The 365 · Tazkiyah · Day 345 · Heart
Ḥubb fī Ghayri Allāh · Love That Displaces Him
The disease
الحُبُّ فِي غَيْرِ اللَّهِ
Ḥubb fī Ghayri Allāh
The story
When the verse of love-of-Prophet ﷺ more than self was revealed, ʿUmar said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you are more beloved to me than everything except myself.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'No, by the One in whose hand is my soul, until I am more beloved to you than your own self.' ʿUmar paused, then said: 'By Allah, now you are more beloved to me than my own self.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Now, O ʿUmar.' (Bukhari 6632)
Why it's named first
The believer is allowed to love many things: spouse, children, parents, country, language. The disease is loving any of them AS Allah is loved. The Qur'an names those whose love of others equaled (or exceeded) their love of Allah as having taken those as andad (rivals). This is the deepest shirk of love.
In the Qur'an
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ (البقرة 165). 'Among people are those who take to themselves besides Allah equals (andad), loving them as Allah should be loved; but the believers are stronger in love for Allah.' (al-Baqarah 2:165)
In the Sunnah
«ثَلَاثٌ مَن كُنّ فِيهِ وَجَدَ حَلَاوَةَ الإِيمَانِ: أَن يَكُونَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا». 'Three: whoever has them, will find the sweetness of īmān: that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else.' (Bukhari 16)
The cure
Audit your loves. Spouse, child, parent, work, country, friend. None of these should be loved as Allah is loved. Test by sacrifice: would you abandon what He commands for them? Would you accept what He forbids for them? If yes, the love has crossed the line.
What is at stake
The heart that loves a creation as Allah will be tested through that creation. Allah does not allow rivals on His throne. The beloved created being eventually disappoints or leaves; the heart that displaced Allah for them is left empty.
A du'a for this day
«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ، وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ، وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَى حُبِّكَ». (Tirmidhi 3490)
The door of mercy
Al-Wadūd (the Loving). His love is the love we are made for; everything else is preview or distortion.
A reflection to carry
Love is not the issue; the rank of love is. Allah at the top; everything else loved in His order.
Read the longer reflection
The verse al-Baqarah 165 is the deepest diagnosis of misplaced love. Allah's pedagogy is exact: do not love anything as you love Him. Love the spouse; the spouse should be a means of His love. Love the child; the child should be a deposit in His sight. Love the work; the work should be His commandment. When the love displaces Him, the love becomes nidd (rival). The believers, the verse continues, are stronger in love for Allah. May our hearts be of the believers'.
A verse, a healing, and a Sunnah, every morning.
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