Love of Allah: Love of Allah

People naturally like to express their happiness toward those who show them a little courtesy or kindness. For example, he would be very happy if a person welcomes him to his home and offers him whatever he likes, especially if the host is a sensitive person who offers whatever is needed before being asked to do so. Similarly, a person who is suffering from a serious illness and who regains his health by means of a doctor's treatment will be very grateful to him. The same is true for a pedestrian who is rescued by a stranger from an oncoming car, for he will do whatever he can to show his gratitude.

Someone who is sick and dependent upon others will constantly thank his care-taker, who ensures that his needs are being met. In recognition of this service, he will show his love and appreciation by treating him in a very respectful manner. Every person loves those who are good to them, and will try to treat them in the same manner.

However, some people forget that only Allah can make people happy, treat them with respect, offer them good sustenance and blessings, create pleasing views for them, grant them a new lease on life every morning, protect them from all dangers, cure them when they are ill, ease their pain and suffering through medicine, and that He owns everything that exists. Therefore, as all of the blessings and goodness that people experience come only from Allah, they should direct all of their love, respect, sense of obligation, loyalty, and thanks to Him. While thanking others for their help, we should never forget that our Lord has inspired them to show us mercy and help us. Allah informs us that:

The Prophet Abraham's supplication to Allah, which highlights His mercy upon humanity, is related in the Qur'an:

Allah is the Source of Each Person's Beauty

Allah provided life to everybody from nothing, and created the world in the most beautiful and beneficial form possible. For example, people can breathe with ease, for, out of His mercy, He created the correct proportion of atmospheric gases needed for people to breathe. We all know that it is very hard to breathe in a closed environment, and that as the amount of available air decreases, the resulting pain felt by a person increases. We could have been born into a world where breathing was difficult. However, due to Allah's will and mercy, this was not the case. In fact, the air on our planet relaxes and pleases us.

Allah has filled the world with unlimited varieties of vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, and plants. If He had willed, He could have created just one type of very unpleasant-tasting food and made it vital to our survival, so that we would be forced to continue producing and consuming it. However, as part of His infinite mercy and love, Allah created a wide variety of fruits and vegetables with different flavors. Allah has created people in such a way that they must eat in order to survive, and, because of His mercy, has made eating an enjoyable experience.

In addition, all animals have some hidden beauty. Such domesticated animals as horses, camels, and dogs are able to help people, while other house-bound animals like birds and cats have characteristics that make them loveable. For example, He has given parrots the ability to mimic human speech and has clothed them in aesthetically pleasing feathers of blue, yellow, green, and other varied tones, and made them able to respond to human affection. In other words, Allah created this little creature as a source of love and amusement for people.

From the air we breathe to the rain that falls, from the products that grow on top of the land and beneath it, from the animals we like to water, the cornerstone of our survival, everything in nature reaches us without us exerting any effort. For people to live and continue to live, the most detailed workings take place and the most sensitive ratios are continuously maintained throughout the universe.

Non-human creatures are unaware of their specific characteristics. A rabbit lives without knowing how loveable it is; a butterfly has no awareness of its wings' symmetry, patterns, and coordination; and a peacock, a most exquisite example of color, and symmetry, remains unaware of why it has been created and cannot comprehend beautiful things. In fact, the patterns and colors of a peacock's tail, one of the world's most beautiful spectacles, is enough to remind people to thank Allah and is just one of the blessings that shows His power and ability to create.

Allah presents all of these beautiful creatures as a blessing to humanity. Thus people who see the aesthetics, symmetry, and colors of these animals should acknowledge Allah's power and thank Him, the Creator of all of these beauties.

Allah's creations are beyond numbering. For example, there is an unmatched aesthetic beauty in each rose. Its petals have an absolute symmetry and have been arranged with particular care. The top of each petal resembles a very expensive material that is almost as soft as velvet. Despite being planted and raised in muddy black soil, its lively colors are never dirtied or distorted. On the other hand, people using the most advanced technology available still cannot reproduce the specific characteristics of its perfume. Even the most expensive perfume becomes unbearable over time; however, each rose constantly delivers the same magnificent fresh aroma. And yet it is totally unaware of any of its remarkable characteristics, and no other plant or creature was created to enjoy its pleasures. But Allah has allowed people to enjoy each rose as a blessing.

Every beauty is a blessing from our Lord and a reflection of His infinite beauty. For this reason, every conscious, thinking person should thank Allah with great gratitude and love, for He owns all of this beauty. Allah informs us that all of His creations contain many proofs on which people should reflect:

We have mentioned only a few of the blessings He has bestowed on people. However, reflecting on just one of these examples is enough to understand Allah's mercy on all people. Those people who, due to Allah's will, have some degree of understanding and can therefore make decisions, should use this capacity to understand and love Allah properly. By using their conscience, people who acknowledge this magnificent system of creation will see that the world is full of reasons for increasing their love for Allah.

In many verses of the Qur'an Allah calls upon people to reflect on the many blessings bestowed upon them and reminds them of some of these blessings:

He created humanity from a drop of sperm, and yet it is an open challenger! And He created livestock. There is warmth and various uses for you in them, and some you eat. There is beauty in them for you in the evening when you bring them home, and in the morning when you drive them out to graze. They carry your loads to lands you would never reach except with great difficulty. Your Lord is AllGentle, Most Merciful. And horses, mules, and donkeys both to ride and for adornment. And He creates other things you do not know. The way should lead to Allah, but there are those who deviate from it. If He had willed, He could have guided every one of you. He sends down water from the sky. From it you drink, and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. And by it He makes crops grow for you, as well as olives, dates, grapes, and fruit of every kind. There is certainly a sign in that for people who reflect. He has made night and day subservient to you, and the Sun and the Moon and stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly signs in that for people who use their intellect. And also the things of varying colors He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed. He made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. You see the ships sailing through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that, hopefully, you will show thanks. He cast firmly embedded mountains on the Earth so it would not move under you, and rivers and pathways so that, hopefully, you would be guided. (Surat an-Nahl, 4-15)

These blessings are only a sample of the blessings given to humanity, for in a following verse, Allah proclaims:

Even if a person reflected on the blessings recalled in these verses, this would be enough for him to understand Allah's infinite benevolence, compassion, and mercy. Allah endowed us with life, ensured our livelihood, made us happy, and created every creature and event that makes us happy. For this reason, we must continually thank Him for these blessings and feel a great love for Him.

Fortitude in the Face of Hardship is One of the Finest Manifestations of Love of Allah

Allah is the Lord and Creator of all things. Allah loves and protects His servants, and may from time to time create different environments for them. He may sometimes cause them to live in wealth, abundance and prosperity, and at other times may test them with shortages, troubles, sickness and various difficulties. The stories of the prophets narrated in the Qur'an show that Allah put the prophets, His most beloved servants, through various tests.

Throughout their lives, the Prophets Job, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, Muhammad and all the others both struggled against the traps set by the unbelievers and against the pagans and hypocrites among their own peoples, and were also tested by various hardships such as sickness, poverty and exile. At everything that befell them, the prophets would say, "Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians," and they represent the finest examples of the fortitude to be shown in times of difficulty. Every hardship and difficulty they experienced increased their love of and devotion to Allah many times over, and deepened their faith. They experienced the joy and happiness of encountering an environment specially created by Allah with which to test them.

True believers who follow in the path of the prophets and adopt their lives and moral virtues as role models will also encounter similar difficulties and tests. Believers confronted by such events must first display a sincere joy, enthusiasm and excitement in the face of them. They must feel a great joy in the knowledge that Allah has created this special situation in order for them to see their love of and closeness to Allah, the depth of their faith and submission, and to witness their own belief. This opportunity that arises in order for them to show their devotion to Allah must produce a great joy in them, with which they must behave in the finest manner.

Allah Created All People from Nothing and Gave Them Life

People will see Allah's grace upon them, as well as His eternal mercy and compassion, when they reflect on how they were created, received life, and have been carefully protected from the moment of their birth until this very moment. Allah calls upon people to reflect on their creation in the following verse:

Allah places the fetus in the most protective situation, thereby preventing the resulting child from becoming disabled or experiencing pain and suffering. Whatever a baby needs was created billions of years ago. From the air that he breathes to his mother's milk that contains every nutrient he requires, everything is ready for him.

Every person's body is protected throughout their life within the faultless system that Allah has created. For example, each person's heart beats without stopping, even though a person does nothing to ensure this. If he had to ensure that his heart beat every second of his life, his life would become unbearable, for he would be unable to sleep, eat, or do anything else but think about his heart beating. However, Allah has ordered each person's heart to beat from the moment of life to the moment of death. As a result, He ensures that each person's heart will never stop beating, even for a second.

A person has no final control over his or her body, despite asserting the opposite. Our Most Glorious Lord is the sole controller of each part of a person's body. A person cannot independently control and manage the blood traveling with great speed, how much blood the heart pumps, how long it takes to coagulate, and all of the various systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive, immune, nervous, and so on) existing within his body.

A person is dependent upon Allah for everything, as Allah reveals:

Every morning when you wake up, you see that your body works perfectly so that you can live. You breathe with ease, and see a colorful world without exerting the slightest effort.

You will hear noises clearly, sense all the smells with ease, and eat whatever you desire. You do not have to focus and dwell on where the vitamins that you consume in your food are sent, how your immune system operates and interacts with microbes and viruses, how your brain produces images of a piece of furniture, or any other details.

Without any exertion, you can recall what you did yesterday or many years ago and store all of this information in your memory.

Most importantly, despite having a body that operates according to sensitive balances, you will be in good health, for Allah is constantly controlling all of your systems. This is why people should reflect on the faultless systems and innumerable blessings that our Lord has bestowed upon them. As Allah reminds us in the Qur'an:

Therefore, if a person were to look at his body, a great deal of evidence could be found to lead him to acquire a profound and great love of Allah. In addition, the universe contains many details, all of which represent innumerable blessings bestowed on people. All of these extraordinary blessings are created and protected by our one and only friend: Allah.

Those who reflect on these details see that they are constantly dependent upon Allah, Who has created them and enabled them to live. Without His consent, they could not even breathe. Thus, they can understand that Allah is their closest friend and guardian. Allah informs us of this reality in the following verse:

Everything That Allah Has Created Is the Most Beautiful and Beneficial

Whatever our Lord, the possessor of infinite justice and mercy, has created, as well as every judgment that He has made, is the most beneficial and beautiful for all people. Even seemingly unimportant incidents possess great goodness, wisdom, and beauty. Allah informs us of this reality in the verses:

Those believers who lead their lives knowing this fact will be content with whatever confronts them and whatever they hear, and always turn to Allah to thank him for all that He has created. Thus, they remember Allah with love and praise.

Allah Wills Ease for People

Our Lord, the possessor of infinite mercy and compassion, has called people to the easiest and most beautiful path through His books and messengers.

The religious morals to which He summons us are the easiest to follow, and the prescribed prayers are within reach of every person's ability. Those who cannot fulfill their religious obligations have been informed of the many easy ways that they can use to change this situation and earn our Lord's good pleasure. As we read in the following verses:

In another verse, Allah says that He will not burden people beyond what they can bear:

Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can bear. For it is what it has earned; against it is what it has brought upon itself.

This ease is a manifestation of His mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Allah has established an easy religion for His servants, and, at the end of this temporal test, He offers the glad tidings of unprecedented beauty and unimaginable perfection full of blessings in the eternal life of Paradise:

Allah needs nothing and is free of all deficiencies. On the other hand, people need to worship, pray, and display good morals. Even the world's most brutal, violent, and faithless person cannot harm Allah in any way, for He is the sole owner and sovereign of all that exists. Still, Allah says that He will reward those who display moral excellence. This is one of many signs of Almighty Allah's forgiveness and mercy.

The revelations contained within Allah's true books brought people into the light from their darkness, and His sending prophets and messengers to guide everyone to the true path is yet another manifestation of our Lord's mercy.

Allah has made the Qur'an a source of light that informs people of the right and wrong paths and reveals all things. Our Lord has told us about all forms of worship, belief, and behaviors for which we will be held accountable in the Hereafter.

Allah states in the Qur'an that none of its letters will ever be corrupted:

The Qur'an will be protected and remain valid until the Day of Judgment. In its faultless and complete manner, it is a great blessing and ease for all humanity. Allah informs the believers of these facts, as follows:

Furthermore, Allah has sent His messengers and prophets throughout history to all people.

These blessed people, whom Allah has selected, are very dependable, pious, just, and possessed of good morals. They sought only Allah's good pleasure, even at the risk of death, and spent their lives calling people to the true path. In addition, they were very compassionate, for they constantly thought of the believers, protected them, and were sensitive and self-sacrificing toward them. For Allah to select all of these special people with such excellent characteristics, and then send them to humanity, is yet another example of His kindness to believers.

A further manifestation of His mercy and protection is that He has informed all things to people, and has sent true books, as well as reliable messengers and prophets, to invite people to an easy path. Allah has ensured ease for all people throughout history, provided for them in the best possible form, and vowed to guard and protect those who adhere to His call. And, above all, He has promised Paradise with all of its beauty to the believers. Allah, the Most Merciful, is the protector and provider of all people in both this world and the Hereafter, and possessor of infinite compassion.

Allah Accepts Repentance and Forgives Those Who Feel Remorse

Allah, Who possesses infinite forgiveness, reveals that:

Even while you are reading this guide, Allah has allotted a specific period of time for you and all other people. This is a most beneficial period for the believers. Every person who fears, respects, and obeys Allah and then turns to Him in repentance for every sin that he or she has committed will receive forgiveness, as long as they are sincere. Allah's infinite compassion is revealed in the following verse:

Since Allah is the possessor of infinite mercy, there is always the hope of forgiveness. Our Lord gives the opportunity of salvation to each person as long as he or she is alive, and has made everyone aware of this fact. Despite all of Allah's blessings and mercy, those who forget Him or lead a life without thinking about their reliance upon Allah are, in reality, in a state of absolute heedlessness. Unable to appropriately acknowledge Allah's mercy, love, and blessings in this life, they will be punished in the Hereafter.

Allah Protects and Helps Those Who Follow His Path

Those who sincerely turn to Allah and follow His path will sense His protection and presence. Allah will clear the path for those who sincerely believe in Him, avoid the unlawful and engage in the lawful, by providing ease for them in all that they do. Allah informs us in many verses that He will help, protect, and raise them to high levels, for:

One of the best examples of Allah's help and support can be seen in the life of the Prophet Moses, who departed from his city, turned to Allah, and made the following supplication:

Allah accepted his supplication, enabling the Prophet Moses to find a community of people with whom he could stay and on whom he could depend.

Allah assisted the Prophet Noah, by inspiring him to build an ark to protect him and his followers from the impending flood; rescued the Prophet Jesus from certain death by raising him to His Presence; and protected the Prophet Joseph by freeing him from the Egyptian vizier's dungeon and then raising him to high rank and power. Our Lord constantly assisted our Prophet by lightening his burden. Allah informs us that He was our Prophet's guardian, protector, and source of help, which enabled the believers' hearts to be in a state of total peace and trust:

People rely on Allah every moment, for there is no other helper but Him. Whenever you are faced with any form of distress, Allah is the only One Who can offer any help. As a mercy, Allah created many blessings for people to use when they are confronted with hardship. While people benefit from these blessings, it would be a grave mistake to assume that these blessings are a source of independent strength. Given that Allah has created all of these blessings, they should be seen as manifestations of His favor and mercy upon humanity. For example, if someone visits a doctor, only Allah can cure him. And, the doctor can only cure a person with His consent.

By the same token, if a person hires a solicitor as his guardian to protect what is rightfully his, his true guardian is Allah. A solicitor can only protect a person's rights or ensure legal representation by Allah's will. In reality, Allah brings all issues to an end and provides for a person's blessings in the best possible way.

For people who seek Allah's help and who view our Lord as their true guardian, only true friend, and helper, Allah guarantees that His help will reach them from many different paths. Those who are conscious of these facts will never seek such guarantees from other people or sources, for they know that all help is from Allah and so seek everything from Him. When people attain success, are victorious, or benefit from an unexpected source, they immediately turn to Allah and thank Him. As a result of this Divine help, they regard our Lord with deep love and overflowing respect. Allah reminds us that He is each person's true guardian and source of help in the following verse:

Allah Accepts Supplications

None of us has any independent strength. At every point of our life, we depend upon Allah to offer us His mercy, bestow some of His kindness and blessings, and protect and ensure our safety. Our Lord, the possessor of infinite mercy, informs people that He will respond to their supplications and prayers.

Your Lord says:

The fact that Allah, the sole sovereign and owner of everything that exists, whether spiritual or temporal, Who hears every prayer, knows everything that goes through a person's mind, and responds to each prayer is a great blessing and mercy.

While making a supplication, we can ask for anything that we want, provided that we adhere to Allah's will and observe the limits that He has set for humanity. The Qur'an contains many of the prophets' supplications and reveals how He responded to them:

And Job, when he called out to his Lord:

And Zachariah, when he called out to his Lord:

Moreover, He accepts the supplications of everyone in distress and the needy:

A person who sees his or her supplications answered experiences great joy. To know that Allah is always with you, constantly seeing, hearing, and knowing everything connected with you causes you to hope that Allah will help you in every task that you undertake and accept every request that you make as long as you are sincere. This increases a believer's love, submission, and closeness to Allah.

Allah Possesses Infinite Justice

Throughout our lives, each of us has perhaps experienced and witnessed many people acting unjustly. Such behavior is routinely witnessed at work, while testifying, or making a decision. They constantly protect their own interests, or, at least, do not consider being just. Justice is one indication that the person possesses moral excellence, as well as honesty and sincerity. Such people who practice justice even at their own personal loss will earn their community's love and respect and, despite having different opinions on various matters, will be respected and even declared to be heroes.

Allah, the source of infinite justice, makes all of His judgments with precise justice. All people have received their portion of justice, and will continue to do so in the future. Every person will fully receive the reward of their deeds with Allah.

We are told in the Qur'an how His justice will be implemented perfectly in the Hereafter:

Being sure of receiving Allah's justice, a person submits to Allah with boundless love and absolute trust.

Subsequently, in all situations he knows that Allah's justice is manifest in that incident and thus welcomes with absolute love and happiness any incident that our Lord creates.