Written by: Saad Mahmood
Edited by: Muhammed Tahmid Ahmed
Reminder
Love in Islam is a concept deeply rooted in the language and spiritual teachings of the religion. The Arabic word hubb means love, whilst habba means seed, illustrating that love, like a seed, must be nurtured to grow. When cultivated, love draws a person closer to the one they love (mahbub). For a complete Muslim, love for Allah ﷻ should surpass all other forms of love. The love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ serves as evidence of one’s love for Allah ﷻ, and in return, Allah ﷻ bestows His love upon them.
A hadith recorded in Bukhari and Muslim highlights this divine connection:
وعنه عن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: ”إذا أحب الله العبد نادى جبريل: إن الله تعالى يحب فلانًا، فأحببه، فيحبه جبريل، فينادي في أهل السماء: إن الله يحب فلانًا، فأحبوه، فيحبه أهل السماء، ثم يوضع له القبول في الأرض”.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: ‘I love so-and-so; so love him’. Then Jibril loves him. After that, he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of the heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him”. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: ‘I love so-and-so; so love him’. Then Jibril loves him. After that, he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him”.
Hadith 6 — Avoiding the Doubtful
عن أبي عبد الله النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول: “إن الحلال بين، وإن الحرام بين، وبينهما أمور مشتبهات لا يعلمهن كثير من الناس، فمن اتقى الشبهات فقد استبرأ لدينه وعرضه، ومن وقع في الشبهات وقع في الحرام، كالراعي يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يرتع فيه، ألا وإن لكل ملك حمى، ألا وإن حمى الله محارمه، ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله، ألا وهي القلب”. [رواه البخاري]، [ومسلم].
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “That which is lawful is clear, and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus, he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and truly, Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body, there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it is whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it is diseased, all of [the body] is diseased. Truly, it is the heart.”
The study of Islamic rulings also reflects the diversity of thought within the religion. Abu Hanifah asserts that what is indicated by evidence as halal is permissible, whereas Imam Shafi’i takes the opposite stance. Scholars have long debated whether the default ruling on matters is permissibility or impermissibility. Islam, however, is not rigid; it accommodates different interpretations and schools of thought. As the saying goes, “Ikhtilaf is a rahmah”, differences in opinion are a mercy. Imam Nawawi noted that when uncertainty exists regarding a matter, the disliked aspect should be removed. The concept of blocking the means (Sadd al-Dhara’i) also plays a role in Islamic jurisprudence, where the means leading to something haram or obligatory take on the same ruling. However, scholars apply this principle in varying ways.
The heart (qalb) in Islamic tradition is significant, as its root meaning refers to change. Many scholars, such as Hamza Yusuf, Ibn al-Qayyim, Imam al-Ghazali, and Imam al-Haddad, have explored the nature of the heart. As long as one avoids extremes, one can benefit from these scholarly works. A highly recommended book on this topic is “Purification of the Heart” by Hamza Yusuf.
And Allah ﷻ knows best.