Chapter: On Allah's Love for His Servants

باب فی حب اللہ تعالی عبادہ وحبھم للہ — اللہ کا اپنے بندوں سے محبت

بَابٌ فِيْ حُبِّ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰى عِبَادَهٗ وَحُبِّهِمْ لِلّٰهِ — On Allah's love for His servants and the servants' love for their Allah

قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: يُحِبُّوْنَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللّٰهِ وَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلّٰهِ.

(al-Baqara 2:165)

Vocabulary: yuḥibbūnahum ka-ḥubbi Allāh — they love those imagined deities as much as they love God; wa-lladhīna āmanū — and those people who brought faith, the faithful; ashaddu ḥubban li-llāh — they love Allah more; but those who hold faith love Allah more.

Translation: Allah Most High says: They love them (their imagined deities) as much as the love of Allah, but the people of faith love God more than all.

Now I present one handful from the great ocean of love. It may be that the one in whose heart is the pain of love will find some delight in it.

What is love? It is a seeking of one's nature, an inclination of the mind, a pull (jadhba) of the heart. When this same seeking becomes unbearable, it is called ʿishq (passionate love). When it goes against the command of the Sharīʿa, it is fisq (transgression). Love is at work throughout the whole universe; in different stations it has different names. In the atoms of the universe it is the force of cohesion. In the spheres of the universe it is mutual attraction. In the earth and earthly things it is the force of gravity [reading uncertain]. In animals it is affection and aversion.

In man it is love; it is ʿishq. Its original impulse came from what is above the Throne: كُنْتُ كَنْزًا مَخْفِيًّا فَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أُعْرَفَ — (I was a hidden treasure, so I wished to be known. — [reading uncertain]).

[Persian verse:] The secret of pre-eternal love runs through all things; / otherwise the lovelorn nightingale would not cry out over the rose. [reading uncertain]

The scholars say: sometimes the source of love is pleasure; such love comes quickly and also goes quickly. Sometimes it is benefit; such love comes late and goes quickly. Sometimes the source of love is goodness; such love comes quickly and goes late. مَا خَلَا بِوَجْهٍ كَذَّابٌ [reading uncertain]. Sometimes the source of love is the demand of nature, as of parents for their children. Love also arises from kindness (iḥsān); a noble man loves his benefactor. Sometimes love arises from the agreement of temperaments: اَلْأَرْوَاحُ جُنُوْدٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ مَا تَوَافَقَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ ("Souls are armies drawn up in ranks; those of them that agree become united") — he cannot tell how this love came.

In the view of the pure Ṣūfīs, the reason for the creation of Ādam (peace be upon him) is love. The obligation (taklīf) of the Sharīʿa is shared by jinn and mankind. The angels also perform obedience — somewhat more than human beings. Love alone is the burden of the Trust (amāna). Love alone is the cause of sovereignty and vicegerency (khilāfa).

وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّٰهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُّحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّوْنَهٗ.

(al-Māʾida 5:54)

Vocabulary: fa-sawfa — then soon; yaʾtī Allāhu bi-qawmin — Allah will bring a people — what kind of people?; yuḥibbuhum — God holds them beloved; wa-yuḥibbūnahū — and that people too hold God beloved, keep Him as their Friend.

Translation: Allah Most High says: So soon Allah will bring such a people whom He holds beloved, and they hold Him (God) beloved (love [Him]).

وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِيْنَ.

(al-Baqara 2:222)

Translation: Allah Most High holds beloved those who repent.

In Islam both outward and inward purities (ṭahāra) are important. If outward purity comes from bathing, inward purity comes from repentance (tawba).

وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِيْنَ.

(al-Tawba 9:108)

Translation: Allah Most High likes those who remain pure and clean.

وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ.

(al-Tawba 9:4)

Translation: Surely Allah Most High holds the God-fearing (muttaqīn) beloved.

قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِيْنَ.

(Āl ʿImrān 3:159)

Vocabulary: inna Allāha — surely Allah; yuḥibbu — holds beloved, likes; al-mutawakkilīn — those who place their trust (tawakkul) in God, who rely and depend upon God.

Translation: Surely Allah holds beloved those who place their trust [in Him].

قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ.

(Āl ʿImrān 3:146)

Vocabulary: wa-llāhu yuḥibbu al-ṣābirīn — and Allah holds beloved those who are patient (ṣabr); those who bear hardship — God likes them.

Translation: And Allah holds the patient as friends.

وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ.

(al-Baqara 2:195)

Translation: Surely Allah holds beloved those who do good (iḥsān).

وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى: إِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِيْنَ.

(al-Māʾida 5:42)

Translation: Surely Allah holds beloved those devoted to justice (they are God's beloved who keep to justice).