Make Allah Your Beloved Part 4

Become the Beloved

How do we gauge in terms of how we are faring when it comes to the love of Allāh? A scholar said:

صِدْقُ الْمَحَبَّةِ فِي ثَلَاث

If you want to test whether your love is genuine or not then look at three things, your love for Allāh.

اَن يَّخْتَارَ كَلَامَ حَبِيبِهِ عَلَى كَلَامِ غَيرِهِ

You always give preference to the speech of the Beloved over all other speech. The speech of Allāh is the Qur’ān. How much of preference do we give to the Qur’ān after Ramadhaan in our lives? That will tell us about the state of our relationship with Allāh. One scholar said out of acknowledgement of gratitude to Allāh, ‘When I read the Qur’ān, I actually feel like Allāh is talking to me, that’s the enjoyment I get’. And he said further, “You know if Allāh is to bless me with Jannah, and the Hoor, the damsels of Jannah, were to approach me, I would say to them first, before anything else can you please read the Qur’ān for me?” Can you imagine that Hoor in all her beauty – what would you and I say at that moment?

اَن يَّخْتَارَ مُجَالَسَةَ حَبِيبِهِ عَلَى  مُجَالَسَةِ غَيرِهِ

The second test of love is you give preference to the company of the one that you claim to love over all other company. The company of Allāh is in the house of Allāh. You frequented the house of Allāh throughout the month of Ramadhaan, do not desert the house of Allāh, because if you do so, you are deserting the company of Allāh, falsifying your claim that you love Allāh.

What is the next test?

اَن يَّخْتَارَ رِضَاءَ حَبِيبِهِ عَلَى رِضَاءَ غَيرِهِ

You give preference to the happiness of your Beloved over the happiness of anyone else. The whole month of Ramadhaan you gave preference to the love of Allāh. Allāh said: fast – you fasted. Allāh said: do not eat, do not drink – you did not eat, you did not drink. Allāh said: perform Taraweeh, give charity, sit for I’tikaaf – you did all of that. Now continue with it after the month of Ramadhaan. Continue to give preference to what is making Allāh happy over what will make anyone else happy. And if we can do these three things we will reach a stage of Haqeeqatul Muhabbah.

We need to ask ourselves pertinent questions. How much of ourselves have we truly given to Allāh, if we claim to love Allāh? But the answer to that question should not make us despondent. We are all falling short. It should motivate us, for Ramadhaan gives us a boost, an injection. Utilize it to make a difference in your life. Utilize it to propel yourself a great distance in this quest to become the Beloved of Allāh. We need to ask ourselves is Allāh number one priority in my life? What is the state of my relationship with Allāh? Am I a seasonal Muslim? Am I only going to worship Allāh in Ramadhaan? When Eid Day has come and gone, then will I go back to my old ways, or do I realize that that Allāh who was there in Ramadhaan is the same Allāh who is here now? And that I worship Allāh, I do not worship Ramadhaan, I do not worship a particular season.

When you become the Beloved of Allāh, even death cannot scare you. Why?

اَلْمَوتُ جِسْرٌ يُوصِلُ الْحَبِيب اِلَى الْحَبِيب

Because death is a bridge which joins one Beloved to the other. Once, when Malakul Maut came to Ebrahim عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام with a lot of respect, and he said that it is time for me to take your soul. So Ebrahim عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام was ready to meet Allāh, but he asked a question:

هَلْ رَئَيْتُ خَلِيلًا يَقْبِضُ رُوحَ خَلِيلِهِ

He said, “Ask Allāh, am I not His Khaleel, His Bosom Friend? And if I am then how can Allāh ask for my soul to be taken? So, the Angel of Death asked the question, and he came back with the answer.

But Allāh answered in the form of another question:

هَلْ رَئَيْتُ خَلِيلًا يَكْرَهُ لِقَاءَ خَلِيلِهِ

Ebrahim, how is it that one friend is reluctant to meet the other?

I am not taking your soul because I want to put you through difficulty, I am taking your soul because I want to hasten for you to meet Me.

When you become the Beloved of Allāh and the Love of Allāh is burning, is raging, is a fire in your bosom, you will want to live your long life because you have more time to make Ibaadah, earn reward and invest in the Hereafter, but when the time comes you will say:

عَجِّلْ عَجِّلْ

Come, it is time for me to meet Allāh!

Allāh does not allow you to have two hearts in your bosom. You have only one heart and you have to dedicate it to Allāh. How do you become the Beloved of Allāh? Allāh says:

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ

1. Remember me. They say when you love something, you will remember that thing excessively. Remember Allāh excessively verbally, remember Allāh by your actions.

فَاتَّبِعُونِي

2. Follow the Sunnah of Rasoolullah ﷺ

يَتَقَرَّبُ اِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِالنَّوَافِل حَتَّى أُحِبُّه

3. The more you indulge in Nafl, the more you become the Beloved of Allāh. Nafl is not only for the Month of Ramadhaan.

قِرَائَةُ القُرآنِ باتَّدَبُّرِ وَ التَّفَهُّم

4. Read Qur’ān and endeavour to understand it. To remember the favours of Allāh, makes you the Beloved of Allāh.

لَو كُنتُم اَحِبَّآءِ مَا فَرَرْتُم عَلَى بَلَائِي

5. When Allāh tests you, do not become impatient. Allāh says if you truly loved Me, you would not run away every time I test you.
6. Then obviously, to make Duaa to become the Beloved.

اللهُمَّ إِنِّي اَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ، وَحُبَّ مَن يُّحِبُّكَ، وَ حُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُنِي اِلَى حُبِّك

Oh Allāh, make me from amongst those who are Beloved to You, and grant me every action that will make me Beloved to You, and join me with those people who are Beloved to You.

الّلهُمَّ اجْعَلْ حُبَّكَ أَحَبَّ الاَشْيآءِ اِلَينَا

O Allāh make Your love the Most Beloved of all things to us.

{Extracted and adapted from Volume One of the book In Pursuit of Purpose by Ml Sulaimaan Ravat}