Of the causes of loving Allah (may He be Exalted) to a person

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Of the causes of loving Allah (may He be Exalted) to a person

Muhammad Mahmud Saqr




[Of the causes of loving Allah (may He be Exalted) to a person is following and loving the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family]
Particularly, `Ali, Fatimah, Al Hasan, and Al Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them). First, following of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."" [Surat Al `Imran: 31].
Ibn Kathir said: This honorable Ayah is dominant over anyone claims the loving of Allah while he is not following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him); such a person is lying about his claim until he follows the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in all his sayings and actions. [1]
Man does not finish working all his life long even if it is just an idea that occurs to his heart and occupies him however his action is either acceptable or rejected. Scholars stipulated two conditions for accepted actions which are sincerity and following the Sunnah of the Prophet otherwise it will be rejected from the doer.
Sincerity and following the Sunnah are two conditions for the acceptance of actions. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed." [Surat Al Mulk: 2].
Al Fudayl ibn `Iyad said: (best in deeds) are the actions which are done sincerely to Allah and were righteous. They said: O Abu Ali, What is the meaning of the more sincere and the righteous? He said: If the action was sincere but was not righteous, it shall not be accepted, and if the action is righteous but is not sincere, it will not be accepted until it is sincere and righteous; and the sincere should be dedicated to Allah alone, and the righteous should be done according to the Sunnah. Then he recited Allah's Saying: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): "I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God i.e. Allâh). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord."" [Surat Al Kahf: 110].
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allâh (i.e. follows Allâh's religion of Islâmic Monotheism); and he is a Muhsin (a good-doer)." [Surat An-Nisa': 125].
Submitting one's face is the submission of intention and actions for the sake of Allah, and the perfection is to follow the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his Sunnah. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust." [Surat Al Furqan: 23].
These deeds are those which are done unlike the Sunnah but they are dedicated for the sake of Allah. [2]
We have spoken about Allah's Saying: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): "Obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him)." But if they turn away, then Allâh does not like the disbelievers." [Surat Al `Imran: 32]. in the previous chapter and we said: Not obeying the Prophet (peace be upon him) shall prevent the love of Allah from the one who abstains from obeying the Prophet (peace be upon him), moreover it is -Allah forbid- an act of disbelief.
A- Following the Sunnah, and the difference between it and heresy[3]
The second condition for the acceptance of actions is doing the action according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because of the Hadith of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, it will be rejected."[4]
Another narration of Imam Muslim: "He who does any act against our Shari`ah, it will be rejected."[5]
This Hadith is a great origin from the principles of Islam because as the Hadith of "Actions are based on intentions"[6] is the balance of actions inwardly, this Hadith is the balance of actions outwardly. As each action is not dedicated for Allah its doer shall gain no reward, likewise each action is not done according to the commands of Allah and His Messenger shall be rejected. As for his saying: "against our Shari`ah," it indicates that all actions should be done and controlled by the Islamic Shari`ah. So, when the action is done according to the Shari`ah, it shall be accepted but if they are done outside the rulings of Shari`ah, it shall be rejected.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) informed his Companions about the way which people should follow in order that to be among the winners on the Day of Recompense not those about whom Allah says: "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!" [Surat Al Kahf: 104].
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in the Hadith of Al `Irbad ibn Sariyah: "Because whosoever among you shall live after me will see much discord. So, hold fast to my Sunnah and the actions of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who will come after me. Hold fast to it and bite onto it with your molars (i.e. cling firmly to it) and beware of new things (in religion) because every Bid`ah is a misguidance."[7]
This is part of the news which the Prophet reported about his nation and those actions have occurred in the fundamentals and branches of Islam and in actions, sayings, and beliefs. This is in harmony with the narrations that were reported from him that his nation shall be divided into several and seventy sects that will all be in Hell except one sect which is the way of the Prophet and his Companions.[8]
This Hadith commands Muslims to adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the actions of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs during disagreement or division. The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the only way to be followed which includes the Sunnah and the actions of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs in words, actions, and beliefs; this is the perfect Sunnah. Therefore, the Righteous Predecessors used not to call anything Sunnah unless it includes all these matters. As for his saying: "Hold fast to it and bite onto it with your molars (i.e. cling firmly to it)," it is a ****phor for strong adherence to it.
As for his saying: "and beware of new things (in religion) because every Bid`ah is a misguidance," it is a warning for the nation against following innovated matters in religion. He confirmed this by his saying: "because every Bid`ah is a misguidance. So, his saying: "because every Bid`ah is a misguidance," is part of Jawami` Al Kalim (the most concise expressions carrying the most eloquent meanings) which is a great origin from the fundamentals of Islamic Religion that looks like the Prophet's saying:
"If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, it will be rejected."[9]
Anyone innovates something in our religion without having a fundamental to go back to, it will be aberrance and is not part of religion whether in the issues of beliefs or actions, apparent or hidden. As for the words of the Pious Predecessors that some heresies are praised, it is a Bid`ah in linguistic not heresies in religion. `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered the people to perform Qiyam during Ramadan behind one Imam in one Masjid. He said: This is the best heresy.[10] However this action was not known before, it has an origin in religion to be referred to [11] which is: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to exhort the people to perform Qiyam during Ramadan and the people were performing it in congregations in different Masjids or individually. The Prophet (peace be upon him) led his Companions one night in Salah then stopped doing that because he feared that it will be ordained upon them. Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded Muslims to follow the actions of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and this action has become a followed Sunnah. Abu Nu`aym reported with his chain of narration on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Al Junayd who said: I heard Ash-Shafi`y saying: Bid`ah is of two types: A praise and dispraised Bid`ah, so whatever corresponds to the Sunnah is praised and whatever disagrees with the Sunnah is dispraised [12] and hold the saying of `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as a proof: Thus us the best Bid`ah. Ibn Rajab (may Allah be merciful with his soul) said: The meaning which Ash-Shafi`y intended is that the origin of dispraised Bid`ahs is that it has no basis in religion, whereas the praised Bid`ah is what corresponds to the Sunnah and has an origin to go back to; so it is only called Bid`ah in linguistics because it is something new, but it is not a heresy in religion because it corresponds the Sunnah. In current days which are far from the time of the Pious Predecessors it is important to identify the actions which have been done during their time and the actions which took place later to identify the Sunnah from Bid`ah. It was authentically reported from Ibn Mas`ud that he said: "You woke up today as pure Muslims, and you shall do actions and actions shall be done before your eyes. So, if you see something new, hold firm with the actions of the first generation."[13] Ibn Mas`ud said this in the time of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs. Ibn Humayd reported from Malik that he said: Nothing of these desires were present at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the time of Abu Bakr, `Umar, and `Uthman. Malik was talking about the difference in fundamentals such as the Kharijites, the Shia, the Al Murji'ah (a deviant Islamic sect claiming that Faith is restricted to belief not deeds) and others who spoke about declaring Muslims disbelievers and making their blood and money lawful or claiming that they will reside forever in Hell, Tafsiq (accusing a person of flagrantly violating Islamic law) the elite of this nation, or other claims that sins shall not harm their doers or claiming that none of the Muslim shall enter Hell. Allah (Glory be to Him) commanded Muslims to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)." [Surat Al Hashr: 7].
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him), he has indeed strayed into a plain error." [Surat Al Ahzab: 36].
Moreover, Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) considered the following of the Prophet (peace be upon him) a sign for the love of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you."" [Surat Al `Imran: 31].
Al Hasan of Al Basry said: Some people claimed the loving of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), so Allah inflicted them with this Ayah: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him to mankind): "If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ân and the Sunnah)."
Az-Zuhry said: Adherence to the Sunnah is salvation because the Sunnah as Malik said is like Noah's ark whoever embarked shall be safe but whoever lags behind shall be destroyed. Sufyan said: Words without actions shall not be accepted, words and actions shall not be accepted without intention, and words, actions, and intention shall not be accepted without following the Sunnah. Ibn Shawdhab said: The blessing of Allah on a young man if he becomes religious is to grant him a friend who adheres to the Sunnah and urges him to follow it. Al Mu`tamir ibn Sulayman said: I entered on my father while I was broken-hearted. He said to me: What is wrong with you? I said: My friend died. He asked: Did he die while adhering to the Sunnah? I said: Yes. He said: You should be sad for losing him. Sufyan Ath-Thawry said: Pay more attention to the people who adhere to the Sunnah, for they are dear in this time.
B- The stories about dispraising heresies and heresiarchs: Allah (may He be Exalted) says:"And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment. * On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black; as for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject Faith after accepting it? Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting Faith."" [Surat Al `Imran: 105 - 106].
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The faces of those who adhere to the Sunnah shall be bright whereas the faces of the people of heresy and disagreement shall be black.
`Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "So, he who does not follow my Sunnah is not from me (not one of my followers)."[14]
It was reported from Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount, and some of you will be brought in front of me till I will see them and then they will be taken away from me and I will say, 'O Lord, my Companions!' Thereupon, it will be said to him: 'You do not know what they did after you had left.'"[15] In the Hadith of Al `Irbad ibn Sariyah, it was reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Beware of new things (in Deen) because every Bid`ah is a misguidance."[16]
`Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Follow and do not innovate because your teachings are enough."[17]
Abu Ayyub As-Sikhtyany said: Whenever a heresiarch goes far in his heresy, he shall be away from Allah. Sa`id Al Kuwayry said: Sulyman At-Taimy got sick and was weeping during his sickness. It was said to him: What makes you weep? Do you fear death? He said: No, but I passed by my fate and I fear that Allah would reckon me for it. Al Fudayl said: If you see a heresiarch in a way, walk in another way. the actions of a heresiarch shall not be accepted and whoever helps a heresiarch would participate in destroying Islam.[18] If a person says: You have praised the Sunnah and dispraised Bid`ah, so what is the definition of Sunnah and the definition of Bid`ah, for each one claims to be one of those who adhere to the Sunnah? The answer is: Sunnah in linguistics is the way, and there is no doubt that those who follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Sunnah of his Companions are the adherent of the Sunnah because they did not alter that and those innovated matters occurred after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions. Bid`ah is an action that was not known at the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). In most cases innovated matters always contradict the Shari`ah, add to or omit from it. If a person innovates something that does not contradict the Shari`ah and does not add or omit something of it, the Pious Predecessors hated the heresiarch and instructed the people to keep away from such people. Zayd ibn Thabit said to Abu bakr and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) when they said: Collect the Qur'an. He said: How come you do something that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not do?![19] Abu Al Bukhtury said: A man told `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud that a group of people used to sit in the Masjid after the Maghrib Salah. A man from among them used to say: Recite Takbir "Say: Allahu Akbar." Recite Tasbih "Say: Subhana Allah." Recite Tahmid "Say: Al Hamdulillah." `Abdullah said: When you see them doing this, come and tell me. The man came and sat with them until they said so, then he went to Ibn Mas`ud and told him. Ibn Mas`ud came and said: I am `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud. By Allah who has no partner with Him in worship, you have done a Bid`ah and excelled the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in knowledge. Thereupon, `Umar ibn `Utbah said: I seek Allah's Forgiveness. You should stick to the way of the Prophet because if you go right or left you shall go astray.[20] It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "A group of my followers will remain predominant (victorious) till Allah's Order (the Hour) comes upon them while they are still predominant (victorious)."[21] Shamah reported from Mubarak from Al Hasan Al Basry that he said: By Allah, Sunnah is moderation between excessiveness and rigidity. So, observe patience (may Allah bestow mercy upon you) for the people of the Sunnah were few and shall be few because they did not follow the people of extravagance or the people of Bid`ah, but they observed patience for their Sunnah until they have met their Lord, so be like them. Those are the people of the Sunnah who shall be victorious until the establishment of the Hour. We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to make us among them and gather us with them by His Blessing and Generosity.[22] This Ayah, which was mentioned in Surat Al `Imran, came in the after the Ayahs which prohibit the believers to follow the disbelievers and command them to obey Allah and His Messenger. Therefore, Sheikh `Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir As-Sa`dy said in his Tafsir: This Ayah is the balance by which you know those who truly love Allah and those who claim so. The sign of loving Allah is following the Prophet (peace be upon him) whose following is a sign for gaining Allah's Love and Pleasure. The love, pleasure, and reward of Allah are not gained but through believing what came in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) along with following their commands and avoiding their prohibitions. So, those who do so shall be beloved by Allah and shall gain the reward of the loving, moreover their sins shall be forgiven and their defects shall be concealed. If it is said: What is the reality of following the Prophet (peace be upon him)? He said: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): "Obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him)." But if they turn away, then Allâh does not like the disbelievers." [Surat Al `Imran: 32][23] We have discussed the last Ayah in details[24] in the chapter of impediments and we concluded that following the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not a choice but it is an obligatory act because all ways to Allah are blocked except the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but is salvation for those who always follow his way or for those who sometimes follow his way and sometimes not? The answer is: People have scattered into two types: Muslims who follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) and disbelievers who do not satisfy to follow his path. Muslims have been divided into the people of Sunnah and the people of Bid`ah: The people of Sunnah follow the footsteps of the Messenger (peace be upon him), whereas the people of Bid`ah sometimes follow his path and sometimes not, and each group shall gain the love of Allah as much as they follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) provided that to be sincere. Others shall not gain the love of Allah but shall gain His Wrath according to the wordings of this Ayah. And Allah knows the best!

[1] See: The abridged Tafsir of Ibn Kathir [Vol. 1, P. 227].

[2] See: Al Bahr Ar-Ra'iq Fi Az-Zuhd war-Raqa'iq of Sheikh Ahmad Farid, edition of Dar Al Iman – Alexandria [P. 13].

[3] See: Al Bahr Ar-Ra'iq Fi Az-Zuhd War-Raqa'iq [P. 21 - 24] with paraphrasing, and I reported it in full because of the benefits gained.

[4] [Authentic] was previously attributed to its sources. Al Bahr Ar-Ra'iq, [Margin 1, P. 21].

[5] [Authentic] was previously attributed to its sources.

[6] [Authentic] was previously attributed to its sources.

[7][Authentic] Reported by Abu Dawud in the Sunnah [Hadith 4607] and At-Tirmidhy in the chapter of knowledge [Hadith 2676] and An-Nasa'y in the chapter of the Two `Eid Salah [Hadith 1578] and Ibn Majah in the introduction, [Hadith 42] from the Hadith of Al `Irbad ibn Sariyah, and At-Tirmidhy said: A good and authentic Hadith.

[8] [Authentic] Reported by Al Lalika'y in I`tiqad Ahl As-Sunnah [1/100].
He said: It is the Hadith of Thabit: The Children of Israel scattered into seventy two sects and more. He said in Hadith Thabit: And my nation shall be scattered into seventy three sects, all are in Hell except one. They said: O Messenger Allah, Which sect it is? In the Hadith of Thabit: It was said: What is that one? He (the Prophet) said: The sect which follows my way and the way of my Companions. In the Hadith of Thabit: He said: The way of my Companions and mine.

[9] [Authentic] It has been previously attributed to its sources.

[10] Reported by Al Bukhari in the chapter on Salatut-Tarawih [Hadith 2010] and Malik in Al Muwatta' [Hadith 252]. It was reported that `Abdur-Rahman ibn `Abdul-Qary said: "I went out with `Umar ibn Al Khattab in Ramadan to the mosque and the people there were spread out in groups. Some men were praying by themselves, whilst others were praying in small groups. `Umar said: 'By Allah! It would be better in my opinion if these people gathered behind one reciter.' So, he gathered them behind Ubay ibn Ka`b. Then I went out with him another night and the people were praying behind their Qur'an reciter. `Umar said: 'How excellent this new way is, but what you miss while you are asleep is better than what you watch in prayer.' He meant the end of the night, and people used to watch the beginning of the night in Salah."

[11] Revise: The verification of scholar Muhammad Nasr Al Din Al Albany (may Allah be merciful with him) about this issue in his book on Salatut-Tarawih.

[12] Reported by Abu Nu`aym in Al Hilyah [9/113].

[13] Reported by Al Marwazy in As-Sunnah [Hadith 80].

[14] [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim] Reported by Al Bukhari in the book of marriage [Hadith 5063] and Muslim in the book of marriage [Hadith 1401] from the Hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him).

[15] [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim] Reported by Al Bukhari in heart-softening Hadiths [Hadith 6576] and Muslim 2297 from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

[16] [Authentic] It has been previously attributed to its sources.

[17] [Authentic] but not attributed to the Prophet, it is attributed to the actions or sayings of a Companion] Reported by Ad-Darimy [1/80] and Al Marwazyin As-Sunnah [1/28] and Al Bayhaqy in Al Madkhal Ila As-Sunan Al Kubra [1/186] from the way of Al A`mash from Habib ibn Thabit from Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulamy from `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud. Al Haythamy said in Majma` Az-Zawa'id [1/181]:
Reported by At-Tabarany in Al Kabir, and the narrators of the Hadith are Rijal As-Sahih (narrators of Hadiths compiled by Al Bukhari and Muslim).

[18] See: Al Bahr Ar-Ra'iq [P. 24 - 25].

[19] Reported by Al Bukhari in Tafsir Al Qur'an] [Hadith 4679] and At-Tirmidhy in At-Tafsir [Hadith 3103] form the way of `Ubayd ibn As-Sabbaq from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him).

[20] [authentic but not attributed to the Prophet, it is attributed to the actions or sayings of a Companion] Reported by Ad-Darimy [1/68], and At-Tabarany in Al Mu`jam Al Kabir [9/125 - 126], `Abdr-Razzaq in his compiler [3/221 - 222].
Ibn Abu `Asim reported in Az-Dhuhd [P. 358] and Nu`aym in Al Hilyah [4/381] from the way of `Ata' iibn As-Sa'ib Al Bukhtury. He said: A man informed Ibn Mas`ud that a group of people were mentioning Allah after Maghrib while a man led them.

[21] Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim Reported by Al Bukhari in the chapter on adherence with the Qur'an [Hadith 7311] and Muslim in the book of princedom. [1920 and 1037] from the Hadith of Al Mughirah ibn Shu`bah (may Allah be pleased with him).

[22] See: Al Bahr Ar-Ra'iq[P. 25 - 27].

[23] See: Taysir Al Karim Ar-Rahman p. 117.

[24] It is the same as Ayah (32) from Surat Al Imran.