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1. Love
Allah's love
- Showing love is one of Allah's beautiful attributes.
- Names of Allah connected with love:
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ar-Rahman | The Most Gracious (whose mercy is boundless) |
| Ar-Rahim | The Most Merciful (whose love is unequalled) |
| Al-Wadud | The Most Loving (the One who loves) |
- Allah greatly loves those who show love to His servants.
- The captives of Hawazin (Bukhari): a mother searching for her baby found it, hugged it and fed it. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Would she throw her child into the fire?" – "No." – "Allah has more love for His servants than this mother has for her child."
- The Prophet ﷺ = a mercy to all the worlds (21:107)*.
- "What cannot be won with arrows can be won with love."
Love and iman
Hadith (Muslim) – meaning: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another."
- Showing love takes nothing away from us; instead it brings Allah's love and other people's love and respect → happiness, unity, harmony and prosperity in society.
The two kinds of love
- Love for Allah
- Love for His creation
(a) Love for Allah
- Our love for Allah must be deeper than our love for anything created.
- (9:24) – meaning: If parents, children, brothers, wives, family, wealth, trade and homes are dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger and striving in His path, then wait for your Lord's punishment.
- Three things that give the sweetness of iman (Bukhari, Muslim):
- Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than everything else
- He loves a person only for the sake of Allah
- He hates to return to disbelief (kufr) after being saved from it, as he would hate to be thrown into fire
- (3:31) – meaning: If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you.
- Mahabbah (محبة): love mixed with awe – because of it, acts of worship are done willingly and gladly.
- (76:8–9) – meaning: Out of love for Allah they feed the poor, the orphan and the captive: "We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we want no reward or thanks from you."
- Hadith (Bukhari, Muslim) – meaning: when Allah loves someone, He tells Jibril → Jibril loves him → those in the heavens love him → he is given acceptance on earth.
(b) Love for the Prophet ﷺ
- Taking the Prophet's ﷺ life as our example; giving priority to what he liked and disliked.
- Showing love also to the Prophet's ﷺ family.
- Love for the Companions (Sahabah): accepting their virtues, and keeping silent rather than arguing about their faults or disputes.
- Accepting that all the Ummahat al-Mu'minin (the wives of the Prophet ﷺ) are honoured and pure.
(c) Love for oneself and for others
- Love for oneself = looking after one's own rights and duties. Destroying oneself is a grave sin.
- Parents deserve love, gratitude and obedience.
- (31:14) – meaning: His mother carried him with hardship upon hardship, and weaned him after two years; be grateful to Me and to your parents.
- Hadith (Bukhari): Who most deserves good treatment? → your mother (3 times), then your father.
- (17:24) – meaning: Lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and pray: "My Lord! Have mercy on them as they brought me up when I was small."
- Parents towards children: avoid harshness, scolding and constant criticism – "A child who grows up with criticism learns only to criticise."
- Love for all people – relatives, friends, neighbours, orphans, workers, and non-Muslims too.
(d) Love for other living things and for the environment
- (6:38) – meaning: The creatures that walk on the earth and the birds that fly are communities like you.
- Hadith (Ahmad, Hakim) – meaning: Do not make the backs of animals into chairs (do not sit on them idly).
- Hadith (Abu Dawud) – meaning: Show mercy to those on the earth, and the One above the heavens will show mercy to you.
- Although dogs and pigs are najis, it is not permitted to torment them.
- (Bukhari): a sinful woman who gave water to a thirsty dog went to Paradise; a woman who tied up a cat without food went to Hell.
- Caring for the environment – keeping it clean and beautiful and developing it – also comes within love.
2. Sacrifice
Sacrifice: giving up one thing to gain another. Helping others with one's body or wealth with the sincere (ikhlas) intention of doing it for Allah, and bearing the hardship that comes with it.
- Meeting another person's need without regard to one's own; helping without being forced and without selfishness.
- Islam is called "a religion that blossomed through sacrifice".
Examples from history
| Event | Explanation |
|---|---|
| The Makkan Companions | Amid the persecution of the Quraysh they sacrificed their own interests, comfort and even their lives. Allah praised them as "as-Sadiqun" (the truthful – 59:8) and "al-Fa'izun" (the successful – 9:20) |
| Abu Bakr (RA) – the expedition of Tabuk | He brought all his wealth. "What have you left for your family?" – "Allah and His Messenger." |
| 'Uthman (RA) | During a severe famine, to face the army of Heraclius, he sacrificed trade goods worth five thousand dirhams instead of selling them |
| An Ansari Companion's hospitality (Bukhari, Muslim) | There was only enough food for the children. They put the children to sleep, put out the lamp, pretended to eat and let the guest eat → 59:9 was revealed: "They prefer others over themselves, even though they are in great need." |
The reward of sacrifice
- Sacrifice may look like a loss on the outside, but it is worship ('ibadah); its reward is Paradise.
- (9:111) – meaning: Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.
3. Generosity
Generosity: giving others a part of the wealth Allah has given you.
- Allah is al-Mughni (the One who makes rich) and al-Mu'ti (the Giver).
- There is nothing wrong with enjoying wealth oneself with one's family; but when Allah tells us to give to others, it is a duty to do so.
- Miserliness (stinginess) → hatred, enmity, rivalry and envy grow → it is strongly condemned.
Evidence
- (2:274) – meaning: Those who spend by night and by day, secretly and openly, have their reward with their Lord; no fear will be on them, nor will they grieve.
- (64:16) – meaning: Those who are saved from their own miserliness are the successful.
- Charity = "a goodly loan" given to Allah – He will return it multiplied many times.
- (16:96) – meaning: What you have will come to an end; what is with Allah will remain.
- Hadith (Bukhari): the Prophet ﷺ was more generous than the blowing wind.
The rewards of generosity
- In this world, Allah's love and people's goodwill
- A great reward in the Hereafter
- Growth (barakah) in wealth
- Dangers are removed
- Happiness and peace of mind
4. Honesty (integrity)
Honesty: a broad word that covers truthfulness, nobility and uprightness. Honesty and trustworthiness are like the two sides of one coin.
- Because the Prophet ﷺ was so honest, he was praised as as-Sadiq and al-Amin; the people of Makkah left their valuables with him in trust (amanah).
Hadiths
| Meaning of the hadith | Source |
|---|---|
| The Prophet ﷺ waited three days at the place where he had promised to meet someone – "Young man, you have put me in difficulty" | Abu Dawud |
| To a man who hid wet grain underneath: "Whoever cheats is not one of us" | Muslim |
| A believer may have many faults, but he will not have lying and dishonesty | Ahmad |
| When the days come in which trusts are lost, the Last Day has come | Bukhari |
| A trustworthy agent who gladly carries out his master's order is one of those who give charity | Bukhari – Kitab al-Ijarah |
| The honest, truthful trader will be with the prophets, the truthful (siddiqun) and the martyrs (shuhada') in the Hereafter | Ibn Majah |
Honesty in trade
- (17:35) – meaning: Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an accurate balance.
- (83:1–6) – meaning: Woe to those who cheat in measure and weight – who take in full when they buy, and give less when they sell…
Examples from history
- The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah: a Companion escaped and came to the Muslims before the treaty was finished being written; to keep his word, the Prophet ﷺ sent him back, with great sorrow.
- When someone interceded for a woman of a noble family who had stolen: "Even if it were my daughter Fatimah, I would cut off her hand."
- 'Amr ibn al-'As (RA): his honesty in offering his own nose to be cut off in place of the culprit who had cut the nose of a statue led many people to enter Islam.
- Muhyiddin 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (RH): as a student, obeying his mother, he told the robber the truth and so changed the robber into a good man.
We must avoid deception, trickery, lies, adulteration and false oaths. The Quran warns that a person who cheats will have to bring that very thing with him on the Day of Judgement.
5. Guarding the senses (self-control)
- Good character shows itself when the senses are guarded; if they are not guarded, bad qualities develop.
- A human being is full of desires, weak, and can become a slave to his emotions.
- So controlling the senses and keeping life on the right path is his chief responsibility.
Quick revision
- Love: ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim, al-Wadud; Allah's love is greater than a mother's love; no iman without mutual love (Muslim).
- To gain Allah's love → follow the Prophet (3:31); 9:24 – Allah must be the most beloved.
- Parents: mother ×3, then father (Bukhari); 31:14, 17:24.
- Sacrifice: as-Sadiqun (59:8), al-Fa'izun (9:20); 59:9 – preferring others; 9:111 – sold in exchange for Paradise.
- Generosity: al-Mughni, al-Mu'ti; 2:274, 64:16, 16:96; five rewards.
- Honesty: whoever cheats is not one of us (Muslim); 17:35, 83:1–6; the honest trader with the prophets (Ibn Majah).
*The textbook prints "(22:107)". The verse "a mercy to all the worlds" is Surah al-Anbiya' 21:107 – confirm with the teacher.