10. <\/span>Abstention from anything that could be a barrier between one\u2019s heart and Allah.<\/p>\n Al-Ghazzaali and Inculcation of Love for Allah: A Summary<\/p>\n Whoever loves anybody besides Allah for a reason other than his relationship to Allah is ignorant and does not recognize Allah. Loving the Rasool sallallahu alaihi wasallam is praiseworthy because it is the result of one\u2019s love for Allah. The same applies to love for the \u2018Ulamaa and the atqiyaa (pious). The reason for this is that the beloved of the beloved, his messenger and his lover are all beloved. Therefore, in reality, there is no beloved besides Allah. In order to appreciate this, we have to ponder over five asbaab (causes) of love. Firstly, nobody besides Allah possesses all of them. Secondly, there existence in anybody besides Allah is not a haqeeqah (reality). Once you are convinced that nobody besides Allah possesses all of them and while their existence in Allah is real, the existence of some of them in anybody else is not so, you will understand why there can be only one beloved, and that is Allah.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The First Sabab (Cause): Man\u2019s Love for himself and his existence.<\/p>\n This demands maximum love for Allah because whoever knows himself and Allah would certainly know that he does not exist of his own accord. Instead, his existence, its continuity and perfection are all from Allah. Allah is man\u2019s creator. Having created man, he ensures man\u2019s continued existence (for as long as He desires) and creates all the asbaab (means) for perfection in this existence. He also endows man with the ability to utelise these means in a manner that leads to such perfection. In short, man\u2019s existence, its continuity and perfection are impossible without the favour of Allah. That being the case, it is imperative for man to love Allah. It is impossible that man loves himself but not his creator and sustainer. A person who cannot bear the heat of the sun would cherish the shade. Is it possible that such a person would dislike the trees that provide him with shade? In comparison to the qudrah (greatness) of Allah, everything in the universe is comparable to the shade in relation to the tree and light in relation to the sun. Everything is the result of Allah\u2019s qudrah. Thus Hasan Basri rahimahullah said:<\/p>\n \u0645\u0646 \u0639\u0631\u0641 \u0631\u0628\u0647 \u0623\u062d\u0628\u0647<\/p>\n \u201cThe person who recognises his Rabb will (definitely) love Him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Second Cause: Man Loves Anybody Who Is Kind to Him<\/p>\n Man has a tendency to love anybody who is kind to him. This also demands that he should not love anybody besides Allah because, if he has a sound understanding he would realise that in reality his only benefactor is Allah. Firstly, Allah\u2019s favours on man are innumerable.<\/p>\n \u0648 \u0627\u0646 \u062a\u0639\u062f\u0648\u0627 \u0646\u0639\u0645\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0644\u0627 \u062a\u062d\u0635\u0648\u0647\u0627<\/p>\n \u201cIf you count the bounty of Allah you will not encompass it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Secondly, all acts of kindness shown to man by fellow people are in fact the kindness of Allah. Ask yourself: Who created your benefactor? Who blessed him with the wealth by which he is assisting you? Who granted him the strength to help you? Who guided him to help you? Who initiated the urge in his heart to help you? Who guided him to you? The answer to all these questions is undoubtedly Allah. Hence, your human benefactor is merely a worldly means for Allah\u2019s kindness to reach you. Therefore your only benefactor is Allah.<\/p>\n The Third Cause: Man Loves All Kindhearted People<\/p>\n Another common tendency is to love all kindhearted people even though one may not be a beneficiary of their kindness. If there are two kings, one is kind and just and the other is a merciless tyrant and the kingdoms of both are far from where you live. You would feel a natural inclination to the former even if there may be no hope of you benefitting from his kindness. Similarly, you would feel a natural disinclination from the latter even if there may be no fear of you suffering from his brutality. Accordingly, there is no reason why we should not love Allah. Remember that Allah is Al-\u2018Adl and Al-Muqsit (both mean that Allah is most just). He is also Al-Bar (The Kind), Al-Kareem (The Benevolent), An-Naafi\u2019 (The Benefactor) and Al-Wahhaab (The Giver). If we love all kindhearted people, should we not love Allah whose kindness encompasses everybody including the unbelievers and ourselves? In fact, all the above prove once again that we should love nobody but Allah.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Fourth Cause: Man Loves Beauty<\/p>\n There are two types of beauty:<\/p>\n 1. <\/span>Outer beauty which is physical in nature and recognizable by everybody including little children.<\/p>\n 2. <\/span>Inner beauty which is spiritual in nature and hence only recognized by people whose knowledge extends beyond \u2018the surface of the worldly life\u2019. Such beauty is identified by the noble actions and conduct of people instead of their physical appearances. Hence, an \u2018aalim may be admired for his actions and conduct even though he may not be the most handsome of people. The same could be said about any other pious Muslim. However, this type of beauty is only loved by those who are able to appreciate it. Any way, our discussion in regarding the causes of love and why Muslims love Allah alone focuses on this type of beauty.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The inner (spiritual) beauty of man is based on three factors:<\/p>\n 1. <\/span>Knowledge of Allah, His Rasool, Kitaab (Al-Qur\u2019aan) and sharee\u2019ah.<\/p>\n 2. <\/span>Qudrah (Ability) to reform himself and others.<\/p>\n 3. <\/span>Abstention from sin and indecency.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Each one of these factors demands undivided love for Allah alone. Can the knowledge of the entire creation put together compare to the knowledge of Allah?<\/p>\n \u0648 \u0645\u0627 \u0623\u0648\u062a\u064a\u062a\u0645 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0644\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0627 \u0642\u0644\u064a\u0644\u0627<\/p>\n \u201cYou have not received in knowledge but a little.\u201d<\/p>\n Hence, if the beauty of knowledge is lovable, should we not love Allah? If man\u2019s knowledge is incomparable to Allah\u2019s knowledge and confined to what Allah taught him, should we love anybody besides Allah?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Qudrah (strength and ability) is the second factor which endears man to others. I am sure you would testify to the enthusiasm with which we listen to narrations depicting the shujaa\u2019ah (bravery) of Ali bin Abi Taalib, Khaalid bin Waleed and many other famous warriors in our history. Even if we have not seen these personalities, merely reading about them boosts our love for them. However, can the qudrah (strength and ability) of the entire creation compare to that of Allah? If man realizes the extent of Allah\u2019s qudrah (strength and ability), it is impossible that he would love fellow men for their qudrah (strength and ability) yet not love Allah. Remember that Allah is:<\/p>\n \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0643\u0644 \u0634\u064a\u0621 \u0642\u062f\u064a\u0631<\/p>\n \u201cAble to do everything\u201d<\/p>\n The skies, the earth and everything within them exist only with His qudrah. He controls and sustains all of them but does not get tired.<\/p>\n \u0648 \u0644\u0627 \u064a\u0624\u0648\u062f\u0647 \u062d\u0641\u0638\u0647\u0645\u0627<\/p>\n \u201cProtection of the skies and earth does not tire Him.\u201d<\/p>\n Besides, every possessor of qudrah among the creation gains his qudrah from nobody but Allah. Hence, there is no real possessor of qudrah besides Allah. Does this not prove that if possession of qudrah is a reason for love, we should not love anybody besides Allah?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The third factor that results in inner beauty and love is abstention from evil and indecency. Thus we love the Ambiyaa, Sahaabah and other pious servants of Allah. However, the Ambiyaa are ma\u2019soom (infallible) due to Allah\u2019s protection. Similarly, the Sahaabah and other pious servants of Allah are only able to abstain from sin due to Allah\u2019s guidance. Furthermore, Allah is Subbooh and Quddoos. Both of these attributes mean that Allah is by nature The Most Pure. Unlike the Ambiyaa and other pious people, His purity is not dependent on the protection and guidance of anybody else. Consequently, there is a vast difference between their abstention from evil and Allah\u2019s freedom from it. The demand of this vast difference is that, if people are loved due to their qudrah (strength), we should love Allah even more. Actually, this difference demands that we should have only one mahboob (beloved) – Allah.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Fifth Cause: An Attachment between the Lover and the Beloved<\/p>\n The attachment between the lover and the beloved is sometimes quite apparent. However, it is often unclear. This is the type of attachment that exists between two people even though the beloved possesses neither beauty nor wealth. Development of a similar attachment between oneself and Allah is required in order to be initiated into the fraternity of His sincere lovers. This is achieved by adopting all the qualities exhorted by the sharee\u2019ah, especially those of Allah like: generosity, kindness, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, encouragement of good, dissuasion of evil etc.<\/p>\n \u062a\u062e\u0644\u0642\u0648\u0627 \u0628\u0623\u062e\u0644\u0627\u0642 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647<\/p>\n \u201cAdopt the character of Allah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Benefit of Love<\/p>\n Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that there are three qualities whoever possesses them will taste the sweetness of imaan. These three qualities are:<\/p>\n 1. <\/span>That you do not love anybody more than Allah and His Rasool.<\/p>\n 2. <\/span>That you love a person solely for the pleasure of Allah.<\/p>\n 3. <\/span>That you detest reverting to kufr (disbelief) just as you detest being thrown into the fire.<\/p>\n A deeper look at numbers two and three reveals that in actual fact both of them are subordinates of the first. Thus the crux of the Hadith is that the person who loves Allah and His Rasool sallallahu alaihi wasallam more than everybody else will be blessed with the sweetness of imaan.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Describing imaan as a tree, Allah says in the Qur\u2019aan:<\/p>\n \u0648 \u0645\u062b\u0644 \u0643\u0644\u0645\u0629 \u0637\u064a\u0628\u0629 \u0643\u0634\u062c\u0631\u0629 \u0637\u064a\u0628\u0629 \u0623\u0635\u0644\u0647\u0627 \u062b\u0627\u0628\u062a \u0648 \u0641\u0631\u0639\u0647\u0627 \u0641\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0645\u0627\u0621<\/p>\n \u062a\u0624\u062a\u0649 \u0623\u0643\u0644\u0647\u0627 \u0643\u0644 \u062d\u064a\u0646 \u0628\u0627\u0630\u0646 \u0631\u0628\u0647\u0627<\/p>\n \u201cThe example of a pleasant kalimah is like that of a pleasant tree. Its roots are firm and its branches are in the sky. It yields its fruits all the time with the command of its Rabb.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Kalimah of Ikhlaas (i.e. Laa Ilaaha illallah \u2026) is the root of the tree of imaan. Its branches are adherence to Allah\u2019s commands and abstention from everything that He prohibited. Its flowers are the Muslim\u2019s intentions to do good deeds, its fruits and fragrance are the good actions which the Muslim eventually does and the sweetness of its fruit is perfection of imaan. Enjoyment of \u2018ibaadah is a sign of such perfection.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Another benefit of loving Allah is that the lover of Allah eventually becomes His beloved and is thus forgiven and blessed with entry into Jannah.<\/p>\n \u0642\u0644 \u0627\u0646 \u0643\u0646\u062a\u0645 \u062a\u062d\u0628\u0648\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0641\u0627\u062a\u0628\u0639\u0648\u0646\u0649 \u064a\u062d\u0628\u0628\u0643\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0648 \u064a\u063a\u0641\u0631 \u0644\u0643\u0645 \u0630\u0646\u0648\u0628\u0643\u0645<\/p>\n \u201cSay (O Muhammed): If you love Allah, follow me \u2013 Allah will love you and forgive your sins for you.\u201d<\/p>\n However, love is not lip-service. It has to be proven. In the case of love for Allah, it has to be proven by following the teachings of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam. Nevertheless, if you love Allah, He will love you. Do you need anything after that?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u0648 \u0635\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0646\u0628\u064a\u0647 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u0631\u064a\u0645 \u0648 \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0622\u0644\u0647 \u0648 \u0623\u0635\u062d\u0627\u0628\u0647 \u0623\u062c\u0645\u0639\u064a\u0646<\/p>\n \u0628\u0631\u062d\u0645\u062a\u0643 \u064a\u0623\u0631\u062d\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0627\u062d\u0645\u064a\u0646<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Abu Hudhaifa Muhammed Karolia<\/p>\n 28 Rajab 1431 \\ 11 July 2010<\/p>\n Al-Jaami\u2019ah Al-Mahmoodiah<\/p>\n Persida, Springs<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u0628\u0633\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u062d\u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u062d\u064a\u0645 LOVE ALLAH \u00a0 It was the Haj season in Makkah. An assembly of sufi shuyookh was discussing the definition of love. (In the sufi context, love refers only to love for Allah.) The youngest person among them was Junaid Al-Baghdadi rahimahullah. He was eventually asked, \u201cTell us what you think, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameah-mahmoodiyah.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}