HADITH ELEVEN : ALLAH PROTECTS WHOM HE LOVES
HADITH ELEVEN : ALLAH PROTECTS WHOM HE LOVES. The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «Indeed Allah protects His believing servant from the world while loving him as you protect your sick from food and drink because you fear it for them.»
Reported by Ahmad (23622) and al-Tirmidhi (2036) and al-Albani declared it sahih
(Sahih al-Jami‘, 1814 and Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2036) and al-Arna‘ut
Commentary
We and the world
We all desire this world. We see its beauty, and our hearts long for it. This is natural. Allah placed us on earth with a firm desire for this world. Allah said:
The love of attractive things is beautified for people—women, sons, piles of gold and silver, horses with fine markings, livestock, and farmland. These are the pleasures of this life, but Allah has the best place to return to.
Ali ‘Imran (Q3:14)
Our love for these things is essential for the cultivation of earth and the continuation of life. But it is also our test. If our love for this world is measured, purposeful, and with Allah in mind, then it is permissible and useful. This is the beautification mentioned in the ayah, which Allah placed in our hearts. But our fascination with this world could grow to a level where it overtakes our lives. It then becomes our sole concern and sole
happiness. When we reach this level of obsession and greed, the world becomes our sickness. This is the beautification of Shaytan who deceptively glamorizes the world to distract us, and then destroy us.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم pointed to the insatiable appetite we have for the pleasures of this world when he said:
«If the child of Adam had a valley of gold, he would love another. And the only thing that fills his mouth is sand.»
Reported by al-Bukhari (6439) and Muslim (1048)
Ironically, the more we have, the more we want. We will never reach a point where we will say that we have enough. Hence, the only thing that will actually fill a human mouth is sand when they die. The one who approaches the world with greed and stinginess, and attains it from unlawful sources, will be as the hadith states:
«The one who takes it [i.e. wealth] unlawfully (in another narration: The one who takes it greedily, it will not be blessed for them) will be like the one who eats but is never full.» Reported by al-Bukhari (1465, 1472) and Muslim (1035)
Curiously, there is a strong parallel between our position on food and the world. Food is one of the main attractions on earth, and our attitude towards it encapsulates and represents our worldly attitudes. We love to eat, which is natural. But if we overeat, we will be sick. Moderation is the only healthy option. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«No human fills a container worse than a stomach. It is sufficient for the child of Adam to eat a few morsels that keep his back upright. But if he has to, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink and one-third for his breathing.»
Reported by al-Tirmidhi (2380) and al-Albani declared it sahih (Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2380)
This is exactly what our stance should be with the world. Take from it what you need and leave off the rest. If we have to, then take in moderation and leave space for other things in your heart and mind. But if you keep amassing worldly pleasures, the world will make you sick and eventually kill you, precisely like glutinous overeating.
Some perceive worldly fortunes as a sign that Allah loves them and that they are special to Him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Allah said:
As for the human, when their Rabb tests them by giving them honor and gifts, then they say, “My Rabb has honored me.” But when He tests them by limiting their provision, they say, “My Rabb has humiliated me!” No!
Al-Fajr (Q89:15-17)
This is the response of many to what Allah gives them (or does not give). If they get what they want from this world, they are at peace, happy with their lives and Allah. They see this as a sign of honor, love, and special status. But as soon as they are denied something, their Iman collapses, and they turn against Allah. They equate wealth and health with Allah’s love. Allah, unequivocally, declares this false thinking with the word “No” in the ayah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم confirmed it when he said:
«Allah distributed your characters among you as He distributed your provisions. And Allah grants the world to those whom He loves and those whom He does not love. And He only grants Iman to those whom He loves.»
Reported by al-Hakim (95) and Ahmad (3727) and al-Albani declared it sahih (al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, 2714)
Our material status, health, and worldly success do not correlate with Allah’s love. If the world is not a sign of Allah’s love, then why do we chase after it and neglect Iman, the sure sign of Allah’s love?
Parables
We all can relate to the image in the Hadith. Someone dear to us becomes sick, and we naturally take care of them. Part of our responsibility then is to make sure that they eat the right food to recover. And if we know that certain foods and drinks will make them sicker, we will protect them from it until they are healthy again—even if they beg us for it. No matter how much they desire what harms them, we will do our best to protect
them from it. In their sickly state, they may not be in a prime condition to make the best decisions.
The similarity of this scene to our worldly desires is striking. Many of us go after material gains with no consideration of what it may do to us. At times, we pant for it even though it is making us sick. We do not feel what it is doing to us, but others can see it. So, when Allah denies us something to save us, we complain about Him as we complain about a caretaker denying us the harmful food we crave. When we are physically sick, we are weak, impatient, shortsighted, and only see what we desire. Similarly, when we are sick with this world, we are weak, impatient, shortsighted, and only see what we desire. We complain when we are physically ill about being denied, and we complain when we are spiritually sick about the same thing.
Parables are important in helping us understand what lies beyond our senses. Allah created parallels and connections between what we perceive and what we do not. These similarities help us bridge gaps in our knowledge and understand one experience in light of another. This is what the parables in the Quran and Sunnah do, and they are extraordinarily important. If we do not understand how Allah could deny us what we like and yet still love us, just consider that you do the same thing with your children, sick family members, and even yourself. When you diet, either to lose weight or for health reasons, do you not deny yourself what you like to eat? And are you doing it
because you hate yourself? Or are you doing it because you love yourself and are looking out for it? Do you stop your children from eating processed and sugary food because you hate them or love them? These observable and everyday experiences help us understand the hidden wisdom behind the actions of Allah. Pay close attention to the parables in the Quran and Sunnah. They can teach us a lot.
Allah protects those whom He loves
When we love someone, our love moves us to protect them, ensuring that no harm reaches them. Allah’s love and protection are greater than anything humanly possible or conceivable. When one attains Allah’s love, they will be under the umbrella of Allah’s full protection, the All-Powerful and All-Wise. Allah said:
Allah defends the believers.
Al-Hajj (Q22:38)
Note that Allah took it upon Himself to do this. It is He who guards the believers and repels their enemies: humans or Jinn. He protects them from physical harm as well as defending their honor, reputation, and families. He also protects them from fitnah, doubts, and the whispers of Shaytan. He protects them from distractions that pull them away from Him. And if these distractions happen to be excess wealth or different worldly prizes, then Allah will protect them from it. He loves them, so He saves them, even if it is from something they like.
The difficult part for many is their inability to reconcile Allah’s love with being denied what they desire. They rush to interpret their loss as divine hate or disregard. The reason for this hasty conclusion is our fixation—even mad obsession—with what we
want, without any other consideration. We do not pay attention to how our cravings affect our Hereafter and the rest of our life.
Our obsession blinds us to the mercy that motivates the loss. If we pause to remember that loss emanates from Allah’s love, we would be able to rise above our pain and see great favors in it. We would see each setback as a push forward from a loving Creator. Loss, then, disappears, and all that we receive becomes a favor from Allah.
At times, Allah is going to be the One who protects us from this world, while at other times, it is going to be us who must protect ourselves from it to reach Allah. Though the following narration is weak, it does represent the sacrifices that the Companions
had to make. A sacrifice out of love.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم glanced at Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr as he was approaching, wearing untanned sheepskin that he tied around his waist with a rope, and said, «Look at this man whom Allah had filled his heart with light. I have seen him with his parents
as they were providing him with the best of food and drink, and I have seen him wearing a suit that he bought, or it was bought for him, for two hundred dirhams. Then the love of Allah and His Messenger invited him to the state that you see.»
Da’if al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib (1270)
We often do not appreciate or understand the extent of the sacrifice of the Companions. He left wealth and comfort and embraced real hardship for Allah’s love. But does hardship remain as hardship if you are doing it for the Beloved?
Coming closer to Allah will sometimes require that we leave what we love for His sake. This is the real test of our love for Him. Can we forego minor attachments for the Greatest Love? Allah said:
Say, “If you truly love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” Say, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” But if they turn away, then Allah does not love the disbelievers.
Ali ‘Imran (Q3:31-32)
These ayahs are the test of love. Each, and many indeed, claim that they love Allah. But what is the proof? Who is sincere and who is a poser? Allah told His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to inform anyone claiming to love Allah to follow the natural consequence of this love: listen to your Beloved. If you do, you will receive Allah’s Love and Forgiveness. This is the real confirmation of love: leaving what we love for the sake of Allah. But if we don’t, then it is a sign that our love is weak or non-existent. The reason the disbelievers refused the exclusive worship of Allah is that they did not love Him enough. They loved other than Him, and they obeyed and worshipped them. Tawhid is founded on love.
Favoring Allah over our desires is not easy. But when we do, we receive more of Allah’s bounties than we could imagine. Consider the following hadith.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade continuous fasting [i.e. without breaking the fast at night]. They said, “But you do it!” He replied, «You are not like me. Allah, My Beloved, gives me food and drink.»
Reported by Ahmad (7548) and al-Arna‘ut and Ahmad Shakir declared it sahih
The love the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had for Allah was so intense that he could stay without food and drink for days. This love gave him energy that sustained him as food would. If we need an example to understand this, consider how we tend to forget about
eating and drinking when we do something we love. Joy chases away hunger and fatigue; it injects energy that is supplied by our love. And when we love Allah, the strength we receive is greater than anything else we have experienced.
The love of this world is the greatest competitor with the love of Allah. It is impossible for both of them to fully inhabit a heart (see Hadith Seventeen). We need to decrease one for the other to grow. Thu al-Nun said:
One of the marks when someone loves Allah is to abandon all that distracts from Allah until one’s preoccupation is Allah alone.
Al-Zuhd al-Kabir by al-Bayhaqi (p. 78)
Our preoccupation is what we love. So, let us consider what is preoccupying us. And if we find that we need more of Allah’s love in our hearts, we need to give more time to Him.
Let Allah protect you
We are all looking for safety in this life. We save money in case of emergencies, install alarms for protection, and wear seatbelts to guard against accidents. The unknown future, the danger that lies in it, brings us much anxiety. So, why not seek the best protection against the unknown? Is not Allah the Best Protector? Allah said:
Allah is the Best Protector.
Yusuf (Q12:64)
Allah protects those whom He loves. If you are under Allah’s protection, no real harm will touch you. And if something you dislike happens, Allah will help you through it. If you have to leave something for Allah’s sake, He will give you more than what you sacrificed. If He denies you something you like, He denies it to grant you something more exceptional. This is how Beautiful Allah is. He never abandons those who love Him.
DR. ALI ALBARGHOUTHI
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