HADITH TWO : ALLAH LOVES BEAUTY
HADITH TWO : ALLAH LOVES BEAUTY. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. And He loves lofty matters and hates lowly ones.»
Reported by al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat (6906) and Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (4596) and al-Albani it declared it sahih (Sahih al-Jami’, 1743 and al-Sahihah,1626)
In another hadith, «Allah is Generous and He loves the generous [who give without being asked], He is Generous and loves the generous [who give when they are asked], and He loves lofty matters and hates lowly ones.»
Sahih al-Jami’ (1800)
And in another hadith, «Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. And He loves to see the impact of His bounty on His slave and hates the display of poverty or pretending to be poor.»
Sahih al-Jami’ (1742)
Commentary
Allah is Beautiful. When we ponder this, it will open the door to the love of Allah and inspire us to act with beauty in all that we do.
Allah is Beautiful
There is probably no better introduction to explain the Beauty of Allah than what Ibn al-Qayyim wrote:
Of the most special and seldom accessed types of knowledge is knowing Allah the Most High, through beauty. This is the knowledge of the select among creation, where each knows Him through an attribute of His. But the ones who know Him best are those who know Him through His Perfection, Grandeur, and Beauty—glory be to Him, there is no one like Him in all of His attributes. If you were to suppose that all of creation had
the most beautiful images, each one of them had this beautiful image. And you were to compare their outer and inner beauty to the Beauty of Allah, glory be to Him, their [combined] beauty would be less than [the light of] a faint lamp compared to the sun. And it is enough [in appreciating] His Beauty that if He were to remove the Veil away from His Face, then His Splendour and Beauty would burn His creation as far as His Sight would reach. And it is enough [in appreciating] His Beauty that all external and internal beauty in this world and the Hereafter is His creation, so what would one think about the One who produced all this beauty? And it is enough [in appreciating] His Beauty that all Honour is His, all Might is His, all Generosity, all Ihsan, all Knowledge, and all favour, and the Light of His Face shined away all darkness as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said in the du‘a of al-Ta’if, “I seek refuge in the Light of Your Face, which shined all darkness away and by which the affairs of the world an the Hereafter were set straight.” And Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud said, “There is no night or day where Allah is, the light of the heavens and the earth is from the Light of His Face.” He, glory be to Him, is the Light of the heavens and the earth, and when He comes for judgement on the Day of Judgement, the earth will shine with His Light.
Al-Fawa’id by Ibn al-Qayyim (pp. 264–265, Dar ‘Alam al-Fawa’id)
What about all the ugliness that we see in the world, one may ask? As we engage in deep and complete contemplation of the universe, we will find that beauty in it overwhelms ugliness. Ugliness on earth is of two kinds. There is (relative) ugliness that Allah created—like the ugliness of Shaytan (see Surah As-Saffat, ayah 65)—but its creation serves a purpose in Allah’s general plan, an important part of the ultimate beauty Allah intends. Its creation also demonstrates Allah’s power to create what He wills, and the contrast only highlights the beauty that Allah made and wants us to pursue (e.g. the presence of lies and deceit only enhances our love and desire for honesty and truth). The second type of ugliness is one that Allah allows: human disobedience and their spreading of corruption. This ugliness is a necessary consequence of granting humans free will to obey or disobey Allah, an important piece of the puzzle that ends in Jannah and eternal bliss. So, ugliness on earth is consequently beautiful, and this is why Allah’s Actions are all Beautiful.
Allah’s Beautiful Actions lead us to understand His Names and Attributes, especially His Beauty, Splendour, and Magnificence. This is what Ibn al-Qayyim V described as an often-neglected path in knowing and worshipping Allah. Many of us approach Allah and worship Him through Blessed Names such as the Most Forgiving, the Merciful, and the Bestower. Our sins and our needs pull us towards Him, and we know Him through our requests for forgiveness and assistance. When our needs are met and requests fulfilled, we become grateful and draw nearer to Allah. But only a few contemplate the beauty of His creation and revelation and start approaching Allah through His Attribute of Beauty while also embracing beauty in their lives.
(The hadiths of this section make a direct connection between this worship and embrace, as shall become clear shortly.) Since contemplating His Beauty comes out of choice, not need, few among us do it. But those who do are the ones who will know
Allah the best.
Ibn al-Qayyim V (Al-Fawa’id, p. 265) explained that Allah’s Beauty has four levels: His Beauty in Himself, the Beauty of His Names, the Beauty of His Attributes, and the Beauty of His Actions. We get a glimpse of the Beauty of His Attributes and Names through the Beauty of his Actions, and we get a glimpse of the Beauty of Allah Himself through the Beauty of His Names and Attributes. But no one can fathom the extent and the magnitude of the Beauty of Allah except Allah Himself. Ibn al-Qayyim gave this incredible example. If each human, from the beginning of creation until the end of time,
were as beautiful as the most beautiful human, and we added up all this beauty, it would be less than the faint light of a lamp trying to compete with the light of the sun. Another hadith explains that all the bounties of Jannah pale in comparison to Allah’s Beauty. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
When the people of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah will ask them, “Do you want more?” So they will reply, “Did you not brighten our faces? Did you not admit us into Jannah and protect us from Hell?” So the Veil [between them and Allah] will be lifted, and they will not be given something more beloved to them than to behold their Rabb, glory be to Him.
Reported by Muslim (181)
Can we appreciate that all the unimaginable beauty and luxury of Jannah cannot compete with Divine Beauty? We can make another comparison with what is familiar to us on this earth, and it would still be incredible. Take the best food that you ate, the best day of your life, your favourite clothes, your favourite pastime, your favourite person, your favourite memory, and all that makes you smile and put all these together—beholding Allah will bring more joy and contentment than all of these combined. Imagine your most beloved person/thing that entrances you and moves your heart, and think how the experience of seeing Allah in Jannah will be greater, sweeter, and happier. It is for this reason that the pious cannot wait to see Allah: they know that seeing Him will be the greatest joy they can experience. May Allah make us among them.
We love others because of their outer and/or inner beauty. We love them because of their beautiful deeds. If you think about it, it is Allah who enabled all this beauty. And Allah’s Beauty—the Beauty of His Face, His Attributes, what He does, being close to Him, mentioning His name—is greater than any other beauty you have seen or imagined. Doesn’t Allah then deserve the greatest love?
Listen to Ibn al-Jawzi explain why we ought to love Allah. He wrote:
How do I not love the One who gave me joy through what I sense [i.e. the joy I receive through my senses], and gave me joy through what I know [i.e. the joy I receive from what I learn]? And the joy I receive from knowledge is greater than all physical joy. He is the one who taught me, gave me awareness, and guided me to what I comprehend. And I constantly see Him in every new creation [of His]. I see Him in the perfection and beauty of that creation. All that I love—physical and nonphysical—is from Him, by Him, and through Him. How I come to know [what I love] and [the existence of what I love] is from Him. And the best of all pleasures is knowing Him. If He did not teach me, I would not know Him. I exist because of Him, so how can I not love Him? My life is from Him, my affairs are in His Hand, my return is to Him, and He made every beautiful and lovable thing, beautified it, and turned people’s hearts to it. Similarly, the One with Complete Capacity to create is superior to what is created, the Wondrous Maker is superior to what is made, and the realisation of this meaning is sweeter than what we behold [i.e. realising the Majesty of Allah that is imbedded in every creation is greater than the created thing itself]. If we were to see a marvellous engraving [i.e. a beautiful work of art], we would be consumed by the greatness of the engraver, their incredible ability, and the finesse of their wisdom over the admiration of the engraving. This is something that purified thought ascends to when it goes beyond the physical to what lies beyond it. At that moment, the love of the Creator undoubtedly occurs. Loving Him will be in proportion to seeing the Maker in what is made. When it is strong, it will lead to agitation and longing. If it moves one to the station of awe, it will lead to fear [of Allah]. And if it moves one to noticing [His] generosity, it will lead to strong hope. ﴾Each knew where to drink from﴿ [Al-Baqarah 60] [i.e. each have their path].
Sayd al-Khatir (pp. 58–59)
This is absolutely incredible! I cannot say more.
Allah loves beauty
Allah is Beautiful in Himself and Actions. And He loves beauty. But what type of beauty does Allah love? Expensive cars? Jewellery? Brand names? Fine art? Classical music? What matters to Allah is not the external beauty of faces and bodies but the inner beauty of Iman and character. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
Allah does not look at your faces and wealth but looks at your hearts and deeds.
Reported by Muslim (2564)
Our images and body shapes are given, not earned, so why should something we had no hand in acquiring matter to Allah? Or if we had a hand in acquiring something, like money and slim bodies, it is not important enough to earn us favour with Allah. What matters is how much we purify our hearts and what good we do with our bodies. So, the beauty that Allah loves does not correspond to the different standards of beauty that humans have (e.g. fashion, music, and architecture) but the substantial beauty of the soul and everything that serves this end. And when external/material beauty is pursued to please Allah, it becomes something worthy of praise and admiration. Allah says:
O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid (or when worshipping), and eat and drink and do no waste.
Al-A‘raf (Q7:31)
Being adorned includes covering one’s body (the ‘awrah) as well as getting cleaned up, dressing well, using siwak (or cleaning the mouth), and putting perfume on (for men only if outside the house). This is part of the respect that one gives to the worship of Allah, which, when done, will ennoble this worship in the eyes of the worshipper and everyone else who witnesses it. This is why it is also Sunnah to choose our best clothes for Friday and Eid Prayers. And it was a common practice of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to dress well when receiving tribal delegates interested in Islam (al-Bukhari, 886). He did this for da’wah: to honour them as guests and to gain their respect, which hastened their acceptance of Islam. It is also recommended for a wife to adorn herself for her husband and for him to do the same for her. The bond of marriage between them saves them from committing sinful acts outside of marriage. Such beautification is desirable and loved by Allah. Highlighting the importance of pursuing external beauty in service of internal beauty in worship, Nafi’ I recounted the following incident.
Ibn Umar stepped inside and saw me praying in one garment, so he asked me, “Were you not given two garments?” I said, “Yes.” He asked, “If I were to send you to one of the people of Madinah, would you go like this?” I replied, “No.” He then asked, “Is Allah more deserving of your beautification or the people?”
Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (3273) and declared sahih by its editor
Though dressing in one piece covered the ‘awrah and fulfilled the basic requirement of Salah, wearing a two-piece suit was the proper dress at the time. And Ibn Umar’s point was that if we dress up when we meet people, shouldn’t we honour Allah more when we worship him? The more we respect a human, the more we care to look our best in front of them. And if we esteem Allah, we would want to look our best when we face Him in Salah. When we do that, Salah will become important in our eyes.
It is necessary to note, however, that not all beautification is acceptable and praiseworthy. Ibn al-Qayyim V explained that beautification and adornment can be divided into three categories (Al-Fawa’id, pp. 270–271). The first is what Allah loves, is done for Allah, and supports what He loves, like the examples discussed above (e.g. dressing up for Friday and Eid prayers etc). Forbidden beautification is one done to support a sin (e.g. beautification that inflames desires and leads to fornication), showing off out of arrogance, when it wastes money, and when it becomes one’s sole or primary concern in life. The third is an adornment that is free from both good and bad intentions and consequences, and this is permissible as long as it is not wasteful. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم summarised all this when he said:
«Eat, drink, donate, and dress as long as you are not wasteful or arrogant.»
Reported by Ahmad (6695) and Ibn Majah (3605) and al-Arna‘ut and al- Albani declared it hasan (Sahih ibn Majah, 3605)
Lofty and lowly matters
The hadith teaches both knowledge and action (معرفة وسلوك )When we recognize Allah as the Beautiful, the creator of beauty in this life and the next, we would want to extend this beauty to everything around us. With kind words, kind gestures, painting a smile on another’s face, alleviating pain and hardship, eliminating injustice, with all of that and more, we add beauty to our lives and those around us. This is the beauty-oriented life of a Muslim. They worship the Beautiful and see the beauty of His actions every day of their life. Lofty and noble matters are an intrinsic part of this sense of beauty. It pervades or should pervade Muslim life, and flows from it to everyone and everything
else. It encompasses everything noble and dignified, starting with the religious obligations and recommendations to good character and etiquette. In His revelation, Allah guides the noblest of beliefs, practices, and manners. They do not elevate only in the next life but in this life too. Amid competing claims of nobility, refinement, and being culturally civilised, Allah’s revelation acts as the compass of what is truly noble. The greater we hold on to what Allah loves, the higher we rise in His eyes and this world, despite the objections of those who do not know Allah well.
Part of nobility is to have lofty aspirations and goals, to give rather than receive, help rather than seek assistance, and praise and thank Allah rather than complain about our lives. Part of this nobility is that whenever there is a choice, we choose what is more pleasing to Him, what is more beautiful, what is more beneficial, what is more dignified even if we are the only ones doing it. Part of nobility is to see ourselves worthy of noble
speech and deeds, unworthy of ignobility. Part of nobility is to adopt the good practices that others have (e.g. punctuality, discipline when driving and crossing the road, order, and patience in a queue) but not their misdeeds and disobedience. In sum, any dignified practice is pleasing to Allah, and it is pleasing to those who love Him.
No Muslim should be contented with undignified belief or practice. Therefore, one should avoid prohibitions and try to stay away from the disliked (makruh). If a word or an act is unbefitting the dignity of a Muslim, we should be the furthest from it, even if it happens to be common practice around us.
Allah is Generous
Allah’s generosity is limitless. All that we have is from Him. He blesses us night and day. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described His generosity saying:
The Hand of Allah is full; no spending decreases what is in it, continuously giving night and day.
Reported by al-Bukhari (4684) and Muslim (993)
Our very life and consciousness are from Him. He is the only one Who truly gives; for everything that we receive, including what humans give us, happens because of Him. And He is the only one who invites people to ask Him.
And your Rabb said, “Call upon Me and I shall answer you.”
Ghafir (Q40:60)
As the Hadith of this chapter teaches, Allah’s generosity even extends to those who have not asked yet. Karam and jud, mentioned in the Hadith, are two forms of generosity. The difference between them is that one happens after a request while the other without it (See al-Kulliyat by al-Kafawi p. 353). So, one type of generosity is to give upon request but not necessarily investigating people’s needs and rushing to fulfil them. Another kind of generosity is fulfilling particular needs without being asked, but not necessarily being open to requests. Allah’s generosity fully includes both: His door is always open to receive our prayers, and He also grants us without being asked. How many times did Allah bless us unexpectedly! How many times did He protect us from evil that we were unaware of!
Part of His Generosity is that He becomes Angry when we neglect to ask Him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
Allah will be angry with those who do not ask Him.
Reported by al-Tirmidhi (3373) and al-Albani declared it hasan (Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 3373)
Why would this make Allah Angry? Because He is the Generous and loves to give. Because, as humans, we are in constant need. If we are not asking Allah, then we are asking and depending on someone else. This neglect is a sign of disconnect from our Creator, the One we truly need and should approach more than anyone else. Du‘a is worship. If we are not engaged in this worship despite our need, then we are far away from Allah. This distance corrupts the heart and angers Allah.
Some of us ask Allah but start doubting His Generosity when the response is delayed or we do not receive what we want. Some, unfortunately, start accusing Allah. This is the misguided path of some of the People of the Book. Allah said:
And the Jews said, “The Hand of Allah is tied up [i.e. He is stingy].” Their hands are tied up and they are cursed because of what they said. Rather, both of His Hands are extended, giving as He wishes.
Al-Ma’idah (Q5:64)
They accused Allah of stinginess to explain why they have not received all that they wanted. But can we not see Allah’s generosity in what He withholds as much as in what He gives?
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«Indeed Allah protects His believing slave from the world, because He loves him, as you protect your sick from food and drink.»
Reported by Ahmad (23622) and al-Tirmidhi (2036) and al-Arna‘ut and al-Albani declared it sahih (Sahih al-Jami‘, 1814 and Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2036)
(See Hadith Eleven in this book.)
Allah loves the generous
When we worship Allah through His Name, the Generous, we rush to ask Him, expecting the best from Him. And we never give up asking Him because we know that all the good of this world and the next is in His Hands. When we feel His Generosity overwhelming us, we become grateful, and we expect the best from Him all the time.
Part of this worship is for us to be generous too; generous because Allah loves it and generous because we want others to be blessed as Allah blessed us. Allah said:
And do good as Allah has been good to you.
Al-Qasas (Q28:77)
This generosity is with money, with time, with advice, with help, with a smile, with forgiveness, with patience, with well wishes, and with making people’s lives better whatever way we can. And if we ever feel like stopping, we should remember that what we are giving is a small part of what Allah gave us. As long as we stay generous, Allah will keep blessing us.
Thanking the blessings vs. displaying poverty
When Allah blesses, He loves to see the impact of this blessing. This display is not for ostentation or bragging but to thank Allah.
A man came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم wearing cheap clothes, so he asked him, “Do you have money?” He replied, “Yes.” He asked him, “What kind of money do you have?” He replied, “Allah gave me all kinds of wealth.” So he answered and said, “If Allah gave you wealth, let the impact of Allah’s blessing and honour be seen on you.”
Reported by al-Nasa’i (5239) and al-Tirmidhi (2006) and al-Albani declared it sahih (Sahih al-Nasa’i, 5329)
Gratitude for blessings happens with the heart, tongue, and body. Ingratitude is the hiding of the blessings of Allah as if they do not exist. If the rich behave like they are poor, the healthy like they are sick, and the knowledgeable withhold their knowledge to look like they are ignorant, then the blessings of Allah will disappear. It will seem as if Allah blessed no one, leaving all to suffer. Moreover, when the blessings of Allah are hidden, those in need would not know where to go for help. Those who have will end up neglecting those who do not. But when one allows the blessings of Allah to be seen, people will recognize Allah’s favours and Mercy, come to see that there is hope and be inspired to ask Allah for what they need. This is why Allah said in the Quran:
And proclaim the blessings of your Rabb.
Al-Duha (Q93:11)
Showing the blessings of Allah should happen with moderation and with the good intention of thanking Him. When people see more of Allah’s blessings, they will see His generosity and love Him for it. And more of the blessings of Allah will be shared: the rich will donate, the knowledgeable will teach, and the healthy will assist.
On the opposite end are those who purposely display poverty or pretend to be poor. What Allah hates is not for the poor to wear what they can afford but for one to wear the worst of what they have. What is wrong with this? It is wrong when it hides the blessings of Allah. And it is wrong when it is done as a complaint and a protest that Allah did not give. When one is constantly complaining with tongue and dress about their condition, they broadcast their dissatisfaction to the people and cover up the blessings of Allah that they have. This hopeless view spreads nihilism wherever it goes.
Some spread such desperation even though Allah blessed them. They are the ones who pretend not to have. They are rich, but whenever you see them, they are complaining about rising prices and the cost of living. They are healthy but always complaining about their health. They leave behind a trail of gloom and fear of the future. But when you meet the thankful, even though they have less, their positive attitude fills you with hope and recognition that Allah did bless, and He blessed us with so much. We do not need to share everything good in our lives with everyone: it is vital to be prudent and to share what is appropriate with those who will not abuse it. But let us proclaim the blessings of Allah and let us stop complaining. Allah blessed us with so much. Alhamdulillah.
DR. ALI ALBARGHOUTHI
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