Loving and Hating for the sake of Allah SWT
In the previous reminder we spoke on the bad habit of smoking. Something that we all know is bad for us and does us great harm. It’s something considered impermissible in Islam and yet so many of us fall into the trap of smoking.
In that reminder, it was explained how Shaitaan makes that which is bad for us attractive and that which is good for us unattractive. This is the trick of the Shaitaan and that’s why this life is a test because we live in a state of being where the world typically is the opposite of how we are meant to live.
In order for us to be successful in this life we need to strive to attain habits which go against the majority. Behaviours that others often find strange and may disagree with. We need to hold on strong to what is asked of us by Allah SWT even if it means we go against those around us.
The imam reminded us of the 22nd ayat of Sura Al-Mujadala which is translated to say:
You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those – He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah . Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful.
Dear brothers and sisters, as you can hear from this translation, the ayat speaks of holding firm onto the right path and the right habits and behaviours, even if it goes against their nearest and dearest.
In fact, our live ought to be governed by the laws set out by Allah SWT. As mentioned by the imam in the following hadith, this is the sweetness of faith. The hadith is translated to say:
“The messenger of Allah [SAW] said: ‘There are three things, whoever attains them will find therein the sweetness of faith: When Allah [SWT], the Mighty and Sublime, and His Messenger [SAW] are dearer to him than all else; when he loves for the sake of Allah [SWT] and hates for the sake of Allah [SWT]; and when a huge fire be lit and he fall into it, than associate anything with Allah [SWT].'”
Dear brothers and sisters, nobody says that this task is an easy one. Often when we strive for the sake of Allah SWT and attempt to change our bad habits or begin our good habits, it’s the nearest and dearest that are the first to object.
They can say we are being extreme or they can say that we are making lives difficult for ourselves. We need to understand that difficulty comes in any test that we do. From exams in school to driving tests we do to operate a car, the test is never an easy one.
But unlike those tests, the reward for this test of life is so great that we cannot even comprehend it fully. The imam stated a hadith in relation to this which helps us understand some of the reward associated with this mindset. It is translated to say:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give Shade of His Thrown on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne’s Shade: A just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah;
And this next hadith which is translated to say:
Abu Umama reported that God’s messenger said, “If anyone loves for God’s sake, hates for God’s sake, gives for God’s sake and withholds for God’s sake, he will have perfected faith.” Abu Dawud transmitted it; and Tirmidhi transmitted it from Mu’adh b. Anas with a transposition of phrases, including “he will have perfected his faith.”
Dear brothers and sisters, we have a clear choice to make when it comes to our mindset in this life. We can be of those who live for this life. You will often find these people to be in the majority and it is hard not to follow their way of thinking as short-term this is the easier way to live. Shaitaan has constructed this living so that this way of living is the most easiest way to be.
However, if you ponder over this to some length you will find that those who opt for this way of thinking seldom find happiness. Instead they skip from one hedonistic pleasure to another and when finally they stop to ponder, often in older age or when they’ve exhausted all their worldly desires, they are left with a feeling of regret and sadness. This is their soul testifying to their chosen path.
And so we must strive to adopt the correct mindset. This reminder concludes with 3 ways in which we can do this.
- Observe life and don’t just live it. Look around and ask yourself where true contentment and happiness lies. This is the first step to understanding the façade that this live is and how only the worship of Allah SWT and following His commands will give you true peace and happiness.
- Ask yourself if the choices you have made help you to follow the path Allah SWT has ordained for us. It’s never too late to change direction but it begins with assessing oneself and the choices we have made.
- Ask Allah SWT for help in following the right path. And leave behind those who are associated with the wrong habits and the wrong path. In time this you will begin to understand how crucial this point is for your own happiness and peace.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all are striving for peace and happiness in this life. By understanding that it comes from living for the sake of Allah SWT, loving what He loves and hating what He hates, we will come to the conclusion that this is the only way to achieve true peace and happiness in this life as well as success in the next.
