Reflections

4.4.THE HEART BETWEEN FAITH AND LOVE

So faith (man), when it embarks on the heart and its radiance mingles with it, the heart is not displeased with it. In fact, it loves it and is pleased with it. The beholder of it has from its sweetness (halawa) in his heart, and pleasure (ladha), and happiness (surur) and delight (bahja), that which cannot be expressed to one who hasn’t experienced it. People vary when it comes to experiencing it. And the pleasure (rida) and happiness (farh) in the heart, he has from its radiance accordingly. So when it mingles with the heart, it does not displease him. Allah, the Most High, says:

“Say: ‘In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy therein let them rejoice.’ That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.” (Yunus (10):58)

And He, the Most High, says:

“Those to whom We have given the Book rejoice at what has been revealed unto you, but there are among the Confederates those who reject a part thereof.” (al-Ra’d (13): 36)

And He, the Most high, says:

“And whenever there comes down a Surah (chapter from the Qur’an), some of them say: ‘Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?’ As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and they rejoice.” (al-Tawbah (9): 124)

So He informed us, Glorified is He, that they rejoice at what is revealed from the Qur’an. And this joy is happiness and gladness, and that is because of what they find in their hearts of sweetness, pleasure and delight for what Allah has revealed.

And pleasure (ladha) always follows love (mahabba).So whoever loves something, and he attains what he loves, he finds pleasure in it. Experiencing something, or getting a taste of it, is having an appreciation of the desired thing. Apparent delight, for example in eating, is the person’s state when he craves food and loves it. Then he tastes it and consumes it, so he discovers its delightfulness and sweetness. And so it is with marriage and things like that.

And there is none of the creation’s love greater, more perfect or more complete than the believers’ love for their Lord. And there is nothing in existence deserving of being loved intrinsically, from every angle, except Allah, the Most High. And whatever is loved other than Him, that love is subordinate to His love. So the Messenger, indeed he is loved for Allah’s sake, and he is obeyed for Allah’s sake. As Allah, the Most High says:

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘If you love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-’Imran(3):31)

And in the hadith: “Love Allah for what He nourishes you with His blessings; love me due to love of Allah; and love the people of my house due to love of me.” And Allah, the Most High, says:

“Say: ‘If your fathers…’” until His saying:

“….are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision. And Allah guides not the people who are rebellious, disobedient (to Him).” (al-Tawbah (9): 24)

And the Prophet said, ‘None of you truly has faith until I am more beloved to him than his son, his father and all of the people.

And in a hadith collected by Imam al-Tirmidhl and other than him, “Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, withholds for the sake of Allah, truly he has perfected his faith.”

And Allah, the Most High, says,

“And of mankind are some who take others (for worship) besides Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else).” (al-Baqarab (2):165)

So those who believe they love Allah more than anything else, from everyone who loves whatever he loves. And we have explained this in multiple places.And the point here is that the people of faith, because of their love for Allah and His Messenger, they discover the sweetness and delight of faith that befits that love. And that is why the associated what they feel (of faith) with love,so he said, “Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: The one to whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anything else; the one who loves a person and loves him only for Allah’s sake; and the one who hates to revert to disbelief, as he hates to be thrown into the fire.

So from this, what they feel from the fruits of Islamic monotheism and sincerity (to Allah), trusting (in Him), and supplicating to Allah only, in this regard the people are of three levels.

By Shaykhu’l-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

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John Doe
23/3/2019

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    • John Doe
    23/3/2019

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

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    • John Doe
    23/3/2019

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

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