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Desire for Allah S.W.T

Desire For Allah “The reality of love is being in accordance with what beloved wants, concerning what pleases him and what makes him angry.”

“The Garden of the Lovers and the Excursion of Those Who Yearn” By Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah Translated by: Khalil Abu Asma
Chapter: Concerning The Desire For Allah And The Signs Of The One Who Knows Allah

As for the desire for Allah (Raghbah), wanting Him (lit. His Countenance) and yearning for the meeting with Him, then it is the capital of the slave, the foundation of his affair, the basis of his life of goodness, the source of his (true) happiness, success and bliss, and it is the coolness of his eye. For this reason, he was created and for it, he has been commanded. The messengers have been sent and the books have been revealed also for this purpose. There is no rectification or bliss for the heart unless its desire is solely for Allah, alone, Mighty and Majestic is He. Hence, He alone should be his desire, what he seeks out, and his goal. As Allah, the Exalted has said,
“So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah’s worship. And to your Lord turn your desires and intentions.” (Qur’an 94:7-8)

And He, the Exalted, has also said,
“Would that they were contented with what Allah and His Messenger gave them and had said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will give us of His bounty, and so will His Messenger. We implore Allah’” (Qur’an 9:59)

Those who desire are three types:
1. Those who desire Allah,
2. Those who desire what Allah has
3. And those who desire other than Allah.

So the lover is the one who desires Allah. The one who is concerned with works is the one who desires what Allah has. And the one who is satisfied with this life, in neglect to the Hereafter, is the one who desires other than Him. The person whose desire is for Allah alone, Allah will suffice him from every concern, take on all of his affairs, deflect from him what he is not capable himself to deflect, protect him like the protection of a father to his child and preserve him from all afflictions. And whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others. And whoever is for Allah, Allah will be for him where he is not even there for his own self. Whoever knows Allah, nothing will be more beloved to him than Him and no desire will remain in this type of person for anything other than Him, except that which will bring him closer to Him or assist him in his wayfaring to Him. From among the signs of experiential knowledge (Ma’rifah) of Allah is veneration and awe (Haybah). As the slave’s experiential knowledge of his Lord increases, so to does his veneration and awe increase. As Allah, the Exalted has said,
“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.” (Qur’ân 35:28)

Meaning, those who are knowledgeable concerning Him. And the Prophet, said, “I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning Allah and I am the most intense in awe and reverence of Him” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). So whoever knows Allah (has Ma’rifah) his livelihood will be pure, his life will be sweet, everything will revere him and all fear of created things will leave him. He will find intimacy with Allah and will have an aversion for (common) people.

Knowledge of Allah (Ma’rifah) will bequeath to him shyness in front of Allah, veneration, and reverence of Him, vigilance (concerning His vision), love, trust in Him, turning to Him, pleasure in Him, and submission to His ordinances. It was said to Junayd, “There are a group of people here that claim that they can attain righteousness by leaving all movement.” He responded,
“Such ones have spoken of the removal of all action, and this is something very immense. The one who fornicates and steals is in a better state than the one who says that (as far as I am concerned). For verily, those who have experiential knowledge of Allah (the ‘Arifûn) have taken their actions from Allah and they have returned to Allah in them. If I were to live one thousand years I would not decrease in performing righteous works.” He also said, “One who knows Allah does not really know Allah until he becomes like the earth; the feet of the righteous and the unrighteous tread upon him. And (until he becomes) like the rain that waters what it likes and what it doesn’t like.”

Yahya ibn Mu’adh said,
“The one who knows Allah leaves this world (at the time of death) and he has not had his fill of two things: crying over his himself and yearning for his Lord.”

Others have said,
“One who knows Allah will not really know Allah until if he is given a dominion like the kingdom of Solomon it would not distract him from Allah for even the blink of an eye.”

It has also been said,
“The one who knows Allah has found intimacy with Allah and has an aversion for other than Him. He has realized his poverty in front of Allah, so Allah has enriched him from His creation. And he has humbled himself in front of Allah, so He has ennobled him amongst His creation.”

Abu Salyman Ad-Darani said,
“While (resting) in bed, the one who has experiential knowledge of Allah has openings that do not even come to the one who is standing in prayer!”

Dhun-Nun (Al-Misri) said,
“For everything, there is a punishment. And the punishment of the one who knows Allah (the ‘Arif) is being cut off from the remembrance of Allah.”

In summary, the life of the heart is with Allah and there is no life for it without that, ever. So when the heart is in agreement with the tongue in its Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and the heart is in agreement with what the Beloved wants from it; when he (the servant) belittles the many works and statements that he has made and regards even Allah’s subtle generosity and kindness as great; when he embraces obedience and leaves off disobedience, and has left all of it for the sake of his Beloved so that nothing of it remains; when his heart has become full with reverence, awe, preference, and pleasure in Him and his patience in yearning for Him has reached its last straw; when he cannot find repose except in His remembrance, desire for Him and yearning for the meeting with Him; when he cannot find (true) intimacy except in His Dhikr while maintaining His ordinances and preferring Him to others…Then this, this is the true lover (Muhibb). Junayd said,
“I heard Al-Harith Al-Muhasibi say: “Love (Mahabbah) is your inclination to something with all of your being. Then, your preference to that thing over your own self, your soul, and your possessions and wealth. Then, you’re being in accordance with that thing inwardly and outwardly, privately and publicly. Then, realizing your shortcomings with regards to your love of it.”

It was said,
“Love (Mahabbah) is a fire that burns in the heart. It burns everything other than what the beloved wants from the lover.”

It was also said,
“Nay, it is exerting all efforts in pleasing the beloved. And that could never be so until one no longer sees the ‘love’ anymore, but only witnesses the beloved.”

It is mentioned in some of the Hadith Qudsi,
“My servant, I am, by your right, a lover of you. So, be you, by my right upon you, a lover of Me.”

‘Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak said,
“Whomsoever is given something of love and is not given its equivalent of awe and veneration (khashyah), then he is deceived.”

Yahya ibn Mu’adh said,
“A muster seed’s amount of love is more beloved to me than seventy years of worship without love!”

Abu Bakr Al-Kattani said,
“An issue concerning love (Mahabbah) came up in Makkah during the days of the Pilgrimage. The Sheikhs spoke on the matter. Junayd was present and he was the youngest amongst them. So they said to him, ‘Give us what you have O Iraqi!’ He lowered his head in humility and his eyes shed tears, and he spoke: ‘(How great is) a slave who has left himself, connected to the Dhikr of his Lord, upholding His rights, witnessing Him with his heart. The lights of His Essence have burned his heart and his drink is pure from the cup of His pure love. If such a one speaks, it is by Allah. If he utters, it is from Allah. If he moves, it is by the command of Allah. If he remains silent, he is with Allah. So he is by Allah, for Allah, and with Allah.’ So the sheikhs cried and said, “There is nothing that can be added to this. May Allah rectify you, O Taj Al-‘Arifîn (crown of those who know Allah)!”

It was said that Allah revealed to Dawud,
“O Dawud, I have made it prohibited (Haram) for the hearts to contain the love of Me and the love of others at the same time.”

Those who know Allah (the ‘Arifun) have all agreed that love is not acceptable without compliance (with the Sacred Law), so much so that some of them said, “The reality of love is being in accordance with what beloved wants, concerning what pleases him and what makes him angry.” The People (of the Science of Purification; Al-Qawm) have also agreed that love is not acceptable without Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah). It was related that there was a man who claimed that he was overwhelmed by the love of a certain person. So one day this certain person said to him (the lover), “How can this be when my brother over here is much more attractive and more perfect in beauty?!” The man looked over to him and then the person pushed him and said,
“Someone who claims that he loves us and then looks at other than us?

Al’Aleem- The All-Knowing

Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:115)

After people begin to think, they start to learn and, over time, accumulate more and more knowledge. Some specialize in certain fields, such as physics, philosophy, or history. All of this knowledge relates to the verb “to know,” as we understand it. However, this verb also has a dimension that is far beyond humanity’s grasp: how Allah knows things.

Allah, being the Creator, holds the knowledge of the heavens, Earth, and every being in between, as well as of all the laws regulating the universe and anything that happens, regardless of time or place. Moreover, His knowledge is boundless, for He knows the names of all new-born babies at any moment, every leaf falling from every tree, what will happen to each star in each galaxy, whatever happens in space at any moment, what is hidden in every living thing’s DNA, and an infinite number of other things.

We must always keep the following fact in mind: In addition to what has been mentioned above, Allah knows all of our thoughts and our most secret acts. We assume that we alone are aware of our feelings, thoughts, or distress. But this is a delusion, for Allah, Who holds complete control over every point of the universe, knows what is in each person’s mind and everything else. Indeed, the Qur’an informs us about Allah’s infinite knowledge:

You will not attain true goodness until you give of what you love. Whatever you give away, Allah knows it. (Surah `Al Imran, 3:92)

Do you not see that everyone in the heavens and Earth glorifies Allah, as do the birds with their outspread wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification. Allah knows what they do. (Surat an-Nur, 24:41)

And the sun runs to its resting place. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. (Surah Ya Sin, 36:38)

See how they wrap themselves round, trying to conceal their feelings from Him! No, indeed! When they wrap their garments round themselves, He knows what they keep secret and what they make public. He knows what their hearts contain. (Surah Hud, 11:5)

But they will never ever long for it, because of what they have done. Allah knows the wrongdoers. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:95)

You did not kill them; it was Allah Who killed them. You did not throw when you threw; it was Allah Who threw: so He might test the believers with this excellent trial from Him. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Anfal, 8:17)

Prophet Yunus (Alaih Assalaam)

Prophet Yunus(Alaih Assalaam) was sent by Allah to a big town where the people had forgotten Allah’s orders and did many things which Allah had forbidden. You should believe only in Allah and obey only Him, Yunus told them. You should worship Him alone and do good, otherwise, a severe punishment will come upon you!

But Yunus(Alaih Assalaam) soon discovered that the people did not want to listen to him. He left the tow. Afterward, Yunus decided to go across the sea and boarded a ship for the voyage. But when the ship was in the middle of the ocean, Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) suffered a great misfortune. He was thrown overboard and swallowed up by an enormous fish. Fortunately, though, the fish had swallowed Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) in one big gulp, so he landed in its stomach unhurt.

It was very dark inside the fish’s stomach, and Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) grew very fearful. In his loneliness, he started to think over what had happened in the town and came to realize that he should not have acted so hastily and in such a quick-tempered manner. Instead, he should have stayed and kept on speaking to the people and ask them to return to Allah.

In this despair, Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) started to pray with all his heart to Allah. He said “O Allah, there is no God apart from You. You alone do I praise and honor. I have done wrong; if You do not help me, I shall be lost forever.”
Allah hears the prayers of those who pray to Him and those who believe in Him. Allah heard Yunus’s prayer, and he caused Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) to come out of the fish’s stomach, and to be swept by the waves of the sea onto the shore. Poor Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) was in a terrible state and lay on the shore, weak, ill and helpless. He felt dreadfully miserable, but Allah caused a tree to grow and this tree provided Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) with shade and nourishing fruits. Before long, Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) had recovered his health and strength.

When he was better, Allah sent Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) back to the town. This time, though, the people there listened to Yunus (Alaih Assalaam) when he told them: You should believe in Allah and worship Him alone. You must do good.

Why Is Secularism Incompatible With Islam?

Secularism can never enjoy a general acceptance in an Islamic society. For Muslim societies, the acceptance of secularism means something totally different. As Islam is a comprehensive system of worship (Ibadah) and legislation (Shari’ah), the acceptance of secularism means abandonment of Shari’ah, a denial of the divine guidance, and a rejection of Allah’s injunctions. It is indeed a false claim that Shari’ah is not proper to the requirements of the present age. The acceptance of a legislation formulated by humans means a preference of the humans’ limited knowledge and experiences to the divine guidance: “Say! Do you know better than Allah?” (Qur’an, 2:140)

For this reason, the call for secularism among Muslims is atheism and a rejection of Islam. Its acceptance as a basis for rule in place of Shari’ah is downright apostasy. The silence of the masses in the Muslim world about this deviation has been a major transgression and a clear-cut instance of disobedience which have produced a sense of guilt, remorse, and inward resentment, all of which have generated discontent, insecurity, and hatred among committed Muslims because such deviation lacks legality.

Secularism is (only) compatible with the Western concept of God which maintains that after God had created the world, He left it to look after itself. In this sense, God’s relationship with the world is like that of a watchmaker with a watch: he makes it then leaves it to function without any need for him. This (baseless) concept is inherited from Greek philosophy, especially that of Aristotle who argued that God neither controls nor knows anything about this world.

This concept is totally different from that of Muslims. We Muslims believe that Allah is the sole Creator and Sustainer of the Worlds. One Who “…takes account of every single thing.” (Qur’an, 72:28); that He is All-Powerful and All-Knowing; that His Mercy and Bounties encompass everyone and suffice for all. In that capacity, Allah revealed His divine guidance to humanity, made certain things permissible and others prohibited, commanded people to observe His injunctions and to judge according to them. If they do not do so, then they commit Kufr, aggression, and transgression.

-By By Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

Death In A Virtuous State

Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say: “Peace be upon you! Enter Paradise for what you did.”(Surat an-Nahl: 32)

Believers live a good life in this world, are not overcome with fear or pessimism, and have a healthy and comfortable spiritual life. Since those who believe seek Allah’s pleasure, we learn from the Qur’an that they have won His special assistance, support, and protection; their misdeeds will be removed from them and that they will be rewarded according to the best of what they did; and they will not be wronged. Since they “purchase” the next life in exchange for this life, they have made what the Qur’an calls a “good bargain.” Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.

But what will happen to them at the end of their lives? Where and when will Allah meet them at the hour He has appointed for their death? Neither believers nor unbelievers know where and when they will die. This fact is explained in Surah Luqman in these words:
Truly Allah has knowledge of the Hour, sends down abundant rain, and knows what is in the womb. And no self knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no self knows in what land it will die. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surah Luqman, 34)

Together with this, the Qur’an informs us how death will come to believers, how their souls will be taken, and what will happen at the moment of death. As far as we know, believers experience death as a very gentle passage, like a momentary change in dimension. Just like the person whom Allah causes to be “as dead during his sleep” (Surat az-Zumar, 42) and wakes up the next morning to a new day when believers die, they will be taken out of the worldly dimension and pass to the next dimension (Certainly Allah knows the truth.)

Allah announced this gentle and easy passage in Surat an-Nazi’at, 2, where He points to the appointed angels and says “those who draw out gently.” Another verse tells about the angels’ conversation when they come to take a believer’s soul: Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say: “Peace be upon you! Enter Paradise for what you did.” (Surat an-Nahl, 32)

The following verse describes a believer’s death:
The greatest terror will not upset them, and the angels will welcome them: “This is your Day, the one that you were promised.” (Surat an-Anbiya’, 103)
Clearly, believers who have led a good life in this world will have a beautiful and easy death, and their life in the next world will begin when they are met by angels. From that moment on, all of their relations with this world will cease, and they will be sent to an appointed place where they will come before Allah’s Presence. As it was from the beginning, so it continues: comfort and ease await all believers.

Allah, The Exalted Has Power Over All Things (Matters)

[ALLAH’S Quran 3:189 – Shakir] “And Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Allah has power over all things.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said :
[Bukhari, Book #54, Hadith #514] “Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “If one says one-hundred times in one day: “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent)”, one will get the reward of manumitting ten slaves, and one-hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one-hundred bad deeds will be wiped off or erased from his account, and on that day he will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan, and nobody will be superior to him except one who has done more than that which he has done.”

Allah, The Exalted, Rewards The Forgivers

[ALLAH’S Quran – 42:40]
[Principle #1:] An evil act should be retaliated by an equal act [eye for an eye]; however,
[principle #2:] God rewards those who pardon and lead a righteous life.
[Principle #3:] God does not love the wrongdoers [who retaliate excessively].

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said:
[Malik’s Muwatta, Book #43, Hadith #43.21.15a] “Retaliation is between women as it is between men. That is because Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, ‘We have written for them in it that it is a life for a life and an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds, there is retaliation.’ (Sura 5 ayat 48) Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, mentioned that it is a life for a life. It is the life of a free woman for the life of a free man, and her injury for his injury.” Malik said about a man who held a man fast for another man to hit, and he died on the spot, “If he held him and he thought that he meant to kill him, the two of them are both killed for him. If he held him and he thought that he meant to beat him as people sometimes do, and he did not think that he meant to kill him, the murderer is slain and the one who held him is punished with very severe punishment and jailed for a year. There is no killing against him.”