"Love for Allahu ta'ala is of two types: fard and non-fard. With the fard love, one obeys His orders, abstains from prohibitions and resigns oneself to His qada' and qadar. Committing harams and not performing fards are indications of slackness in this love. The non-fard love makes one perform naafila (the supererogatory) and abstain from mushtabihat. A hadith qudsi reported by Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) says, 'Allahu ta'ala declared, "My human servants cannot approach Me through anything as close as they approach Me through the fard. If My human creatures do the supererogatory 'ibadat, I like them so much that they hear with Me, see with Me, hold everything with Me and walk with Me, and I give them whatever they ask of Me. If they trust in Me, I protect them." ('Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi quotes al-Imam al-Qastalani as writing in Al-mawahib al-ladunniyyah,)
The most beautiful, the most sincere, the most elevated and the most exalted kind of love is most certainly the love of the One Whom hearts were created to love, and for Whom creation was brought into existence to adore. Allah is the One to Whom hearts turn in love, exhalation and glorification, humility, submission and worship.
ReplyDeleteHow then, can our hearts not love Him, the One who - and no other than Him - grants rewards, answers prayers, pardons mistakes, forgives sins, veils wrong actions, dispels grief and drives away sorrow?