Love for Allah SWT and His Beloved Messenger Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam

Love is the essence of worship. A servant’s love for Allah swt and His Messenger Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam means following them and submitting to their command. As beautifully said by Al-Baydaawi: “Love is the will to obey.” Man’s love for Allah swt  and His Messenger sallalahu alayhe wasallam is to obey them and to accept what Allah swt  has commanded and the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alayhe wasallam  has brought.

Say, [O Muhammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people." (9:24).

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him. (5:54).

But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. (2:165).

It is related from Anas Bin Malik Radhiallahu Anhu that the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam) said, “Whoever possess the three attributes will experience the sweetness of belief: that he loves Allah Swt and his Messenger Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam more than anything else: that he love someone for the sake of Allah swt alone; and that he would hate to revert to disbelief as much as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” (Bukhari,Muslim).

From Anas Bin Malik Radhiallahu Anhu, who said, “The Messenger of Allah Swt (Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam) said, ‘None of you will believe until he loves me more than his parents, children and all the people ‘”. (Bukhari).

It is related from Anas Bin Malik Radhiallahu Anhu that the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam) said, “None of you will believe until he loves me more than his family, his property and all the people ”.(Muslim).

A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will be with those whom you love." We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., "You will be with those whom you love.") Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and `Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. (Bukhari).

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted has said: 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him"(Bukhari).

Patience is the best Strength

First Ever Dua

First Dua Ever Made by a Human

The story of Adam (alayissalam) is of course well known to all of us. After Allah (swt) created Adam and told the Angels and Jinn to bow to him, Iblis refused.

Fast forward to the expulsion of Adam, Hawaa, and Iblis from Jannah after they ate from the tree, we learn about the first Dua ever made by a human. It is indeed the first human Dua ever recorded.

First and foremost, the fact that Adam (alayissalam) immediately responded and made Dua to Allah (swt) and asked for forgiveness, demonstrates why Adam (alayhissalam) is superior to Iblis. Adam (alayhissalam) acknowledged his mistake and made Dua to Allah (swt) for forgiveness, while Iblis was too arrogant to do the same. Rather, Iblis accused Allah (swt) of misguiding him.

Iblis said: “Because you have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path.” [7:16]

Worshipping Allah (swt) while being penitent and repentant is a sign of being a good Muslim. And turning away from Allah (swt) and refusing to worship or make Dua is a sign of arrogance. That is why simply making Dua is a sign of imaan.

Secondly, we see in the story of Adam (alayhissalam), is that Adam asked for a religious, spiritual need. He begged for forgiveness acknowledging that if Allah (swt) did not have mercy upon him, there would be no hope for him. In contrast, the Dua Iblis eventually made was for a long life that lasted until the Day of Judgement. He didn’t care for what came after. 

The key emphasis on the Dua of the believer is religion and spirituality; it is connecting with Allah (swt); it is Allah’s mercy, forgiveness and blessings. Whereas the primary Dua of those who do not have that connection is of this world alone.

Those who focus on the Dunya alone without focusing on the Akhira at all will not get any share in the afterlife.

Thirdly, both Adam (alayhissalam) and Iblis reached out to Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) in the end actually gave them both what they wanted. And this is from the Generosity and Nobility of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) answers the Dua even of Iblis, even of those who are arrogant. Out of Allah’s infinite Generosity, Allah (swt) answered the desperate call of the most despicable and hated creature.  So how can anybody despair in calling out to Allah when prayer of Iblis was answered?

Fourthly, we learn from the Dua of Adam (alayhissalam) the etiquettes of Dua. The first etiquette of Dua is to use the Names of Allah, to ascribe Perfection to Allah and to ascribe imperfection and deficiency and sins to oneself.

The essence of Dua is humility to come to Allah in a state of humbleness recognizing you need Allah and that is the essence of Imaan. And the height of arrogance is to ask as if you don’t need. You need Allah (swt) for each and every issue and each and every prayer. So when our father Adam (alayhissalam) is asking, you can quite literally tell how desperate he is, how much he needs Allah (swt). If You don’t do this Oh Allah, if you don’t have Mercy then there is no hope for me.

Imagine that desperation. This pure sincerity is begging from the depths of your heart. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, “Allah does not answer the Dua that comes from a heedless heart.” A heedless heart is simply opening up the book of Dua and reading as a simple ritual without concentration. Allah does not care about the air you expel from your lungs, Allah cares about your actual sincerity and your intention from the heart.

Don't Lower Your Standards, Raise Your Dua