HADITH FIFTEEN : ALLAH DOES NOT PUNISH HIS BELOVEDS
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم passed by some of his companions and there happened to be a boy on the road. When his mother saw the riding animals, she feared that her son would be trampled on and so she rushed to him, distressed, saying, “My son, my son,” and she carried him away. The people said, “O Prophet of Allah, she would never throw her son in a fire,” and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “No by Allah, Allah does not throw His beloved in the Fire.”
Reported by Ahmad (12018) and al-Hakim (7347) and al-Albani declared it sahih (al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, 2407)
Commentary
Allah’s Love for us is greater than any other love, and His Mercy is astounding. Love should be the inspiration and goal of our worship. It is what saves us in this life and in the Hereafter.
Love is the destination
There are many things that we want to achieve in our life. These goals vary from the great and noble to the trivial and even the harmful. Each goal and achievement reflects our understanding of life and what we consider to be important. It is these goals—especially the sublime ones—that give our lives meaning and direction.
Among all these goals, there is no worldly accomplishment greater than the love of Allah. It subsumes all greatness, all success, and all content. It is the soul of all worship and its greatest goal. It is the foundation and pinnacle of Islam. Al-Ghazali wrote:
The love of Allah is the ultimate end of all the stations and the highest level of all degrees. There is no station after that of love except that it is one of its fruits and subsidiaries, such as longing, feeling happy with keeping Allah’s company, contentment, and the rest. And there is no station before love except that it is one of the introductions that lead to it, such as repentance, patience, disinclination from the world, and others.
Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (vol. 4, p. 316)
Our relationship with Allah should be based on love. Yes, we should also fear Allah and hope from Him. But love is the basis and the most important part. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote:
The heart’s journey to Allah is like a bird. Love is its head, and hope and fear are its wings. If the head and wings are sound, the bird can fly well. But if the head is severed, the bird dies. And if the wings are missing, it will be an easy target for every hunter and predator.
Madarij al-Salikin (vol. 1, p. 513)
Iman and practice need all three. Some suggested, according to Ibn al-Qayyim, that fear needs to be more dominant when we are healthy, while hope takes precedence over fear right before our death. Others recommended a balance between hope and fear and said:
The best state is a balance between hope and fear and the dominance of love. Love is the mount, hope is the caller, fear is the driver, and Allah is the one who helps to reach with His bounty and generosity.
Madarij al-Salikin (vol. 1, p. 513)
The analogy is that of travel. Love is the main component—hence the dominance of love. Love is the vehicle you ride to reach Allah. Hope is at the front, calling you to Allah and motivating you to keep going. Fear is the driver who keeps you focused, firmly restraining your impulses so you can arrive on time. All our lives, we have learned about fearing Allah and hoping from Him. But we have not learned to love Him. And it is an essential part of Iman.
If our love of Allah is not strong yet, strengthening it should be the purpose of our worship, the primary goal of our life. Weakness in this love is behind our sins and unhappiness. Sin happens because we love something or someone more than Allah. When the love of Allah grows, it will displace sin from our hearts. And the power that sin has over us will diminish and disappear. Sadness will leave us too. Allah’s love offers hope and compensation that rescues every soul from the darkness of loss and uncertainty. If you love Allah, you trust Him. If you trust Him, you know that you do not need to worry. You can find peace in Allah’s love.
Claim of love vs. reality
It is easy to claim the love of Allah. Many do. But who truly loves Allah? And whom does Allah love? Some of the People of the Book claimed the love of Allah at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. In response to this, Allah said:
And the Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins?”
Al-Ma‘idah (Q5:18)
That is, if you love Allah and He loves you, if you are indeed Allah’s children (i.e. His chosen ones), then why do you disobey Him? Why does He punish you? Ibn al-Qayyim explained how their lives belied their claim when he wrote:
Punishment for sins is a consequence of anger, which is the opposite of love. If there was love as they claimed [between them and Allah], there would be no sin that they would deserve punishment for, such as transformation into monkeys and pigs and the dominance of their enemies over them where they violate their rights, enslave them, demolish their temples, and seize their children. The beloved does not do this with the one that he loves, and a father does not do this with his son. It is well known that al-Rahman al-Rahim does not do this [i.e. punishment] to a nation except after their excessive crimes and rebellion against Allah and their arrogant refusal to obey and worship Him. And this [state of sinful rebellion] contradicts them being His loved
ones. If they loved Him, they would not have committed acts that bring about His anger. And if He loved them, He would have disciplined them and not punished them, for discipline is different from punishment. Discipline is for correction, reform,
and mercy, while punishment is for retribution and repayment for evil deeds. This is different from that.
Bada’i‘ al-Fawa’id (p. 1570)
Many claim to love Allah, but not all claims are true. Some state—and actually believe—that Allah loves them, and they continue to live their lives under this assumption. But what validates this claim? How do you know? Loving Allah means loving what Allah loves and listening to Him. If one continuously disobeys Him and opposes His Will, they must reexamine their assumption of love.
The second point Ibn al-Qayyim made reassures the afflicted. When tested, some develop the feeling that Allah hates them, and this—they believe—is the cause of their suffering. We equate hardship with divine hatred and punishment. But bad things do not happen to you because Allah hates you. They happen because Allah loves you. I want you to remember this; it is one of the most important realizations in life. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم confirmed this critical point when he said:
«When Allah loves a people, He tests them.»
Reported by al-Tirmidhi (2396) and al-Albani declared it hasan (Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2396)
Ibn al-Qayyim explained that rebellious criminals are the ones who receive punishment, which is different from discipline. (Another point I want you to hold on to and never
forget is the difference between punishment and discipline. You can help many people with this gem.) What Allah intends with discipline is to remind His servants that they need to change, to cleanse them of sin. Discipline is not a sign of hate but care. Do we hate our children when we discipline them? Is it not our love for them, that we desire the best for them, the motive behind it? When Allah wants the best for us, He tests us to distance us from sin and temptation. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«If one already has a station with Allah that their deeds will not help them reach, Allah afflicts them in their body or wealth or children and then grants them patience so they can attain the station that they have with Allah.»
Reported by Abu Dawud (3090) and al-Albani declared it sahih (Sahih Abi Dawud, 3090)
Affliction is the elevator that takes us up to the highest levels in Jannah. This beautiful hadith tells us that Allah sends down patience with affliction so we can withstand it. Some worry about what the future holds and whether they can be patient with loss. But there is no need to worry. If today you do not have the strength and patience to deal with a particular loss, you will have it later. If something bad happens, Allah will give you the power you need to survive it. Meanwhile, work on increasing your Iman and know that Allah will always send you the best. And if there is an affliction, He will be by your side.
Tests are a sign of Allah’s care and love, and they are also an opportunity to move closer to Allah and correct our life. This is, after all, why they are there. It is conceited to take these tests as signs of religious perfection. Tests are there because there are sins in our lives: we need to keep changing, learning, and growing. When bad things happen, they are a message that we should inspect our lives and remove disobedience from it.
Love saves
Love makes our worship easier and purposeful. It helps us connect to Allah on a personal and more profound level. It helps us get much closer to Him because we know who He is, what He loves, and what we mean to Him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم wanted us to know Allah better through the parable of a mother. In another version of the Hadith:
A group of captives was brought to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and among them was a woman searching [for someone]. When she found a child among the captives, she took him, pressed him against her stomach, and suckled him. The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم asked, «Do you think this woman will throw her son in a fire?» We replied, “No, by Allah, as long as it is within her power not to throw him.” So the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «Allah is more merciful with His servants than she with her child.»
Reported by al-Bukhari (5999) and Muslim (2754)
This version complements the Hadith of the chapter. It was the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who drew the Companions’ attention to the incident to deliver a message. He wanted to teach them that Allah is more merciful than the greatest mercy they can witness on earth. And he wanted them to know that it is the love of Allah that saves them from Hell. Allah does not punish whom He loves. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote:
A scholar was asked, “Where do you find in the Quran that a lover does not punish his beloved?” He replied, “In Allah’s saying: ﴾And the Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are the children of Allah and His loved ones.’ Say, ‘Then why does He punish you?’﴿
Rawdat al-Muhibbin (p. 416)
If you love Allah, Allah will love you. And if He loves you, He will never punish you.
Love is the essence of our connection with Allah, and the greatest incentive to do His Will. When our Iman is weak, fear of Hell may be the best motivator (or desire for Jannah, for some). But there is a difference between worship that is simply done out of fear and one where the love of Allah is dominant. Allah’s love brings joy to worship. Love moves you to do more because you want to. Love chases away hardship and boredom from worship: one starts to find their happiness and comfort in it. We must learn to love Allah and teach it to our children. We must see our Islam as the pursuit of the love of Allah, a love that subsumes all other loves and ends all suffering and loneliness. It is a love that sweetens hardship and rescues heart and soul from despair and apathy. If our relationship with Allah has become dull and weak, we can revive it with love. Look for love in the Quran and Sunnah. Look for it in moments of worship done in solitude. Look for it in your du‘a. Look for it in your prostrations (sujud). Ask Allah for it. Do not leave this earth without tasting the greatest love there is. The love of Allah will save you in the Hereafter. And the love of Allah can save you here.
Allah is the Kindest
It is so endearing to know how Close and Kind Allah is to us. Imagine that the Lord of all, the One who has neither beginning nor end, the one who is Greater than all great things, loves you! Who are we to deserve that? With all of our flaws and sins, yet
He loves us? We are insignificant specks in this universe, yet we matter to Him? And He wants to elevate us to the highest levels of Jannah, so we are near Him forever? Consider how Gentle Allah is with us in the following hadith. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that Allah said:
«I do not hesitate about something I do as I hesitate about [taking] the soul of the believer: he hates death, and I hate to upset him.»
Reported by al-Bukhari (6502)
This is not human hesitation. We hesitate because we are unsure of an outcome or cannot decide which one of the different options is best. But Allah knows everything. His Hesitation, glory be to Him, is as the hadith explains: He does not want to hurt us, but we have to die to move to the next life. His Hesitation is two conflicting wills, but He knows which one is best. Now, think about it. This is Allah’s greatest hesitation. His greatest one! And who causes it? You! This is how much you matter. When He loves you, this is how much He loves you: He takes care of your feelings, and He hates your pain. It is a tragedy that we have this much love waiting for us, yet we do not know
about it or care. It is a tragedy to leave this life without it. It is the greatest joy in life, the highest achievement, and yet few are seeking it. Allah is waiting for you. So, what is holding you back? Say Bismillah and start your journey to Him.
DR. ALI ALBARGHOUTHI
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