Naeem's Blog

Many claim to love the king. It is as easy as uttering a few simple words.

But how many can lay claim to the king loving them? For so many, the king is not even cognizant of their existence, much less expressing any love for them.

Similarly, we all claim to love the King. I love Allah. You love Allah.

But the real question beckons 'Does He love us?'

Who can claim that Allah (swt) loves them?

The answer is found in the Quran.

Those who consistently practice patience (3:146),
Those who exhibit complete trust in Allah (3:159),
Those who embody piety and God-consciousness (3:76, 9:4, 9:7),
Those who are habitually upright, just, and fair in their dealings (5:42, 49:9, 60:8),
Those who fight in His cause (61:4),
Those who turn to Allah constantly seeking forgiveness (2:222),
Those who exemplify purity and cleanliness (9:108, 2:222)),
And those who personify Ihsan (2:195, 3:134, 3:148, 5:13, 5:93).

Note how all these verses, except the one on fighting*, are referring to those individuals who have embodied these particular traits.

These are the ones whom Allah loves.

Many claim to love Allah, but few can claim to be of the beloved of Allah. Let us strive to be of these select few.

In the days of old, a man bought a Muslim slave girl to help around the house. So one night, when everyone was asleep, the old man heard some crying in the other room. He quietly walked to the room and overheard the young slave crying as she was making her tahajjud (night prayer). The man listened until the girl cried out, ‘Ya Allah, I swear by Your love for me that I am in need of Your Mercy’.

When the man heard this, he burst into the room and angrily admonished the girl, ‘How dare you swear by Allah’s love for you? You cannot claim His love for you with such certainty! If anything, you should swear by your love for Allah.’

The girl responded with a respectful yet annoyed confidence, ‘O Master, I am indeed swearing by something I am absolutely certain of. If Allah did not love me, He would not have awakened me from my slumber to converse with Him while leaving you and the others to enjoy the warmth of your beds and the comfort of your sleep.’

*I'm no Jihad apologist, but its very interesting to note the difference in the way Allah (swt) expresses his love for those who fight for His cause. While he expresses love for the Saabir, Mutawakkil, Muttaqi, Muqsit, Tawaab, Muttahhir, and Muhsin, in the case of Qitaal (fighting), He doesn't use the form Qaatil (in the way the other words have been formed), rather He uses the form Alladhi Yuqatilu.

I read in this divine choice of words a distinct message from the Most High – that the state of warfare is not one to be embodied and imbued into our very being (as would be found in a Qaatil); it is temporary and once the obligation of waging war has been removed, the mindset of a warrior is not in and of itself beloved to Allah.

At the same time, it must be noted that this same group of verses highlights the exalted status of fighting for the cause of Allah. While no other act of worship (ie. praying, fasting, giving charity, etc.) has been listed as a means of gaining the love of Allah, fighting for His cause has been singled out.