Is Allah 'loving'? Does He love? Seems not; if at all, very little. But He surely wants to be loved intensely...
"…according to Islamic beliefs, it can be postulated that if Allah stops thinking of existence, then existence will not exist. The Love of the Majestic Allah is something barely graspable to created beings [believers]…”
In this article, we categorize and analyze the various Koranic verses that incorporate the word "love". Allah spoke to his Prophet to come and guide Muslims only to love him, which Mohammad and Allah made very clear in the Koran. The claim that love is at the core of all religion is just some meaningless bullshits, at least when it comes to Islam!
A man once came to the Prophet and asked him about the hereafter. The Prophet asked him: “And what have you prepared for that time?” The man replied: “Nothing, except that I love Allah and I love you.” The Prophet answered him: “You are with the ones you love."
This ‘love’ that the Muslims are taught in the Koran is done [repetitively] by the five-time daily salat [prayers]. Here, Muslims simply praise the Prophet twice more than Allah in prostrations and in his Sunnah:
- “Say, if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you greatly and forgive your sins, for Allah is oft forgiving and merciful…” [Surah 3:31]
- “O you who have faith, whoever among you turns back from his religion, Allah will surely bring forth a people He loves and who love Him, who are humble before the faithful and exalted before the deniers. They strive in the way of Allah and fear no blame from any blamers. This is the favor of Allah; He bestows it on whomever He wills. For Allah is all-encompassing, all-knowing!” [Surah 5:54]
The Prophet once told his dear companion, Muazh Ibn Jabal: “Muazh, I do love you!” Muazh replied, “And I love you, Messenger of Allah, more dearly than my own father and mother!” The Prophet then instructed Muazh: “Do not end a prayer without asking Allah to help you remember Him, to be thankful to Him, and to serve Him in the best of ways.”
For Muslims, praying to Allah is not as simple as it seems. It is really impossible to learn how to pray until and unless by first learning the everlasting love of Allah, His faith and their devotions.
There are many Islamic books written on the positions of salat and other tafseer books on how the beloved Prophet prayed, but few ever delve into Islam ….and that is pure ‘love’ of Allah! Until and unless Muslims' heart and mind is taught about this, will it ever knows or grows in love? Muhammad said: "Allah does not accept the Prayers of a momin [believer], until his heart achieves in it what his body has achieved." [Al- Ghazali in ‘Ihya-Uloom ad-Deen’]
Islam teaches Muslims to love Allah and his beloved Prophet [only] more than their own life, more than their families. Deen [faith] can not be taught, but it can be gifted to Muslims by Allah as a blessed gift or event. When the heart is happy, then Muslims will, indeed, be on the right path to human righteousness [which the Muslims don’t know of?]. It was narrated by Anas: The Prophet said: “No one of you truly believes, until I am dearer to him than his father, his son, his own self and all the people." [Al-Bukhari 15; Muslim 44]
Does the Majestic Allah teach ‘LOVE’ in his Koran?
Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger: But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith [Islam]. (Surah 3:32)
In Islamic scripture, Allah appears to be, present Himself as, a loving Father, the loving Creator. Allah created man to burn in hell. Allah does not love those, who do not accept him blindly.
"Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle; nay more misguided: for they are heedless [of warning]. (Surah 7:179)
These are the words of Allah that many men and Jinns are created to burn in hell
- “They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be [all] alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly [their homes] in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.” [Surah 4:089]
- You who believe! Do not take my enemy and your enemy as friends, showing love for them when they have rejected the truth that has come to you, driving out the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in God your Lord. If you go out to strive in My Way and seeking my pleasures, keeping secret the love you have for them, know best what you conceal and what you make known. Any of you who do that have strayed from the right way. [Surah 60:1]
Allah forbids Muslims from being good to those, who have not fought for religion and who've driven Muslims from their lands, or from being ‘just’ toward them. Allah merely forbids Muslims from taking as friends [unbelievers]. However, it is helpful to understand that Allah won't spare those or have any mercy toward them, who do not believe in Him, despite claiming repeated that ‘Allah is the Al-Merciful and Al-Understanding and Al-Compassionate’.
Moreover, the Koran tells Muslims to fight non-believers.
While "God is great" (Allahu akbar) is a statement of the Islamic faith, which Muslims, starting with Muhammad, used and use as the battle-cry in their violence and wars, the affirmation and expressions—"God is love" (Allahu muhibba)—is absent as an attribute of Allah in Islamic discourse and literature. While Islam recognizes Christians as "the people of the book" and that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, it's a sheer contrast between the two faiths that "God is love" is a oft-repeated phrase in Christian scriptures and discourse, but totally absent in Islam.
It is appropriate to take a look at the Koran to seek out how the Majestic Allah position himself concerning 'love'.
The translation of Abdullah Yusuf Ali has been chosen [for this study], as it is probably the most popular bilingual version used in English speaking countries. The translation itself tends to be interpretive and sometimes propagandistic rather than literal, so occasionally the English word "love" is used without any linguistic warrants.
While it would have been interesting to include the references from the large body of Hadith of the word love, it would be excluded in this investigation, because although Muslims hold the Ahadith in high esteems, it is generally held as of lower authority than the Koran; and many Muslims lately have even started questioning the authenticity of certain statements of ahadith. However, investigations reveal that Bukhari ahadith lists 95 uses of love and 36 of loved; Muslim lists 22 usages of love and 4 for loved; Abu Dawud lists only 10 for love, one for loved; and Malik's Muwatta lists love 12 times and loved 4 times.
In the Quran, Islam's divine scripture, the occurrence of the term 'love' or its derivatives is rather limited. Most of these usages have to do with human love or love of things and only a limited number referring to Allah's love. The Bible lists 409 uses of love with 223 in the New Testament alone.
The word love (Hubb in Arabic) in its various grammatical forms is used 69 times in the holy Koran; few given below:
- “Ah! Ye are those who love [hubb] them, but they love [hubb] you not, though ye believe in the whole of the Book. When they meet you they say, "We believe": But when they are alone, they bite off the very tips of their fingers at you in their rage. Say: "Perish in your rage; Allah knoweth well all the secrets of the heart." [Surah 3:119]
- “And among His Signs is this, which He created for you mates from among yourselves, whom ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your [hearts]: Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect”. [Surah 30:21]
- “That is [the Bounty] whereof Allah gives Glad Tidings to His Servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin.” And if any one earns any good, we shall give him an increase of good in respect thereof: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most ready to appreciate [service]”. [Surah 42:23]
- “O ye, who believe! Take not My enemies and yours as friends [or protectors], -offering them [your] love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, and have [on the contrary] driven out the Prophet and yourselves [from your homes], [simply] because ye believe in Allah your Lord! If ye have come out to strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure, [take them not as friends], holding secret converse of love [and friendship] [mawadda] with them: For I know full well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the Straight Path”. [Surah 60:1]
- “It may be that Allah will grant love [and friendship] between you and those whom ye [now] hold as enemies. For Allah has power [over all things]; and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. [Surah 60:7]
Mentions of 'love' in above verses refer to friendship among human beings, that too, mainly as reprimands, or referring to 'love' that is not permitted or disliked by Allah. There is also the teaching in Surah 5:85 that the Christians are the closest in friendship to believing Muslims.
A part of the first sermon given by the Prophet at Medina, this is what Mohammed had to say to his companions:
“Verily, the best discourse is the Book of Allah. One is truly successful whose heart Allah has adorned with the love of His Book, and whom, after living in denial, Allah has caused to enter into submission to Him, and caused him to prefer His Book above any human discourse. The Book of Allah is the most beautiful and eloquent of discourses”.
“Love that which Allah loves! Love Allah with all your hearts! Grow not weary of hearing the Word of Allah. Do not stop remembering Him. Do not let your hearts grow hard toward Him. For verily, Allah has preferred His Book above all of Creation. Indeed, Allah has endowed it with guidance to the best of deeds, and made it an example for the elect of His servants, and filled it with righteous discourse, and has made clear in it what is lawful and unlawful for you”.
“So, serve Allah alone, and associate with Him no other. Be ever conscious of Him. Be truthful to Allah in what you utter from your mouths. Let the Spirit of Allah be the source of love between you”.
Can you hear love in the Prophet’s words?
Can you hear his urgent call to a believer’s hearts?
Can Muslims ever sense the profound purpose of LOVE in Allah’s teaching?
To Be Continued…
