HADITH SEVENTEEN : LOVE THE WORLD LESS, AND ALLAH WILL LOVE YOU MORE
A man came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said, “Guide me to a thing that if I do, Allah will love me and people will love me.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «Abstain from the world and Allah will love you, and abstain from people’s possessions and they will love you.»
Reported by Ibn Majah (4102) and al-Albani declared it sahih (al-Silsilah al-Sahihah,
944)
Commentary
Loving Allah and loving the world are opposites. If we are seeking Allah’s love, we need to learn to detach from the world.
Loving Allah vs. loving the world
Few on earth today are searching for Allah’s love. Most of us are intoxicated with this world. We are so obsessed with material success and riches that this world has become the center of our existence. It defines our worth—individually and collectively— and is the basis of our happiness. The successful country is the rich country, regardless of how unethical and immoral it is. This is how we assess ourselves and each other. It is no exaggeration to say that we allowed the world to enslave our hearts and bodies.
When the Companion in the Hadith wondered how he could attain the love of Allah and people, the answer to both was to stay away from this world. It turns out that worldly avarice undermines divine and human love. Why?
The heart is where various loves reside, each competing to be the supreme love. We can accept this request (giving it attention and energy) or reject it (focusing on a greater love). Some loves are also contradictory, forcing us to choose one rather than another (e.g. we love to be rich, which requires hard work and worry, but we also love leisure; we cannot have both). The love and pursuit of this world are in direct competition with
the love of Allah. Allah said:
You desire the transient goods of this world, but Allah desires the Hereafter.
Al-Anfal (Q8:67)
Loving this world glues you to it, whereas Allah wants to elevate you above it and move your heart to the Hereafter. Attachment to this world is attachment to money, long life, and sensual pleasures. These enslave the heart. If left untreated, it becomes self-obsessed and materialistic. Then, when Allah asks us to be selfless and sacrifice, to prepare for the Hereafter, we disobey because the world is all that we want. Allah said:
O you who have Iman, why is it that when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah, you adhere firmly to the ground? Do you prefer the worldly life to the Hereafter? But the enjoyment of the worldly life is little when compared to the Hereafter.
At-Tawbah (Q9:38)
Allah pointed out in the ayah the reason why some were slow to respond to His commands, clinging to their comfort and pleasures. If we prefer this world, we will not jeopardize it. Yet, Allah’s pleasure is in sacrificing this life for His sake. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«The one who loves their world will harm their hereafter, and the one who loves their hereafter will harm their world. So, give preference to what lasts over what perishes.»
Reported by Ahmad (19697) and Ibn Hibban (709) and al-Albani declared it sahih (Sahih al-Mawarid, 2093)
We are going to choose what we love most. If one’s love for this world is greater, they will favor it over the Hereafter. They will make choices and live a life that prioritizes worldly satisfaction. But this will come at the expense of their Iman. The one who loves the Hereafter will sacrifice (some of) their worldly success for the sake of the Hereafter. Why is the Hereafter at odds with the world?
Allah created the Hereafter as the destination and this world as the means to it. This world, however, also acts as a temptation that derails people from Allah. This is our test. The world is extremely attractive, deceptively making promises that it cannot keep. It promises happiness, long life, health, and wealth. Its attractions are so intense that they overtake the heart. And so, we end up doing everything and anything for its sake. Shaytan understands this and exploits our weakness. He traps us with these worldly temptations to pull us away from Allah. Malik ibn Dinar said:
Loving this world is the root cause of all sin.
Al-Zuhd by Ibn Abi al-Dunya (p. 212)
Every sin has the love of the world behind it. We sin because we love money, power, fame, praise, sex, and food. Had we loved Allah more, we would not put anything or anyone before Him. Every sinner at the moment of sin loves this world more than
Allah. They put what they love, their desire, ahead of what Allah loves. Had the love of Allah been strong and present, we would not disobey. This is why turning away from this world is key to pleasing Allah.
Abstaining from the world does not mean abandoning it completely. This, after all, was not the Sunnah of the Prophet .صلى الله عليه وسلم He married, had children, owned property, liked certain types of food, and dressed well on special occasions (Eid, Friday Prayer, and when receiving delegates). All this is permissible, and in fact, an act of worship with the right intention. We cannot do without the blessings of Allah. Abstaining from the world (Zuhd) does not mean hating everything in it. The best definition of Zuhd comes from Abu Sulayman al-Darani who said:
Zuhd is leaving off what takes you away from Allah.
Hilyat al-Awliya’ (vol. 9, p. 258)
Ibn Taymiyyah said something similar:
Legitimate Zuhd is staying away from what does not benefit in the Hereafter.
Al-Tuhfah al-Iraqiyyah (p. 44)
So, if something does not help you in the Hereafter, Zuhd would ask you to leave it, or take less of it so it does not distract you.
Some misunderstood Zuhd to mean starving themselves, intentional bachelorism and childlessness, deliberate poverty, shabbiness, homelessness, solitude, vagrancy, and never smiling. This has become entrenched in some circles despite its stark contradiction to the Sunnah and life of the Prophet .صلى الله عليه وسلم The Prophetic Zuhd is to take what you need from this world for the sake of the Hereafter and leave the rest. The desire to be intimate with the opposite sex is natural, and marriage should be its conclusion. The problem is not in this desire but in channeling it into the haram or putting our human love before Allah. Proper Zuhd is not suppressing or denying this desire but halal unions that protect from sin and bring comfort and love. Money earned to support our needs and our dependents is a good deed. The problem is when material greed opens the gates of sin. Intentional poverty, however, is not the Prophetic
solution. There is a healthier middle way.
So, what is the Zuhd that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم recommended? To answer this question, we can divide this world into three parts:
The first is the harmful part. This is haram and must be avoided. The desire for fame and praise, illicit affairs, superiority (Kibr), and unlawful money are examples. Zuhd here is necessary. All who avoid these prohibitions receive the love of Allah. This is the first level of Zuhd and it is obligatory.
The second part of what exists in this world is the beneficial, like religiously meritorious acts and the halal. These must be adopted. This includes the religious obligations and recommendations, marriage to stay away from fornication, earning halal income to avoid the haram, making enough money to be self-reliant and not dependent on others, eating and drinking to stay alive and healthy, and so on. There is no Zuhd in this category.
The third is the permissible that we do not need. Overeating, luxurious cars and homes, shopping for what we do not need, and overspending on brands and vacations are a few instances of this category. Zuhd here is recommended. Ibn Taymiyyah wrote:
Legitimate Zuhd is staying away from what does not benefit in the Hereafter, which is the extra halal that does not aid in the obedience of Allah.
Al-Tufah al-Iraqiyyah (p. 44)
Indulgence in the permissible is a distraction. It pulls us away from more significant work, and it slowly increases our love for this world and dependence on it. If one desires to be wealthy, they will spend their time collecting money, taking care of it,
and then worrying about it. This will significantly limit the time they can give to Allah. In time, their love for their wealth grows stronger, and they will not hesitate to step into haram. The same goes for obsessions with clothes, bags, shoes, cars, professional sports, gaming, movies, TV, and music: they pull the heart away from Allah. If one desires fame, they cannot work for the Hereafter. Working for Allah means desiring no human reward or recognition, only His pleasure. Zuhd helps us keep our love for the world in check, small enough not to hinder our journey to Allah. This includes Zuhd in what we choose to look at. Allah said:
And do not gaze at what We have given some of them to enjoy from the beauty of the worldly life as a test for them. The provision of your Rabb is better and more lasting.
Taha (Q20:131)
The ayah directed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to keep his eyes away from the finer things in life so as not to distract his heart. When the heart sees temporal beauty, it craves it. And when it craves it, it forgets the Hereafter. This is why it is important to counter these sights and impulses with the phrase of the Prophet :
«True goodness is the goodness of the Hereafter.»
Reported by Ahmad (13646) and al-Albani declared it sahih (al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, 2146)
He said this صلى الله عليه وسلم during the Battle of the Trenches, a time of great hardship. The Muslims were exhausted, frightened, and had little food. When he صلى الله عليه وسلم saw their hard work in digging the trench, he uttered this phrase. And when he was brought barley bread to eat with some rancid fat, he repeated it. Whether we see hardship or get a glimpse of something expensive, remember that all of it will perish. What remains, the only real thing, is the Hereafter.
As there is Zuhd in sight, there is also Zuhd in thought. What we fantasize about and allow ourselves to admire soon turns into a pursuit that competes with what Allah loves. Zuhd in the world is to believe that everything in it is temporary. It is to use
this world for the sake of Allah, not to be attached to it, and to take what you need from it and leave the rest.
If we are struggling to love Allah as we should, it is because we have not emptied our hearts of other loves. How could we love Allah more if we have immense love and attachment to this world? The two cannot coexist. If we want to love Allah, we have to make space for Him in our hearts. This is why Zuhd in this world is the door to the love of Allah.
The world vs. people’s love
Abstaining from the world happens to also be the key to people’s hearts. Humans are naturally attracted to this world. For most, it is the greatest love in their lives. The main reason behind conflicts and tension on earth is competition over the world. This is how deep and disturbing this love is. So, if people suspect that you want what they have, they will hate and fear you. If you try to wrestle what they have out of their hands, they will fight you. But if you are disinterested in what they possess, they will feel safe around you. If you do not need them, they will like you. And if they need you without you needing anything in return, they will love you.
A Bedouin asked the people of Basrah, “Who is the dignitary of this city?” They replied, “Al-Hasan [al-Basri].” He asked, “How did he attain this?” They replied, “People needed his knowledge, and he did not need their wealth.”
Jami‘ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam (vol. 2, p. 206)
One of the recommendations of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was to refrain from asking people for anything as long as we can afford to (Sahih Muslim, 1043). We should remember this advice and practice this adab. If you can do things yourself, do not ask for help. Try to be as self-sufficient as possible. If you succeed, more people will love you. This will also protect you from becoming subservient to anyone except Allah.
Only the believers can practice the first element of Zuhd: abstaining from the world for the sake of Allah. The second element, Zuhd in what people possess, is a piece of advice that even non-Muslims can follow. It will bring everyone worldly happiness, even if they are non-believers. We all love those who help us and ask for nothing in return. Yet, any joy this brings will be incomplete. It is missing the more important element of Allah’s love. Seeking and receiving the love of Allah is far more satisfying than anything people can give. Therefore, the focus of self-help books on improving our earthly experience alone will always remain incomplete. No self-help plan is truly successful until it redirects us to Allah. He is the One who brings lasting, deep, and meaningful happiness.
Seeking love
What is noteworthy about the Companion in the Hadith is that he was seeking love. He wanted Allah and the people to love him. His noble desire left us with this valuable Prophetic advice. It is quite remarkable to think in those terms, to ask yourself: “What can I do so Allah would love me?” Many live their lives without ever thinking about this, or expressing the slightest interest in it. They wonder how they can make others love them but not Allah. How can I win her/his heart? How can I make my boss like me? How can I make friends? How can I get more likes on social media? We ask all these questions but not the fundamental one: how do I get Allah to love me? He is
the beginning and end of all love, yet we are distracted with inferior passions. We forget that winning His love is winning everything, and losing it is losing everything. This Companion should inspire us. We should spend less time worrying about people liking us and focus on the One who matters.
It is not wrong to seek human respect and love. If it were, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would have advised his Companion not to seek it. His answer indicated that the inquiry was legitimate. Seeking human love is permissible and even desirable as long as it is not
the primary pursuit and concern. It should always be secondary to Allah’s love and pleasure. Why? Because at times, there will be a conflict between the two. And when there is, Allah’s pleasure and love should come first. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«If one pleases Allah despite people’s anger, Allah will be happy with him and will make people happy with him. And if one pleases people despite Allah’s anger, his human praisers will become his condemners.»
Al-Albani declared it sahih (Sharh al-Tahawiyyah, p. 268)
There can be no love without Allah. Period. If Allah is unhappy, the rest of creation will be so, sooner or later. Seeking human love is simply a subset of seeking divine love. This is why human approval should always remain secondary. Allah’s love is far too precious to be compromised for the sake of anyone or anything else.
Life would be so beautiful if we spend it seeking divine and human love. If our goal is to increase love, we will see and receive more of it. This would be a beautiful thing. And it will be even more beautiful in the Hereafter.
DR. ALI ALBARGHOUTHI
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