In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allaah [The Most High] said:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ أَندَاداً يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلّهِ
And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else). [2:165]
Imaam As-Sadi [rahimahullaah] said: The (true) believers love Allaah more than the love that the idol worshippers have for the partners they associate with Allaah in worship. That is because they [believers] have a pure and sincere love for Allaah; as for the Mushrikoon, they associate partners to Allaah in worship out of the love they have for their false objects of worship. The believers love The One [Allaah] who deserves true love in reality, for true love of Allaah is the very thing upon which depends the rectification of a person, his happiness and success. As for the Mushrikoon, they love those who are not worthy of being given any love, rather having love for such things is the very reason behind wretchedness, corruption and loss. [1]
Allaah (The Most High) said:
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
Verily, they (i.e. Prophets) used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. [21:90]
Imaam As-Sadi [rahimahullaah] said: They used to hasten towards the performance of good deeds and carried them out in the most virtuous times. They carried out those good deeds in a befitting manner and in the manner it is obligated. They never left a virtuous deed they were able to perform; rather they took the opportunity to perform it. And they used to call upon Allaah with Hope and Fear – asking Allaah for those good things that are desired in the worldly life and afterlife. And they used to seek Allaah’s Refuge from those frightening things which bring about harm in this life and the next. So they had fear and hope, and they were not heedless, inattentive and arrogant. [Ref 2]
Al-Allaamah Saaheh Al-Fawzaan [hafidhahullaah] said: We should know that fear of Allah should be combined with love and hope, so that fear does not become a cause of giving up hope in Allaah’s Mercy. A believer should have both fear of Allaah and hope in Allaah’s Mercy, so that fear alone does not lead him to give up hope in Allaah’s mercy, nor will hope alone make feel secure from Allaah’s plan. That is because giving up hope in Allaah’s Mercy and feeling secure from Allaah’s plan are two affairs that negate perfect Tawheed. Allaah [The Most High] said:
[فَلَا يَأۡمَنُ مَڪۡرَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ –
None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers]. [7:99]
And Allaah [The Most High] said: [إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يَاْيۡـَٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ – Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.” [12:87]
And Allaah said: [ وَمَن يَقۡنَطُ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ رَبِّهِۦۤ إِلَّا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ – “And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray. [15:56] Ismaa’eel Ibn Raafi (rahimahullaah) said, ”Feeling secure from Allaah’s plan is when the slave is persistent in committing sin, whilst hoping for Allaah’s forgiveness’’. The Scholars (rahimahumullaah) say, ”Despair is to distance oneself from having hope for relief and losing hope in that, and it is the opposite of feeling secure from Allaah’s plan. Both these two affairs are a great sin. It is neither permissible for a believer to adhere to fear alone, and thus despairs of Allaah’s Mercy, nor should he adhere to hope alone, and thus feels secure from Allaah’s punishment; rather he should have fear and hope – fearful due to his sins, performs acts of obedience to Allaah and hopes for Allaah’s Mercy, just as Allaah [The Most High] stated:
إِنَّهُمۡ ڪَانُواْ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبً۬ا وَرَهَبً۬اۖ وَڪَانُواْ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ
Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. [21:90]
And Allaah said:
[ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّہُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُ ۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُورً۬ا –
Those whom they call upon [like ‘Iesa (Jesus) – son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angel, etc.] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest and they [‘Iesa (Jesus), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angels, etc.] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is something to be afraid of! [17:57]
When fear of Allaah and hope in Allaah are combined, it urges a slave (i.e. a worshipper of Allaah) to perform deeds and utilise the beneficial means to that; for indeed alongside having hope in Allaah’s Mercy, he performs acts of obedience and hopes for reward; and by way of fear, he abandons disobedience due to being fearful of Allaah’s punishment. But if he despairs of Allaah’s Mercy, he may stop performing righteous deeds, and if he feels secure from Allaah’s punishment, he is pushed towards acts of disobedience. [3]
Allaah [The Most High] said: [قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ – Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful]”. [Surah Aal Imraan Ayah 31]
This Ayah is conveyed to everyone who claims to love Allaah, whilst he is not one who truly follows Allaah’s Prophet Muhammad [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam]- by obeying the Prophet’s command and keeping away from what he has forbidden. Therefore, unless he [i.e. the one who claims to love Allaah] truly follows the Messenger, then indeed he is not truthful in his claim [i.e. that he loves Allaah] [3.1]
How to Earn Allaah’s Love – By Imaam Ibnul Qayyim
Recitation of the Qur’aan, reflecting upon it, seeking to understand its meaning and what is required from that. (a)
Seeking to get close to Allaah through the supererogatory acts of worship after fulfilling the obligations. (b)
Constant remembrance of Allaah in all situations. (c)
Giving precedence to what Allaah loves over what you love when you find yourself in a state in which evil desires are about to gain the upper hand. (d)
The heart paying attention to the Names and Attributes of Allaah and seeking the knowledge related to them. (e)
Recalling Allaah’s benignity and kindness. (f)
The heart’s feeling of complete submission, humility, servitude and need in the presence of Allaah. (g)
Worship during the last third of the night when Allaah descends. (h)
Sitting with the truthful people. (i)
Distance from every reason that will come between your heart and Allaah. (j) [4]
Footnotes:
Footnote a: listen to “Seeking Cure with the Quraan – by Shaikh Abdulilah Lahmami [may Allaah preserve him]: https://learnaboutislam.co.uk/2011/01/seeking-cure-with-the-quraan/
Footnote b: From Abū Hurayrah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) who said: The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) said: Allāh, the Exalted, says, “Whoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory deeds until I love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.” https://www.nawawis40hadith.com/nw/hadith/38/the-awliy%C4%81%CA%BE-of-all%C4%81h
Footnote c: https://salaficentre.com/2021/08/10/the-intent-behind-dhikr-by-imaam-ibnul-qayyim/
Footnote e: https://www.salafisounds.com/the-names-attributes-of-allaah-by-abu-talhah-dawood-burbank/ – by Shaikh Abu Talhah [may Allaah have mercy upon him and his wife]
Footnote f: https://salaficentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Fed-up-or-Bored-With-a-Blessing.pdf
Footnote g: https://salaficentre.com/2021/08/26/destructive-self-sufficiency-and-the-two-types-of-neediness/
Footnote h: Shaikh Abu Iyaad [may Allaah preserve him] stated that Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allaah have mercy upon him] gives a lengthy explanation of this – which is another of the doubts of the Jahmiyyah – in his book “Sharh Hadeeth in-Nuzool”, towards the end of it (p.320 onwards), and the essence of it is is that this question only arises when it is presumed that the kaifiyyah of Allaah’s Descent is like the descent of created beings, for when you presume that, then this doubt arises. So as Imaam Malik said, as mentioned by Br. Moosaa, regarding Istiwaa and as Abu Ja’far at-Tirmidhi (the faqih of Bagdhad, d. 295H) said,as mentioned by ad-Dhahabi in al-Uluww (p. 231), regarding the nuzool: quote: the Nuzool is ma’qool (understood), and the kayf is majhool (unknown), to have faith in it is obligatory and asking about it is an innovation. And in summary, we hold that:
– Allaah descends without Him leaving the Throne, He remains above the Throne
– Allaah descends without coming under or beneath the heaven – and as the Salaf said to the Jahmiyyah who raised such doubts in relation to the nuzool, “We believe in a Lord who does whatever He wills”
– To all people in all parts of the earth, alongside the variation in the night and day, Allaah’s descent is for them during the last third of their night – and we are not able to understand the kaifiyyah of that – just like we are not able to understand the kaifiyyah of how Allaah will do the hisaab (accounting) of all the people at the same time.
Ibn Taymiyyah says, “As for the nuzool that is not of the type of the nuzool of the (created) bodies of the servants, then it is not impossible that it occurs at the same time for a great number of the creation … and this is like His reckoning of His servants on the Day of Judgement, He will reckon all of them within a single hour, and all of them will be alone with Him, just like a man is alone with the moon on a clear night, and He will make him affirm his sins, and that one being reckoned will not see that He is reckoning others besides him” (p.334)
And then Ibn Taymiyyah brings ahaadeeth in this regard, and he also mentions the hadeeth of Allaah responding ot the servant when he recites al-Faatihah in the prayer, so Allaah says, “My servant praised me” and so on, and this is to every one who prays, at the same time, and likewise Allaah sees everyone all at the same time, and he provides for everyone all at the same time, so likewise, the nuzool – if we remove that presumption of “kayf” that is prohibited which is that the nuzool is like that of the created bodies – then we are not subject to this doubt, and then we are able to affirm it for Allaah without tashbeeh and tamtheel and without any caution in that.
And in all of this there is sufficiency for the believer who affirms what Allaah affirmed for Himself without takyeef and without ta’teel and without tamtheel. [salafitalk.net]
Footnote i: Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” [Tirmidhee 2378] Muhammad Ibn Munkadir used to say, ”A righteous companion is better than loneliness & loneliness is better than an evil companion.” [Bahjatul Majaalis 1/48′ by Ibn Abdul Barr]
Ubaadah Bin Saamit [radiyallaahu-anhu] said that he heard the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] saying that Allaah [The Most High] said:
حقَّت محبتي للمتحابين فيَّ
وحقت محبتي للمتواصلين في
وحقت محبتي للمتزاورين في
وحقت محبتي للمتباذلين في
My love is assured for two (people) who love one another for My Sake. My love is assured for two (people) who maintain ties with one another for My Sake. My love is assured for two (people) who visit one another for My Sake and My love is assured for two (people) who help one another (financially) for My Sake. [5]
And in another version reported by Ibn Hibbaan: [وحقت محبتي للمتناصحين في – And my love is assured for two (people) who advise one another for My Sake. [6]
[Ref 1: An Excerpt from ‘Tayseer Al-kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer kalaam Al-Mannaan’ by Imaam Sadi’. Slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 2: An Excerpt from ‘Tayseer Al-kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer kalaam Al-Mannaan’ by Imaam Sadi. Slightly Paraphrased]
[Ref 3: Source: ‘Al-Irshaad Ilaa Saheeh Al-I’tiqaad War-Raddu Alaa Ahlish-Shirki Wal-Ilhaad’ pages 85 onwards. Publisher: Daarul Aa’simah’ 1st ed (Year 1423AH- year 2002]
[Ref 3.1: Tafseer Al-Muyassar]
[Ref 4: An Madaarij As-Saalikeen 2/218-219. Publisher: Daar Al-Manaar. 1st Edition 1424AH. 2003. paraphrased]
[Refs 5 & 6: Declared Saheeh by Imaam Albaani in Saheeh At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb’ Numbers 3019 and 3020]
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