01 Mar How Allah loves you
Have you ever thought about how Allah loves you?
How many times have you gone through something and didnât understand why you were struggling â only to find out later that the outcome was much better than what you had hoped for.
Among the many beautiful names of Allah swt, there is one which can be overlooked.
That name is Al-Wadud. It translates to âthe affectionateâ or âthe most lovingâ â but it holds a much deeper meaning than that. It goes beyond the basic idea of love. Which is why Al-Wadud comes from the word Al-wudâ which means the act of love through giving, and not Al-hub, which translates to just âlove.â
Al-Wadud emphasizes the active expression of love rather than it just being an emotion. To break it down even further and put it into context, Allah swt is Al-Wadud because He shows us that He loves us through different aspects such as blessings, trials and protection. All of which are constant reminders of our Creator. This includes every single struggle youâve endured because theyâre only meant to bring us closer to Him. Allah loves those that return to Him, and have faith in His plans.
Your full trust and acceptance in Allahâs plans will not only grant you a guided path, but also bring you two steps closer to strengthening your faith. Even when absolutely nothing makes sense sometimes, one thing is for sure, Allah SWT is always on your side if you open your heart to Him.
Think about how many times youâve repented for the same sin â only to find His door of forgiveness and mercy still open for you. At your lowest and your highest â youâre not alone. Allah is your constant.
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection. [Qur'an 19:96]
His loves is unconditional!
When we talk about unconditional love, we usually think of our parents. Despite how big their love is for us, even they will eventually give up if we continue engaging in the same mistakes over and over. Without discrediting them, itâs important to note that theyâre still human and not perfect. No human can truly unconditionally keep their door open for you 24/7. But Allah swt can, and He continues to do so. Thatâs why Heâs Al-Wadud.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (ï·ș) said, "When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him'. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so- and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him". [Al- Bukhari and Muslim]
Imagine that – a person who loves for the sake of Allah is not only loved by Allah but also by the inhabitants of the earth as well as the heavens!
How to gain the love of Allah
Ibn Qayyim lists 10 things we can do to gain the love of Allah:
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10) Staying away from all that comes between the heart and Allah.
Ibn al-Qayyim al-JawzÄ«yah, MadÄrij al-sÄlikÄ«n
Thank Him for His Affection
The Prophet, (ï·ș), used to say:Â
âO Allah, I ask You for Your love, and the love of whoever loves You, and the love of deeds that will bring me closer to Your love.â
Attach your heart to Allah
In this day and age it is very easy to fall into the traps of the dunya:
"If a heart becomes attached to anything other than Allah Ta'ala, Allah Ta'ala makes him dependent on what he is attached to. And he will be betrayed by it." Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah.
We are of course allowed to have love for each other, but this love should be for the sake of Allah -Those who love for Allahâs sake, the love of Allah becomes a right for them.
May we be among those people who are loved by Allah.
Aalimah Department