Those Whom Allah Loves and Who Love Him

The elite among the believers are those whom Allah Most High has singled out for His special love. He loves them, and they love Him. They are those with whom Allah is pleased, and who are pleased with Him. Allah Most High says: “O you who believe! Whoever among you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him; humble toward the believers, dignified toward the disbelievers; striving in the path of Allah and fearing not the blame of any blamer” (5:54).

They attained this lofty station because, when tested, they were found truthful and steadfast in their faith. Allah became pleased with them because of their sincerity and perseverance, while they became pleased with Him because they came to know the reality of His mercy, the perfection of His wisdom, and the exalted nature of His nearness. As a result, they are content with whatever their Lord decrees for them, fully certain that contentment with Allah is among the greatest means of attaining the pleasure of Allah, Most High.

The hearts of such people overflow with love for Allah, for the love of Allah is the driving force behind their words, deeds, spiritual states, and lofty stations. It is the very spirit of faith, the life of righteous actions, and the essence of every inward and outward act of devotion. Whenever faith, deeds, or spiritual states are deprived of this love, they become like a body without a soul — outwardly present, yet devoid of true life.

So what path should servants follow in order to remain steadfast in the love of Allah Most High, persevere in it, and thereby attain Allah’s love for them?

This is achieved in proportion to the sincerity of their love for Allah Most High, as manifested in the extent of their striving to draw near to Him. As Allah says in the sacred Hadith: “My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts of worship until I love him(/her).”

The more sincere servants are in their love for Allah, and the more diligent they are in seeking closeness to Him through obedience and devotion, the greater their share of Allah’s love will be.

The goal of such people is the coveted station of nearness to Allah on the Day of Resurrection — a station that Allah has promised to His God-fearing servants. Attaining this goal is achieved by establishing the deeds through which that station is earned.

Among the proofs of this is the statement of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): “Shall I not inform you of people who are neither prophets nor martyrs, yet the prophets and martyrs will admire them on the Day of Resurrection and wish for a rank like theirs because of their station with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, while they sit upon pulpits of light?” The companions asked, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “Those who make the servants of Allah beloved to Allah and make Allah beloved to His servants, and they walk upon the earth as sincere advisers.” They said: “We understand how they make Allah beloved to His servants, but how do they make the servants beloved to Allah?” He said: “They command them to love Allah and forbid them from what Allah dislikes. When they obey them, Allah loves them.”

Thus, what elevates servants to this magnificent station is their striving to make the foundation of the covenant between themselves and Allah the love of Allah. Do you not see that this covenant, which is founded upon offering their life and wealth to Allah, can only be established upon the basis of love? For after mentioning this transaction in Surat al-Tawbah, Allah follows it with glad tidings and the promise of supreme success, saying: “So rejoice in the bargain which you have made, for that is the supreme triumph” (9:111).

The sincere counsel with which they move among people has as its goal making Allah beloved to His servants. Its means is to motivate them by reminding them of Allah’s love for them, as mentioned in the Hadith above: “When they obey them, Allah loves them.”

Thus, the love of Allah becomes the framework within which enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is carried out. Enjoining good and forbidding evil is, in reality, the essence of sincere counsel, the purpose of which is to endear Allah to His servants and draw them closer to His love.

In this regard, what is right (Al-Ma’roof) is defined by steadfast adherence to the balance and moderation established in the Quranic and Prophetic guidance. What is wrong (Al-Munkar), on the other hand, is characterized by falling away from that balance, either through negligence and deficiency, which result in neglecting the proper limits, or through excess and extremism, which result in transgressing those limits. Indeed, extremism in religion is among the gravest forms of exceeding the bounds set by Allah.

If the love of Allah (swt) is the central principle underlying enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, with the aim of endearing the servants to their Lord so that Allah may love them, then this methodology rests upon two foundations: the first concerns the manner of conveying the message, and the second concerns identifying and prioritizing what is most important.

As for the manner of conveying the message, its foundation is ease and glad tidings, as expressed in the Prophetic guidance: “Make things easy and do not make them difficult; give glad tidings and do not drive people away.”

The prohibition against making matters difficult and driving people away implies that Dawah should always be characterized by facilitation and encouragement, free from harshness and alienation. Indeed, making matters easy and giving glad tidings are among the greatest means of endearing Allah to His servants.

This, in turn, requires giving priority to the higher objectives (Maqasid) over the finer details of legal rulings. This brings us to the second foundation: proper prioritization.

Take prayer as an example. Its objective is to establish servitude to Allah, worship Him, converse intimately with Him, humble oneself before Him, and realize other noble purposes. Its details, on the other hand, concern the manner in which it is performed according to the Prophetic guidance. Yet in certain circumstances, some of these details may be relaxed, while the objective remains preserved. A person with a valid excuse may pray sitting or standing according to their ability, and one who is in a state of fear may pray while riding or walking. The mercy sought through prayer lies in fulfilling its objective and purpose, not merely in maintaining every one of its outward details.

Thus, giving priority to the objective rather than the details fulfills two essential aims: conveying the glad tidings of Allah’s mercy and strengthening the servant’s connection with Allah. Divine mercy is tied to one’s connection with Allah, not merely to the fulfillment of external particulars. Do you not see that a person is rewarded from the prayer only according to the portion of it that he/she truly understands and is present-hearted in?

Within this methodology, the essence is character, while acts of worship are the means and instruments through which a servant attains the level of moral excellence that qualifies them for the love of Allah Most High.

Accordingly, one who reflects upon the pillars of the religion through this lens will find that their essence and ultimate purpose lie in the cultivation of noble character, not in the mere performance of acts of worship divorced from their transformative effects. Prayer establishes true servitude to Allah; fasting serves as a shield; Zakat purifies and refines the soul; and Hajj cultivates submission, surrender, and humility before Allah.

When love is the vehicle that carries the servant on the path to Allah, then longing for Him becomes the driving force. Worship thus becomes an expression of gratitude, a means of sustaining intimacy with Allah, and a way of satisfying the heart’s yearning for Him. One who adopts this methodology calls people to seek refuge in Allah, rely upon Him, trust in Him, and remember the vastness of His mercy, generosity, compassion, and gentleness.

Consider the examples of the Prophets. The Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, said: “Seek His forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance. Indeed, my Lord is Near and Responsive” (11:61). And the Prophet Shuʿayb, peace be upon him, said: “Seek forgiveness from your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Most Loving” (11:90).

Likewise, Allah, Exalted is He, instructed His Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in Surat Sabaʾ: “Say: If I go astray, I only go astray to my own loss; and if I am guided, it is by what my Lord reveals to me. Indeed, He is All-Hearing and Near” (34:50).

All of these divine names and attributes point to Allah’s mercy, His love, and the endeavor to make Him beloved to His servants.

The first step toward attaining this lofty aspiration is for the servants of Allah to adorn themselves with an outward appearance in which the effects of the love of Allah are evident, becoming people through whom Allah is made beloved to His servants. One sign of this is the expression reflected on the face — the mark of prostration. The effect of prostration is not merely a physical trace; rather, it is the imprint of humility upon one’s countenance. Through it, arrogance, pride, and self-importance recede, and in their place emerge noble humility, inner purity, and a serene radiance.

But how do servants elevate themselves to such a noble state?

First, by finding reassurance regarding provision. This dispels anxiety and worry, as Allah Most High says: “And if you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you from His bounty” (9:28).

Second, by finding sufficiency in Allah alone. This is the source of true dignity and honor, as Allah says: “Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?” (39:36).

Third, by reconciling death, recognizing that death is a bridge to everlasting bliss and the beginning of eternal life.

Fourth, by settling one’s obligations and rectifying one’s affairs through justice and truthfulness, for when a person fulfills what is required of them, they become just and truthful, acting with wisdom and resolve, rather than helplessness and neglect.

Among the beautiful narrations in this regard is the advice of Al-Abbas to his son Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them, in which he said: “O Abdullah, I counsel you to love Allah, and to love obedience to Him, and to fear Allah, and to fear disobedience to Him. If you remain upon this, you will not dislike death whenever it comes to you. I entrust you to Allah, my son.” Then he turned toward the qiblah and said: “There is no god, but Allah.” After that, his gaze became fixed, and he passed away.