Steps to Gain Allah’s Love..

Bismillah ar- Rahman ar- Raheem,

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,

Human beings by nature, love rewards when they exert themselves. And when they are devoted to a cause, coupled with anticipating the rewards, they tend to strive more and bear the discomfort that comes with the struggle.

This is similar to our relationship with Allah. Allah SWT loves it when we exert ourselves for His sake and He describes the payoffs when He loves His servant:

“….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. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.”

[Bukhari]

This is indeed an aspiration worth pursuing, a dream worth fulfilling and a love worth nurturing.

“The One who does good when displeased, How will He be when pleased?”

[The key to Paradise by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali]

Therefore, to complete one’s faith and gain this love, we should seek Allah SWT alone in love, hate, giving and withholding and Allah alone must be our Lord and the only One whom we worship.

It is total submission and the essence of submission is to love what the Beloved loves and to abstain from what He does not love. This was how our pious predecessors achieved the qualities of true worshipers and reached the highest level in their efforts.

From the Holy Quran, we can deduce that there are seven qualities that Allah SWT loves and seven qualities that Allah SWT does not love. [Maybe more, if we studied the Quran more carefully]

Seven Qualities that Allah SWT Loves

1. Tawbah [Repentance]

“Truly Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance”

[Al-Baqarah: 222]

Repentance is a form of detoxification: Sincere repentance cleanses and beautifies the Iman. We all commit sins but Allah loves those who after committing sins, seek forgiveness with deep sorrow and regret. This is the only way by which the past can be set right. Allah has a concern for those He loves, therefore each time we slip and relapse into the abyss of desires and sincerely repent, He leads us out of it to the summit of forgiveness and further relieves us of hardship and provides for us.

2. Taharah [Purification]

“…Allah loves those who purify themselves.”

[Al-Baqarah: 222]

This is the external purification. The secret to this is performing the acts with the intention of following the example of the Prophet SAW. The removal of filth from the body by performing wudhu’ (ablution) and ghusl (ritual bath) and removal of filth from garment, body and place of prayer are acts that purify the body and radiates the Iman. It is a means by which Allah will wipe out our sins and raise our ranks.

3. Taqwa

“Surely, Allah loves al – Muttaqun. “

[At-Tawba: 4]

The fear of Allah is the source of pure soul – it is borne out of love and obedience. Thus a pious person is constantly driven to do good only. He/She is humble and does not flaunt his/her piety in front of others. The fear of Allah beautifies the Iman and is the origin of all good as one to strive to do only what pleases Allah and stay away from the things that would displeased Him. Piety is an internal quality as the Prophet SAW said, “Taqwa is here” whilst pointing to his chest [Muslim] and it is a quality that puts us above others in the sight of Allah SWT.

4. Ihsan [Goodness]

“Verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good doers).”

[Ali ‘Imran: 134]

“Ihsan is to worship Allah SWT as if you see Him and if you cannot achieve this devotion, then you must know that He sees you.”

[Bukhari]

Ihsan goes beyond a noble trait; it is an integral part of Islam

It is the secret of attentive heart – knowing that Allah is watching everything. This fills the heart with respect and veneration and one becomes too embarrassed to go against Allah’s commands. It promotes performance of good deeds for the sake of Allah SWT and not show or to gain praise or fame.

5. Tawakkal [Trust in Allah]

“Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.”

[Ali ‘Imran: 159]

The secret and reality of trust in Allah is the reliance of the heart on Allah alone. Therefore trusting in Allah words are different from trusting in Him with the heart.

Reliance is doing and hoping – doing everything necessary within one’s capability to achieve one’s aim and hoping with tranquility of heart and soul and putting one’s trust in Allah with firm belief that whatever the outcome is, it is a result of the Will of Allah and His Decree.

One should never feel that too much time has passed by without his/her supplications being answered; rather we should always place our hope on the One who is able to do all things.

“If you all depend on Allah, with due reliance, he would certainly give you provision as He gives to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with full bellies at dusk.”

[Tirmidhi]

6. Qist [Justice]

“Verily, Allah loves those who acts justly.”

[Al Ma’idah: 42]

Justice is a prerequisite to peace which is missing in our contemporary society. It involves giving other people the rights we give ourselves, treating people the way we would like to be treated.

Justice sounds like a word meant for the leaders alone but rather, it affects us all. It means:

– To be equitable in speech and in actions – with no degree of discrimination or testifying falsely.

– It involves being fair with regards to one’s family and those who are under our care; justice between children by not giving one preference over the other.

– By not committing wrong against oneself such as engaging in sinful practices and immoral acts.

– Justice with Allah in not associating any being with Him – in worship and obedience.

7. Sabr [Patience]

“And Allah loves As-Sabirun (the patient).”

[Ali ‘Imran: 146]

Patience is one of the most noble of virtues and traits. It is to endure what one dislikes with a sense of acceptance and submission and anticipating Allah’s reward.

Ali r.a. said, “patience to Iman is like the head to a body: if the head is cut off, the body perishes as well.” [Gems and Jewels].

A Muslim should adhere to patience when afflicted with calamity and should not submit either to desperation nor despondence because if we are patient, everything that was destined and preordained for us will occur and we will be rewarded. If we complain and are hopeless, then all that was destined to us will occur, but we will be blamed for our impatience at Allah’s Will.

Seven Qualities that Allah SWT Does Not Love

1. Israaf [Extravagance]

“Verily, he likes notAl-Musrifun (those who waste by extravagance).”

[Al-An’am: 141]

Excessive spending and lavishness in everything is the core of evil and leads to greater evil. It makes one forgot the hereafter and preparing for it. Such acts would be a cause of humiliation and disgrace on the Day of Judgment. That is whyAllah SWT has prescribed Zakah and Sadaqah in order to bless the wealth and to curb extravagance in eating, drinking, clothing and in everything we do.

2. Istikbaar [Pride]

“He likes not the proud.”

[An-Nahl: 23]

“Pride is to completely disregard the truth and scorn (looking down upon) the people.”

[Muslim]

Sometimes a person might be deceived by his/her knowledge, wealth and property, lineage and ancestry, or worship and be arrogant and boastful. Hasan al-Basri advised that, “Do not become proud merely because you worship often, for consider what happened to Iblis after spent a great deal of time worshipping.” [Gems and Jewels]

Pride is among the greatest means of damage to a person, his/her wealth and circumstances. It distances one away from Allah’s love and “Whoever has an atom weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.” [Muslim]

3. Mukhtal Fakhoor [Arrogant Boaster]

“Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster.”

[Luqman: 18]

Being arrogant and boastful are two deadly combination – beauty, knowledge, wealth and noble lineage should be taken as gifts from Allah and one should be humble and grateful for them rather than making them a means of pride and oppression. The servant of Allah SWT cannot be true to him/herself as long as he/she is flattering him/herself, walking in arrogant manner and looking down on people who are below his/her and not mixing with them. The one who is arrogant in this world will be disgraced on the Day of Judgment.

“The arrogant will be gathered on the Day of Judgment in the form of small ants. Humiliation will surround them from everywhere.”

[Tirmidhi]

4. Udwaan [Transgression]

“Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors – mu’tadeen.”

[Al Ma’idah: 87]

Human characteristics have limitations, which if surpassed would be transgression and if one falls short of it, it would be a defect – for example, generosity has a limitation, when surpassed it becomes extravagance, when courage is surpassed, it becomes rashness; when ibadah (worship) is surpassed, one falls risk of adopting bid’ah – some of the companions almost fell into this trap when one of them said, “I will not eat meat,” another said, “I will not marry women,” while the third said, “I will not sleep on the bed.”

When the Prophet SAW heard these statements, he said, “What is the matter with some people who said such and such? I fast and break the fast, sleep and wake to stand to pray, eat meat, and marry women. He who is not pleased with my Sunnah is not of me.”

Therefore moderation is the best way to deal with all matters – it is not to exaggerate and make it hard for ourselves by prohibiting the permissible things. And not to transgress the limits by excessively indulging in the permissible matters but rather we should only use what satisfies our need and not fall into extravagance.

5. Zulm [Evil, Wrongdoing]

“And Allah does not like the Zalimun (oppressors, polytheists, and wrongdoers).”

[Ali ‘Imran: 57]

This is a reprehensible trait whose presence spoils the Iman and darkens the heart. The wrongdoers are those who have chosen the good transient life instead of the hereafter. All acts of wrongdoing such as stealing, breach of trust, embezzlement, usurping the rights of others, bribery have serious consequences in the hereafter.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah SWT says: “O my servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden among you. Therefore, do not commit oppression.”

[Muslim]

6. Khiyaanah [Treachery]

“Certainly, Allah likes not the treacherous.”

[Al Anfal: 58]

The treacherous one is two-faced and inconsistent in words and deeds. Acts of treachery lead to betrayal, disloyalty, perfidy, deception and hypocrisy which in turn spoil the Iman.

7. Ifsaad [Mischief-making]

“And Allah does not like the Mufsidun (mischief makers).”

[Al-Maidah: 64]

This is a comprehensive term which includes great crimes, sins, oppression, carrying false tales, hypocrisy, tyranny and all kinds of mischief. All these acts are despicable and stain the Iman.

Hasten today to adopt the qualities that Allah SWT loves and don’t rest until they become the second nature to you; hasten today to abandon all the qualities Allah does not love and don’t relent until you hate them with all your heart.

The Prophet SAW said: “Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts.”

References:

• Tafsir Ibn Kathir
• Al-Fawaid – A collection of wise sayings by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim
• The key to Paradise by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
• Gems and Jewels – wise sayings, interesting events and moral lessons from the Islamic history, compiled b Abdul Malik Mujahid (Darussalam)
• Glimpses of the lives of Righteous people, compiled by Majid Muhammad Ash-Shahawi (Darussalam)

Republished from the Magazine ‘Sisters’ and was written by Umm Haneefa.