HADITH THIRTY: LOVE ELEVATES
The Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «Among Allah’s slaves are people who are not Prophets or martyrs but the Prophets and martyrs will admire them on the Day of Judgment because of their close rank to Allah.» They said, “O Messenger of Allah, would you tell us who they are?” He said, «They are people who love each other for Allah’s sake without any kinship between them or wealth they are exchanging. By Allah, their faces are lit and they are upon light. They are not afraid when people are afraid and are not sad when people are sad.» And he read this ayah, ﴾Indeed, the ‘Awliya’ of Allah will have no fear come upon them and nor will they be sad﴿ [Yunus 62].
Reported by Abu Dawud (3527) and al-Albani declared it sahih (Sahih Abi Dawud, 3527)
Commentary
Loving Allah and for His sake elevates to the highest ranks on the Last Day. The virtue and striving of the lovers will be noted and celebrated, telling all that this is true success.
Love takes you higher
All of us want to be special. We are aware of our talents and abilities, we see the good that we can potentially do, and we hope to do something worthwhile with our life. The recognition we receive for our work validates our worth, and this, in turn, gives meaning to our existence. What we do becomes important because someone else sees it as important and praises us for it. And if they deem what we are doing important and meaningful, then we are important and meaningful. We look for recognition because we are searching for meaning. And the ultimate recognition is love. When someone loves us, we feel valuable and important. Love gives meaning.
Looking for meaning, however, pushes us to sometimes to look for the wrong type of love. If you survey the world today, you will find that value is synonymous with fame and fortune. If you are rich or famous, you are important. You will be admired because you are successful. Why did people conclude that this is success? Because they believe fame and fortune are valuable. So now, anyone who wants to be meaningful and loved must be rich or famous. This is how we define and celebrate success. If we want to redefine success, we must seek recognition from another source. We cannot rely on the world. It does not possess the know-how to tell us how to live nor does it possess the values to tell us our worth.
The need for this redefinition is urgent. In pursuit of worldly success, we are lead to believe that competition—with all the friction and hatred it generates—is how you get ahead in this life. Especially in a globalized capitalist world, this is the only way to succeed. But the Hadith offers a counternarrative, one that we need to repeat often so we do not forget it. The truth the Hadith reveals is that success comes through love, not
hatred. We climb highest in the sight of Allah and reach our greatest worldly and spiritual potential when we allow love to penetrate our hearts, when we purge hatred (envy, greed, and pride) out. Those who love each other for Allah’s sake reach a towering position that catches the eyes of the best of humanity: the Prophets and martyrs. Allah elevates them to such heights to showcase their virtue and the excellence of what they did. And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told us about them to inspire us to be among them. That honor is no ordinary honor, and that distinction is unlike any in the world.
That scene in the Hadith transports us to a different—and better—reality than the grim one we created here. Those who love each other for Allah’s sake may not be famous at all on earth, and they may be struggling financially. By any metric of worldly success, they may be counted as failures. And if the story were to end there, everyone would decide to live selfishly because they see no value in behaving differently. But the Hadith
comes to offer us a richer understanding of reality. Those who will be celebrated in the next life are the ones who achieve real distinction in this life. They are the real winners, even if most people think otherwise. It is enough that Allah knows who they are and loves them for it. Their sincere love for Allah and each other made even the Prophets of Allah take note of them, and praise them for their excellence. They did not earn distinctions fighting in wars, but they fought their weaknesses and fended off worldly temptations. They did not buy into the dominant narrative of running after this world for meaning and value: they did not believe that they are worth something only if they
are rich or famous. They, instead, invested their life trying to please Allah and purifying their hearts. They made the love of Allah their destination, and they tried to reach it in every way possible. They defied what the majority of the world told them about love and meaning. They, instead, took their guidance from Allah and surrendered their hearts to Him. They sought what He loved, and they loved it. They sought whom Allah loved, and they loved them. They did not seek or desire human recognition, for they are waiting for their reward once they meet Allah. And when they do meet Him, He will elevate them because they elevated Him in their lives. He will bring them close to Him because they stayed close to Him in this life. He will proudly display them because He was the greatest love in their hearts. Allah will show humanity what He thought of them, He will show humanity that they are the real winners.
So, if you want distinction and honor, seek it from Allah. If you want value, you will find it with Allah. If you want to feel important, that your life matters, do what Allah loves. If you do love Him, expect the best in this life and the next.
The Iman of the lovers
Why did they deserve such high accolades? The fact that the Prophets will admire their position does not mean that they are higher and better than the Prophets of Allah. The Prophets’ station is higher than all. But it does reflect their excellence and high rank. If it catches the attention of the Prophets and they wish for similar honor, you know that their reward is beyond extraordinary. So, why did they deserve it?
We know well the struggles of the Prophets of Allah, and we know their impeccable piety. We also understand the magnitude of the sacrifice of the martyrs: losing wealth, family, and life to please Allah. So, the lovers must have also strived to be so close to Allah. Theirs is not an impossible rank to reach, but it does require sacrifice.
They have to rebel against the world and align themselves with Allah. And this could be lonely at times, and requires much conviction. When everyone else is busy with selfish and material love, they combat their weaknesses and outside pressure to focus on loving Allah. When everyone else is sacrificing for the sake of this world, they look odd as they sacrifice for Allah’s sake. When everyone else is trying to elevate themselves (with fame, money, and power), they elevate Allah’s Name and Religion. When everyone else builds bonds and friendships based on misguided goals, they do it for Allah and live according to His Will.
They are on a journey to Allah. He is their destination, their Companion, and their Solace. They are not lonely when He is close to them, and they are never weak when He is beside them. They live with Allah, every single day. They move closer to Allah, every single day. That is enough for them, for they find their peace in it, in being close to their Beloved. Distractions away from Him torment them: they feel miserable when they
are away from Him. They listen to His comforting Words (the Quran), they pray to Him to keep them strong and faithful, and they immerse themselves in His love each day. This lifelong striving propels them to the highest ranks in Jannah.
The glory of the lovers
They are on pulpits of light, elevated as they elevated themselves above the trivial in this world to reach Allah. The love of Allah binds them together, closer than kinship and friendship. Whereas all other bonds end and break, their love continues to grow. What Allah unites, no human can break. As Iman fills their hearts, it illuminates their faces. Internal beauty materializes on their faces and fills their spirits with happiness.
What concern could remain once they know that Allah loves them? It is no surprise that they will experience no sadness or fear. The love of Allah eviscerates all pain and insecurity, and all that remains is joy. We do not have to wait till the Hereafter to experience some of the joy. You notice that you are happier and calmer when your Iman is strong. When the love of Allah penetrates the heart, it removes other concerns and mollifies our worries. A portion of the joy and peace that awaits the pious in Jannah is available to us right here and now. Walk on this path, and you will see for yourself.
DR. ALI ALBARGHOUTHI
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