“…for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” – Al-Rad (13:28)
In those verse only we know how big Allah’s SWT influence is in our lives. Loving Allah is the initial goal of why human was created. To carry out the lessons from Allah SWT. We love Allah SWT not because we should do it, but because we need it.
There are big difference in living with loving Allah SWT and living with no love for Allah SWT. But sadly, not every Muslim are capable in loving Allah with all of their heart. Surely we need to know how to grow a loving heart in Islam. Here are some ways that might be useful for us and all our brothers and sisters out there.
1. Having the Sense of Fear
Our relationship with Allah should be contained two things, love and fear. With love for Allah, we would be driven to walk within the path of His guidance, doing all the things He loves, and makes us want to get closer to Him. While fear would keep us away from doing things that are forbidden by Allah. To grow a loving heart to Allah, we should have those two things in heart, and one should be balanced with the other.
Also read: How to Get Prayers Answered in Islam
2. Reciting the Holy Quran
The Holy Quran is the official guidance directly from Allah for all Muslim. Reciting Quran not only brings us closer to Allah, but also brings us enlightenment about the world and the afterlife. Moreover, reciting the Quran brings us the side effects we couldn’t get anywhere: the peace in our heart.
3. Doing the Sunnah Prayers
The best way to make us love Allah SWT more and more is by performing Salah, fulfilling the five obligatory prayers at the very least. Prayers or Salah is an act where the intention is to focused only to Allah and all His contentment. Beside the five daily prayers, we can get closer to Allah by performing the additional Sunnah prayers voluntarily. Salah would definitely brings us closer to Allah, even closer than we ever know.
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4. Contemplating About Life
It’s undeniable that human can sometimes be very arrogant and forgetting that nothing in this world belong to them. That is why we need to take a deep breath and taking down everything to humbly looking around. Even the dust that stick into our hands belong to Allah. Not to mention our lives itself. Imagine how kind hearted Allah was to give it all out to us.
5. Asking the Guidance from Allah SWT
Call for Allah’s help and guidance whenever we face hardships, as He promised,
“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided” – Al Baqara (2:128)
Also read: How to Gain Respect in Islam
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6. Staying Away from Worldly Matters
To get closer to Allah SWT and love Him more, we need to stay away from the worldly matters for a while. Focused on what Allah ask us to do and what He forbid. Keeping our lives in the line make us love Him more and more. All the worldly things often make us forget about Allah and our other obligations.
7. Looking Up to the Better People
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:
“A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” – Bukhari
Also read: How to Deal with Angry Person in Islam
8. Get to Know Allah SWT More
As we know, Allah has 99 names. To love Allah, we need to know Him more. The best way to know Him is by learning about Him through His names. All 99 names holds its own meaning, which describe Allah’s characteristic. By learning about it deeper, we come to know Him better and end up loving Him more.
9. Dhikr Everywhere and Every Time
Dhikr is another way to remember Allah SWT. Every Muslim are allowed to do Dhikr everywhere and in any situation, including when a woman is having her period. Dhikr contains many meaning, such as asking for Allah’s forgiveness and thanking Allah endlessly.
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10. Following the Prophet’s (SAW) Sunnah
We will grow a loving heart to Allah SWT by following the Sunnah of our Prophet (SAW). As Allah SWT said in the Holy Quran,
“Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” – Ali ‘Imran (3:31)
More Ways to Grow a Loving Heart in Islam
- Learning more about Islam, deeper than ever. We never really know Islam if we don’t search more about it, and the more we know the more we fall in love to Islam.
- Looking at your surroundings and you will find that every single things is Allah’s SWT blessings. Even the sun doesn’t shine without Allah’s SWT will.
- Everyone in this world will end up leaving us, including our loved ones. Only Allah SWT stays with us until the very end.
- Thinking about the afterlife more. There is no guarantee how our afterlife will turn out to be. Only by sticking up to Allah will we find guidance and peace.
- The only long lasting relationship is the one we have with Allah SWT.
Those are the ways how to grow a loving a heart in Islam. It’s important for us to love Allah SWT more than anything. By growing the loving heart to Allah, and only for Allah, then we will feeling the peace in life and becoming more optimistic in seeing the future. Loving Allah SWT is the ultimate goal for every human alive. May Allah keeps our heart to love him, and only love him.