To love and to be loved is an important thing in Islam. Allah SWT is full of love to His servants, His Angels, and His prophet. Love in Islam is not only about the relationship between human and human, but also between human and his prophet, human and his Creator.
Islam is a particular religion that encourages each other to show affection and love.
1. Love to Allah and His Messenger
Love is the center in Islam, and there will be no faith. We follow the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and believing the existence of Allah solely based on love. Following the guide of Prophet Muhammad SAW is an ultimate demonstartion of love in Islam. Even Allah Almighty tells us directly that we have to follow His Messenger (SAW) if we love Him.
“Say (O Muhammad (PBUH) to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic monotheism, follow the Quran and Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Of-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” – Ali Imran (3:31)
Also read: Importance of Leadership in Islam
2. Love for Allah above everything else
It is said that the ultimate demonstration of love in Islam is by obeying Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Love for Allah in particular, should be above everything else. Allah Almighty Himself has said in Quran:
“Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that you have gained; the commerce in which you fear a decline: or the dwellings in which you (seek) delight – are dearer to you than Allah, or His Messenger, or the striving in His cause: then wait until Allah brings about His decision: and Allah guides not the rebellious.” – At Tawbah (9:24)
In the verse above Allah SWT has mentioned all the worldly delight that might drawn you into. But loving Allah SWT and His Messenger is a must, and whoever disobeying them will face the consequences in the day of judgement. If a Muslim would like to be guided by Allah SWT till the End of Day, then he must place his love to Allah SWT above everything else in the world.
Also read: Importance of Istighfar in Islam
3. Love is the essence of faith
Love for Allah SWT is the ultimate essence of our faith to Him. Without love, there will be no faith. The faith within our heart is a strong foundation to practice it and showing our love to Allah. Prophet Muhammad SAW has said,
“Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness (delight) of faith: the one to whom Allah and His Messenger become dearer than anything else, the one who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah’s sake, and whoever hates to revert to disbelief, after Allah has saved him from it, as he hates to be thrown into fire.” – Sahih
It become clear that the essence of faith in Allah SWT is Allah’s love to His servants and His servant’s love to Allah SWT. If the love does exist, Muslim has to treat Allah as his lover, and Allah SWT will treat him the same way. Doing whatever our lovers would like us to do, not being rebellious and always pleased Him. Loving relationship between Muslim and Allah will benefited the Muslim most, as Allah SWT promised whoever put his love and faith to Him would be reverted from the Hellfire.
Also read: The Importance of Prayer in Islam
[AdSense-B]
4. Love is an important conception
To be short, love is the most important conception in Islam. The existence of love will explained most of the things in Islam. In manifest in many aspects and plays a crucial role. Love defines the point of view of the relationship between Allah SWT and mankind. Also the relationship between Allah SWT and the whole universe.
Why would Allah SWT creates the universe and its content in the first place? If it isn’t love, then the universe we are currently living in would not be this wonderful, complex, and mysterious.
Why would Allah SWT creates mankind and provides them the place to live? Allah SWT creates mankind because He loves them and provide them with the sufficient amount of natural resources. This is where love plays significant role in Islam.
As reported by Ibn Abbas, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “The strongest faith is to be sincere for the sake of Allah, to hate for the sake of Allah (Tabarra), to love for the sake of Allah (Tawalla), and to discard for the sake of Allah.”
Also read: Importance of Inheritance in Islam
5. Love to Allah is the sole purpose of mankind creation
Mankind is said to be the most perfect being Allah SWT creates. Islam has the brain to think and perfect body and bone structure that make them able to think and move on their own. Allah creates mankind to show them His existence. Not that Allah SWT is craved for fame, but to show them the blessing and grace He possess, and give mankind the most they can receive.
The first human ever, Adam (AS) was created out of Allah’s love. Made from the best material ever existed, and the first thing Adam (AS) told to do after gaining consciousness is to worship Allah SWT.
Also read: Importance of Time in Islam
[AdSense-A]
6. Allah’s love will benefited Muslim the most
Allah SWT promised to whoever love Him with all his heart, in return Allah SWT will multiply his blessing. As said in one of Hadith nrrated by Qudsi, if someone loves Allah SWT, He will become one with him, “When I love him, then I shall be his ears with which he listens, his eyes with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, and his hands with which he holds; if he calls Me, I shall answer him, and if he asks Me, I shall give him.”
Also read: Importance of Sacrifice in Islam
7. Love is the feed to the soul
Physical need would be fulfilled by the material things we worked for everyday. But not only the physic that needs to be fed. Our soul also need one. Thus, the love to Allah SWT and love from Him is a food to our soul. Just like the physic, the soul needs to be pleased and satisfied. The only way we can feed our soul is by doing the religious practice such as prayer and reciting the Holy Quran. Allah SWT has placed this spiritual needs of the heart and soul in the deepest heart of human creation.
The ultimate perfection, form, shape, and ways of love can be appear in one manifestation, Allah SWT Himself.
Also read: Importance of Jummah in Islam
8. Love is the quality Allah SWT possess
As said before, the foundation of the creation of the universe and all its content, also the creation of mankind and the place they living in is solely love. Allah’s love to the world and all His servants has been emphasize by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and followed by his believer.
One of Allah Almighty’s name is al Wadud, means He who loves. The demand from Allah to obey Him absolutely and following his order with no exception is sound strict and cruel to non-believer, but Muslim perfectly knows the purpose of it and what kind reward Allah promised to those who follow Him.
Allah’s love also shown by each one of the first verse in every Surah in the Holy Quran which started with “Bismillahi ar Rahmaan ar Rahiim” which means, in the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Allah’s love also explicitly said by His Messenger (SAW), “Allah is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child.”
Also read: The Importance Of Forgiveness
9. Love is the reason of Allah’s forgiveness
Human always committed sins every other day in their lives. There will time when they disobeying Allah SWT or doing things that brings no please to His heart. The sins committed by Muslim may vary, from the little ones to the big sins. But Allah SWT loves His servants so much that He will forgive any of their sins as long as they repent. Allah’s mercy is closer that your pulse.
Allah will not have that big of a mercy if He doesn’t love His creation, the human. Even if their sins is as much as the foam in the sea, Allah’s mercy will always be given to everyone who asked for it.
Also read: Importance of Marriage in Islam
[AdSense-C]
10. Allah’s love is the source of everything
Allah is the source of everything existed in the world. Allah is the most precious, the ultimate perfection and eternal beauty of everything. He is the only source of all being, and the fact that Allah has created you shows one of His goodness.
Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “Love Allah SWT because He has done good to you and He has bestowed favors upon you.”
Also read: Benefits of Praying Fajr in the Mosque
More importance of love in Islam (11-25)
- All of the Allah’s blessing to Muslim is the manifestation of love.
- Love to Allah is a proof that we are grateful for His blessing.
- Love to Allah is a reminder for us.
- Allah’s love will not ceased even after we died.
- Love will bring us a lot off good things.
- Loving Allah is one of the good deeds we can do.
- Love to Allah will distanced us from Hell fire.
- By loving Allah, we will have all the goodness in the afterlife.
- The rewards of loving Allah is Jannah.
- Loving Allah brings peace and happiness in our heart.
- By loving Allah we won’t be afraid of what tomorrow might brings.
- Loving Allah gives us assurance in our life in the world.
- If we love Allah, His mercy and blessing will always come to us.
- Loving Allah will distance us from unfortunate events.
- By loving Allah, we would be loved by Him too.
So there were the many importance of love in Islam. May all of us be blessed and be loved by Allah SWT. Ameen.