The white dove, silence, then humming,Love, what is love?She continued, "As for the low rank of love, is to prefer the love of family and kinsmen above love of Allah, His Messenger (ﷺ), and fighting in His way. This type is classified into several kinds.
Asking, unintentionally
Love, soul sacrifice
Elegant, fragrant, signify
O, is it love?
Love, o sacred love
Don't disgrace it!
Love of idols. In this regard Allah, the Almighty declares,Love of Allah’s enemies, Allah, the Almighty declares,وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّتَّخِذُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا يُّحِبُّوۡنَهُمۡ كَحُبِّ اللّٰهِؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡٓا اَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلّٰهِ ؕ وَلَوۡ يَرَى الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡٓا اِذۡ يَرَوۡنَ الۡعَذَابَۙ اَنَّ الۡقُوَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا ۙ وَّاَنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيۡدُ الۡعَذَابِ"And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment." [QS. Al-Baqarah(2):165]Intense love of sex. The Qur'an declares,یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا عَدُوِّیۡ وَ عَدُوَّکُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءَ تُلۡقُوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ بِالۡمَوَدَّۃِ وَ قَدۡ کَفَرُوۡا بِمَا جَآءَکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡحَقِّ ۚ یُخۡرِجُوۡنَ الرَّسُوۡلَ وَ اِیَّاکُمۡ اَنۡ تُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ رَبِّکُمۡ ؕ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ خَرَجۡتُمۡ جِہَادًا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِیۡ وَ ابۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِیۡ ٭ۖ تُسِرُّوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ بِالۡمَوَدَّۃِ ٭ۖ وَ اَنَا اَعۡلَمُ بِمَاۤ اَخۡفَیۡتُمۡ وَ مَاۤ اَعۡلَنۡتُمۡ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّفۡعَلۡہُ مِنۡکُمۡ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِیۡلِ"O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking means to My approval, [take them not as friends]. You confide to them affection, but I am most knowing of what you have concealed and what you have declared. And whoever does it among you has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way." [QS. Al-Mumtahanah(60):1]Preferring the love of family, relatives, and one’s homeland above the love of Allah, His Messenger (ﷺ), and fighting in His way. The Qur’an declares,زُیِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّہَوٰتِ مِنَ النِّسَآءِ وَ الۡبَنِیۡنَ وَ الۡقَنَاطِیۡرِ الۡمُقَنۡطَرَۃِ مِنَ الذَّہَبِ وَ الۡفِضَّۃِ وَ الۡخَیۡلِ الۡمُسَوَّمَۃِ وَ الۡاَنۡعَامِ وَ الۡحَرۡثِ ؕ ذٰلِکَ مَتَاعُ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۚ وَ اللّٰہُ عِنۡدَہٗ حُسۡنُ الۡمَاٰبِ"Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return."[QS.Ali-Imran(3):14]Love of prejudice and submission to one’s evil self. The Qur'an declares,قُلۡ اِنۡ کَانَ اٰبَآؤُکُمۡ وَ اَبۡنَآؤُکُمۡ وَ اِخۡوَانُکُمۡ وَ اَزۡوَاجُکُمۡ وَ عَشِیۡرَتُکُمۡ وَ اَمۡوَالُۨ اقۡتَرَفۡتُمُوۡہَا وَ تِجَارَۃٌ تَخۡشَوۡنَ کَسَادَہَا وَ مَسٰکِنُ تَرۡضَوۡنَہَاۤ اَحَبَّ اِلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ وَ جِہَادٍ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِہٖ فَتَرَبَّصُوۡا حَتّٰی یَاۡتِیَ اللّٰہُ بِاَمۡرِہٖ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ لَا یَہۡدِی الۡقَوۡمَ الۡفٰسِقِیۡنَ"Say, 'If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.'"[QS. At-Tawbah(9):24]اَفَرَءَیۡتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰـہَہٗ ہَوٰىہُ وَ اَضَلَّہُ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی عِلۡمٍ وَّ خَتَمَ عَلٰی سَمۡعِہٖ وَ قَلۡبِہٖ وَ جَعَلَ عَلٰی بَصَرِہٖ غِشٰوَۃً ؕ فَمَنۡ یَّہۡدِیۡہِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اَفَلَا تَذَکَّرُوۡنَ
"Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded?" [QS. Al-Jāthiyah(45):23]Love of Satan and submission to his incitements. The Qur’an declares,Certainly, the true believer does not submit to love of idols, love of disbelievers, love of Satan, love of sex, love of prejudice, but he should submit to his Creator and Maintainer, Allah Ta'ala, His Messenger (ﷺ), and the sincere believers. Allah Ta'ala says,أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ"Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy"وَأَنْ اعْبُدُونِي هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ"And that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path."وَلَقَدْ أَضَلَّ مِنكُمْ جِبِلًّا كَثِيرًا أَفَلَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْقِلُونَ"And he had already led astray from among you much of creation, so did you not use reason?"
[QS. Ya-Sin(36):60-62]O my brothers and sisters, Islam acknowledges love, and regards it as an indispensable matter, which was created for a purpose which only Allah knows.یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَنۡ یَّرۡتَدَّ مِنۡکُمۡ عَنۡ دِیۡنِہٖ فَسَوۡفَ یَاۡتِی اللّٰہُ بِقَوۡمٍ یُّحِبُّہُمۡ وَ یُحِبُّوۡنَہٗۤ ۙ اَذِلَّۃٍ عَلَی الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ اَعِزَّۃٍ عَلَی الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ۫ یُجَاہِدُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ لَا یَخَافُوۡنَ لَوۡمَۃَ لَآئِمٍ ؕ ذٰلِکَ فَضۡلُ اللّٰہِ یُؤۡتِیۡہِ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ"O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing."إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ"Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship]."وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَAnd whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed - indeed, the party of Allah - they will be the predominant.
[QS. Al-Ma'idah(5):54-56]
The phenomenon of love that has been inculcated in man, contains important aims. No one can understand it save those who have sound minds and deep knowledge. These purposes or aims are as follows.
Love is a hard and bitter exam for man ’s behavior. This exam is represented in the type of love he chooses. Will his love be pure or impure? Will he be moderate or extreme? Will he be disciplined or unrestrained? These questions will be answered after he passes the exam!
Love is one of the most important incentives behind populating the world, a motivation to develop civilization, and discipline for the affairs of life. It also prompts mankind to realize their aims i .e. establishing civilization and glorifying Allah. So we can say that without love, there would be no activity, creativity, modernization, or urbanization.
It is a major factor in the reproduction of mankind, to become acquainted with others, to utilize other cultures, and to study the sciences related to the cosmos, life and man.
It strengthens family ties, unifies society, establishes affinity among people, security, stability, peace among nations, and mercy and affection all over the world.
Human love that is based on Divine love makes wonders, establishes the edifice of glory and dignity, and sets up a great state, like that which was set up by our pious predecessors, who developed the best society known in the history of the world.
The true believer is the one, who prefers the love of Allah above all worldly interests in order to establish an Islamic society and propagate Islam, which is his only aim. Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) recommended and advised his colleagues and friends saying,Do good deeds and forgive others, because you will harvest the results of your actions.Be moderate when you hate, because you do not know the time of love.
Be moderate when you love, because you do not know the time of hale and quarrel.
Reference :
- 'Abdullah Nasih 'Ulwan, Islam and Love, Translated by Khalifa Ezzat Abu Zeid, Dar Al-Salam.
- 'Abdullah Nasih 'Ulwan, Islam and Love, Translated by Khalifa Ezzat Abu Zeid, Dar Al-Salam.
