We love acts, things and people for many reasons. Almost always, our love is for dunya-related reasons. We love too often for personal gain and benefit. However, we must ask ourselves, do we ever love for the sake of Allah (SWT)? And this doesn’t mean that an action we have done with a different intention has an added benefit of pleasing the Lord. This means, have we purely and solely done something out of our love for Allah (SWT)? Have we ever loved our brother or sister in Islam truly for the sake of Allah (SWT)?
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Where are those who love one another through My glory? Today I shall give them shade in My shade, it being a day when there is no shade but My shade.'”
[Hadith Qudsi; Related by al-Bukhari (also by Malik)].
We often say that we want to be of those who are surrounded by the blessings of Allah (SWT). We pray for the best in this life and the next, but what have we done to earn it? We hold grudges, we are too quick to judge and too quick to backbite. It is important to think the best of your brothers and sisters, and remember that they are on the same path as you. More importantly, we should not forget the divine order of Allah (SWT) to love one another for His sake.
Loving another for the sake of Allah (SWT) is an act of the heart and guided through our intention. There is nothing to lose, yet something great to gain with loving for His sake. If we want to be of one of those who will be under the shade of Allah (SWT), then we need to strive harder and make our hearts softer. We need to establish our bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood to be tighter. When our Ummah lacks this certain love, this is a reflection of the state of the heart. We should purify our hearts, renew our intentions and foster that love in our hearts. Ultimately, there is no love stronger then the love that a believer has for His Lord and with this at the roots, it should ignite our love for one another.
