The Status Of Two Who Love One Another For The Sake Of Allah

The Status Of Two Who Love One Another For The Sake
Of Allah

Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi

Many hadith describe the status of two people who love one another
for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), and describe the high
position in Paradise which He has promised them and the great honour
which He will bestow upon them on the Day when mankind is resurrected
to meet the Rabb of the Worlds: Among them is the hadith which describes
the seven whom Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) will shade on the Day
when there is no shade but His:

"...a just leader; a youth who grows up worshipping Allah
(subhanahu wa ta`ala); a man who is deeply attached to the mosque;
two men who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa
ta`ala), meeting for His sake and parting for His sake; a man who
is called by a beautiful woman and says, I fear Allah (subhanahu
wa ta`ala)'; a man who gives charity in secret such that his left
hand does not know what his right hand is doing; and a man who remembers
Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) when he is alone and his eyes fill with
tears." (Bukhari and Muslim)

The two who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa
ta`ala) are clearly shown to be among those whom Allah (subhanahu
wa ta`ala) will shelter with His shade and upon whom He will shower
His mercy and kindness. What a great honour! It is enough honour
for those who love one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu
wa ta`ala that their Almighty Rabb will greet them on the Day of
Resurrection and say to them: "Where are those who loved one
another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade on the
Day when there is no shade but Mine." (Muslim)

Such is the magnificent honour and tremendous reward that will
be bestowed upon those who truly loved one another for the sake
of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), on that awesome Day.

Love for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), and not for the
sake of anything else in this life which is filled with greed, desires
and interests, is very difficult, and none can attain it except
the one who is pure of heart, for whom this world is as nothing
compared to the pleasure of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala). It is not
surprising that Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) should give them a status
and blessing which is commensurate with their position in this world,
above whose concerns they have risen. We find proof of this in the
hadith of Mu'adh who said that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam) said:

"Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) said: 'Those who love one another
for My glory, will have minbars of light, and the Prophets and martyrs
will wish that they had the same." [Reported by al-Tirmidhi,
who said it is a hasan sahih hadith]

Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) gives to those who love one another
for His sake a gift which is even greater than this status and blessing:
that is His precious love which is very difficult to attain. This
is proven by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu `anhu) in which
the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

"A man went to visit a brother of his in another village.
Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) sent an angel to wait for him on the
road. When the man came along, the angel asked him, 'Where do you
intend to go?' He said, 'I am going to visit a brother of mine who
lives in this village.' The angel asked, 'Have you done him any
favour (for which you are now seeking repayment)?' He said, 'No.
I just love him for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala).' The
angel told him, I am a messenger to you from Allah (subhanahu wa
ta`ala), sent to tell you that He loves you as you love your brother
for His sake."' (Muslim)

What a great love, that raises a man to a position where Allah
(subhanahu wa ta`ala) loves him and is pleased with him!

The teaching of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) goes
even further and states that the better of two brothers who love
one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) is the one
who loves his brother more. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam)
said:

"No two men love one another, but the better of them is the
one whose love for his brother is greater." [Reported by Bukhari
in al-Adab al-Mufrad]

Islam goes even further in spreading love in the rightly guided
Muslim society by telling the Muslim that if he loves his brother,
he should tell him. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves
him." [Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who said it is
a sahih hadith]

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) understood the impact
of this strong, pure love in building societies and nations, so
he never let any occasion pass without advocating this love and
commanding the Muslims to announce their love for one another, in
order to open hearts and spread love and purity among the ranks
of the Ummah.

Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) said that a man was with the Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam), when another man passed by. The first man said,
"O Messenger of Allah, indeed I truly love this man."
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked him, "Have
you let him know that?" He said, "No." The Prophet
(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Tell him." He caught
up with him and told him, "Truly I love you for the sake of
Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala)," and the man said, "May Allah
(subhanahu wa ta`ala) love you who loves me for His sake."
[Reported by Abu Dawud, with a sahih isnad]

Mu'adh began to spread this pure love among the Muslims throughout
the Muslim lands, telling them what he had heard from the Prophet
(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) about the great reward that Allah
(subhanahu wa ta`ala) had prepared for those who loved one another
for His sake, and about His great love for them. In al-Muwatta',
Imam Malik gives a report with a sahih isnad from Abu Idris al-Khulani
who said: "I entered the mosque of Damascus, where I saw a
young man who had a bright smile, and I saw the people gathered
around him. When they disagreed on some matter, they referred it
to him, and accepted his opinion. I asked who he was, and they told
me, 'This is Mu'adh ibn Jabal (radhiallahu `anhu)." Early the
next day, I went to the mosque but I found that he had arrived even
earlier than I. He was praying, so I waited until he had finished,
then I approached him from in front, greeted him and said, 'By Allah
(subhanahu wa ta`ala) I love you.' He said, 'For the sake of Allah
(subhanahu wa ta`ala)?' I said, 'For the sake of Allah'. He repeated
his question, 'For the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala)?' and
I said, 'For the sake of Allah.' So he took hold of my collar and
pulled me towards him and said, 'I have good news for you. I heard
the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) say:

"Allah Almighty says: 'My love is granted to those who love
one another for My sake, who visit one another for My sake, and
who spend on one another for My sake.'"'