19-The Love of Allah and His Messenger

19-The Love of Allah and His Messenger.
Indeed, praise is to Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Gracious Who is kind to His servants, and endows upon them His countless bounties and endless love. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Who is the only God without any associates.

Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has praised His loving believers in the Holy Quran:” But those of faith are overflowing in their love for God.”(2:165). I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the servant and the messenger of Allah, the most noble of mankind who is favored by Almighty Allah over other prophets. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.

O Muslims,
I urge myself first and all of you to be God-fearing and pious for Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:”O you who believe! Fear God and be with those who are true (in word and deed).”(9:119). I also remind you of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)  saying about the Hereafter (Day of Judgment): “A man is with whom he loves.”

Dear brothers and sisters,
Contrary to Western belief, Love in all its forms is one of the most important concepts in Islam. Indeed, the word “love” and its derivations appear in more than one hundred ayat (verses) in the Holy Quran. Love has different levels and degrees in Islam. The ultimate and the most noble is the profound love of the believers for Allah. For those people of faith, Allah, the Exalted, facilitates performance of acts of worship and obedience to His commands.  

The love for Allah is the core of Islam on which Muslims base their deeds, speech, and human relations. Our love and longing for Allah is the ultimate evidence of our faith for which we are greatly rewarded by the Almighty. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:”Whoever loves for Allah’s sake, hates for Allah’s sake, gives for Allah’s sake and withholds for Allah’s sake has a perfect faith.”

Dear brothers and sisters,
Having the proper love for our Prophet (peace be upon him) is a must for any Muslim who is striving to please Allah, the Exalted, Who says: “Say (to them O Muhammad): If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you, and forgive you your sins; Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.”(3:31-32).

Prophet Muhammad also said “None of you believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his child and all of mankind.”

The manifestation of our love for Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is by following in his footsteps and striving to emulate him in our deeds, conduct and speech. Another manifestation of this love is to increase our dua’ (supplication), and prayer to Allah for our noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family, especially on Friday.

Dear believers,
Our love for Allah grows and develops and transforms us into loving, noble human beings. it must be manifested in the relations between parents, between husband and wife and between children. Husband and wife must cherish and extend extra care for their children. Please note, dear brothers and sisters that out of love for your children and for their own good, you must forbid things and deeds that are detrimental to them , and recommend good deeds even if they dislike them.

When Muslims nourish their hearts with love, it will reflect itself in the relation between husband and wife. Reciprocal affection, sincerity and loyalty are essential in an Islamic family, as Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in peace and tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts); Verily in that are signs for those who reflect.”(30:21).

Dear Muslims,
Affection and love shall be rewarded in both this world and the Hereafter. On the day of judgment, the believer will be with whom he loves. “A man came to Prophet Muhammad and said: When is the day of judgment? The Prophet said: What have you prepared for it? The man said: I did not prepare a lot of prayers and fasting, but I love Allah and his messenger. So he (peace be upon him) answered:” You will be with whom you love”.

Dear servants of Allah,
Just as it is important to love Allah and His Messnger (peace be upon him) , it is also necessary to base human relations on forgiveness. We cannot expect Allah’s love and forgiveness unless we also forgive those who do wrong to us. Love opens the gates of Paradise. Let’s be loving towards our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors … Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:”You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other. Shall I tell you something which if you did would love each other? Spread peace amongst yourselves.”

One of the aspects of love is dedication to one’s work. Liking one’s job leads us to excel, be creative and enhance our performance beyond the call for duty.

O Allah, we ask You to help us increase our love to You and Your messenger, and the love for any deed that makes up closer to You. O Allah, we beseech You to help us obey You and those You have ordained us to obey.

O Allah, make us of the people of the Glorious Quran, those who practice what they recite. O Allah, we beseech Your help to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his noble character.