Loving Our Beloved Prophet (saw) Part 3

The heart of Islam is the Love of Allah, the Almighty and His Beloved Prophet (saw), of one's fellow human beings, and of all creation. More than any of its predecessors, Islamic spirituality has charted the map of the human odyssey - a spiritual journey, the goal of which is to become a perfect human being.

This perfect human being must not only manifest his love of his Creator and His Beloved (saw), but by natural extension, he must also love His Creator’s creations – be they human beings or otherwise. He does not truly love Allah, the Almighty if he cannot love His Creations. We cannot keep this Love to ourselves: we need to show for it here and now and share with others.

One of the manifestation for the Love of Allah, the Almighty and His Beloved Prophet (saw) is in our service to mankind. The verse of the Holy Qur’an, which so comprehensively covers this concept of service to humanity, reads

“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind: enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah” … ‘ali-‘Imran 3:110

We will remain the best as long as we are service-oriented: promoting goodwill and welfare of society. If we fail to do this, we no longer have a right to boast of the superiority of Islam and of being Muslims. A Muslim who does not contribute goodness to other creations of Allah, the Almighty and is not inclined to serve the cause of humanity cannot be said to be a true Lover of Allah.

The fundamental qualities that we must all acquire to serve mankind or to develop a passion to serve mankind are: love for humanity, kindness in our hearts for others, a charitable disposition, humility, honesty, a thirst for knowledge, a desire to share knowledge with others and a constant desire to strive in the cause of Allah by doing good. We must be a people from whom goodness flows towards others. We must be the tree that give others shade from the sun.

Loving mankind in general is irrespective of their race, religion or creed for they are all creations of Allah, the Almighty. There is no place for violence, prejudices or bigotry for a loving servant of Allah, the Almighty. We are familiar with a hadith where the Prophet (saw) stood up in respect to a funeral procession of a Jew saying:

“Is it not also a human being?” (Bukhari)

We should do good to everyone, irregardless of their physical and outward manifestations as all judgments only come from Allah. Another familiar hadith of a prostitute and a dog where the beloved Prophet (saw) said:

"A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that” (Bukhari, Muslim)

“Is not Allah the Wisest of Judges?” … at-Tin 95:8

It is with these little threads of individual change that Islam weaves the wool of social fabric. It brings to life the delicate feelings of brotherhood and of belonging together. It designs a beautiful pattern of empathy, gentleness and goodness in the hearts of people. It smoothes out all the wrinkles and rents that ugliness and injustice pull in the fabric. The result is a harmonious whole like that of the most exquisite garment - radiant in its colour and majesty. This is the dress we must wear when we present ourselves before Allah, the Almighty.

Of Loving End

Love is one of the greatest blessings Allah, the Almighty has bestowed on humanity. Allah exists with or without our love, but we will perish without His Love. Allah has created human nature in such a way that a person will take pleasure from loving and being loved, from friendship or from intimacy. As a servant of Allah, the Almighty, it is not enough to worship and obey Allah. Rather, worship and obedience should be tempered with genuine love for Allah. For without love, worship and obedience may degenerate into hypocrisy, which is not acceptable to Allah. From a personal struggle, that Love must then radiate to touch and affect others in a gracious and most beautiful way. Just as the sweet smell of attar affects people around you, a Muslim must do the same. We beautify this precious gift of life, we do not destroy it.

The same point is reiterated in the hadith narrated by Anas (ra):

“None of you will taste the sweetness of faith until he possesses the following three qualities:
(a) when Allah and His Messenger becomes dearer to him than anything else;
(b) when he loves a person and he loves him only for the sake of Allah; and
(c) when he hates to revert to disbelief as he hates to be thrown into the Hellfire”

(Bukhari, Muslim)

Believers, who have great love of Allah, make sincere endeavours so that they might please Him and He might be pleased with them. Due to these superior moral values, they also love the things that Allah has created, feel affection and compassion for them, and wish to protect them and bring goodness and beauty to this earth. For that, He will reward them with Paradise, the most beautiful sphere of love and faithfulness.

If Man knows his Lord, he loves Him; and if he loves Him, he seeks His Good Pleasure, complies with His Commands and does good righteous deeds for His Sake – and this is the key for his reunion. Allah, the Almighty, says in a Hadith Qudsi:

“My servant persists on seeking My Nearness through voluntary worships until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks of Me, I shall give him; and if he seeks My Refuge, I shall give him My Refuge” (Bukhari)