“I love you”. What does that mean? I love you because you are my family, I love you because you are beautiful, or I love you because you help me out? How many people actually love simply for the sake of Allah?
Love for the sake of Allah brings rewards your mind can’t even grasp, but unfortunately it has become a a lost trait among many Muslims.
So let’s find out what it means to love someone for the sake of Allah and get motivated by a selection of amazing hadiths to start loving others in this blessed way insha’Allah!
What Does “Loving for the Sake of Allah” Really Mean?
Loving someone for the sake of Allah comes in two ways: in your heart and with your deeds. You love someone for the sake of Allah in your heart because of their position with Allah, and this starts with loving the prophets and messengers and everyone who follows them. You should have this love in your heart for other Muslims.
Outwardly means that you support that person in the good deeds they do, and you respect and defend them according to their good deeds.
This means you don’t love them because you know them very well, or because they brought you a direct benefit or because they have a nice appearance: you love and support them because of their efforts to please Allah!
4 Huge Rewards to Gain
1. Taste the Sweetness of Faith
To start with an invaluable reward in this world, the Prophet said:
There are three qualities whoever has them, will taste the sweetness of iman: to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else; to love a slave (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah; and to abhor returning to infidelity after Allah has saved him from it as he would abhor to be thrown into the fire (of Hell). (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
We have to realize that of everything you can have in this world, a taste of the sweetness of iman is the most precious.
2. Enjoy the Shade of Allah
Moving to the Day of Judgment, the Prophet said that Allah will ask on this day:
Where are those who loved each other for the sake of My glory? Today, on a day when there is no shade but Mine, I shall shade them with My shade. (Muslim)
You will only understand your intense need of this shade, when you are there and by just loving someone for the sake of Allah you can work for it now!
3. The Prophets and Martyrs will Envy You
The Messenger of Allah said:
Allah, the Exalted, has said: For those who love one another for the sake of My Glory, there will be seats of light (on the Day of Resurrection), and they will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs. (At-Tirmidhi)
Imagine yourself sitting on seats of light and the best of the best envying you because you made it a priority to love others for the sake of Allah!
4. You Will Have a High Rank with Him
The Prophet said:
A man set out to visit a brother (in faith) in another town and Allah sent an angel on his way. When the man met the angel, the latter asked him: Where do you intend to go? He said: I intend to visit my brother in this town. The angel said: Have you done any favor to him? He said: No, I have no desire except to visit him because I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious. Thereupon the angel said: I am a messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake). (Muslim)
Isn’t this breath taking? By loving someone for the sake of Allah, you gain the love of the Highest and which love is better than His?
How to Love Someone for the Sake of Allah
1. Be patient with others and strive for a clean heart.
In your relationship with other believers don’t try to seek the negative side of each word or gesture, be fast in accepting apologies and don’t be selfish.
A common issue is the more ‘religious’ some people get, their hatred for others increases. Try to seek the good side in others and always try to find a good explanation or interpretation of certain behavior or the speech of the other.
2. Be a person on whom others can rely in times of need.
The Prophet said:
The believers, in their mutual friendship, mercy and affection, are like one body: if any part of it complains, the rest of the body will also stay awake in pain. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
You might know this hadith, but try to truly reflect on it. Do you truly feel the pain of other believers, does it affect you? As this is a sign of your actual love for another!
There was an example of a man who loaned his friend money and walked back home crying. When his wife asked him why he was crying and if it was because he needed the money himself he said:
No I am crying at my brother in faith’s state of affairs. How could I not have known what he was going through? If I had, I would have offered my help before he was compelled to ask for it.
He was crying because he had seen his friend sighing, and even though he had seen something was wrong, he had never bothered to ask. This brother was crying because he hadn’t been there to prevent his brother in Islam from going through the pain of having to ask for a loan.
3. Tell others you love them for Allah’s sake.
The Prophet said:
If any of you loves his brother then he should inform him. (At-Tirmidhi)
Action point:
Revive the sunnah by telling the ones you love for His sake by saying: Uhibbuka fil-llaahi ( or to a female: uhibukki fil-llaahi), which means: I love you for the sake of Allah.
The plural is: Uhibbukum fil-llaahi ( to a group of men or a mix of men and women) or Uhibbukunna fil-llaahi (to a group women).
When someone tells you they love you for the sake of Allah, you can respond by: Ahabbak-alladhee ahbabtanee lah (for a male) or Ahabakk-illadhee ahhabtinee lah (for a female), which means: may the One for whom you have loved me, love you, in return. (Above phrases are narrated in Abu Dawud)
Conclusion
So let’s ask Allah to help you love others for His sake and get into action now: call or send a message and say the above to someone you love for the sake of Allah.
And I start with you all, for your eagerness to read about Islam and learn to understand the Quran: Uhibbukum fil-llaah – I love you for the sake of Allah!
Praying you will benefit.
Source: Understand Quran.