Timeless Wisdom: Divine Love and Devotion in Islamic Teachings

Devotion of the Lovers

47. From the Scroll of Idris (peace be upon him): “Blessed are those who worship Me out of love, who take Me as their God and Lord. They stay awake at night and strive during the day seeking My countenance, not out of fear or desire, nor for Hell or Heaven, but for true love, sincere will, and complete devotion to Me alone.” (Bihar al-Anwar, 95:467)
48. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Shu’ayb (peace be upon him) wept out of love for Allah until he became blind. Allah restored his sight, then he wept until he became blind again, and Allah restored his sight once more. This happened three times. On the fourth occasion, Allah revealed to him: ‘O Shu’ayb! How long will this continue? If it is out of fear of the Fire, I have granted you safety; if it is out of longing for Paradise, I have made it permissible for you.’ Shu’ayb replied, ‘My Lord and Master! You know that I do not weep out of fear of Your Fire nor out of longing for Your Paradise, but my heart is bound with Your love, and I cannot bear to be apart from You.’ Allah then revealed to him: ‘Since this is your state, I will serve you with My servant Moses, son of Imran.’” (Ilal al-Shara’i, 57:1)

God is the Beloved of Those Who Love Him

49. In what Allah revealed to David (peace be upon him): “O David! Convey to My people that I am the Beloved of those who love Me, the Companion of those who sit with Me, the Comforter of those who find solace in My remembrance, the Friend of those who befriend Me, and the Chosen One of those who choose Me. I am obedient to those who obey Me. No one loves Me with certainty from their heart except that I accept them for Myself, and love them in a way that none of My creation precedes them. Whoever seeks Me with truth finds Me, and whoever seeks other than Me does not find Me. Therefore, O people of the earth, abandon your delusions and come to My honor, companionship, and solace. Find comfort in Me, and I will comfort you, and hasten to love you.” (Maskan al-Fu’ad, 27)

Consequences of Loving God

50. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever wishes to know if Allah loves him, let him act in obedience to Allah and follow us. Has he not heard Allah’s words to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): ‘Say, if you love Allah, follow me…’” (Al-Kafi, 8:14:1)
51. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He inspires him to obedience, endows him with contentment, grants him understanding in religion, and strengthens him with certainty. He becomes content with sufficiency, adorns himself with modesty. When Allah dislikes a servant, He endears wealth to him, extends his ambitions, inspires him with worldly matters, and leaves him to his desires. Thus, he becomes rebellious, spreads corruption, and wrongs people.” (A’lam al-Din, 278)
52. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O Lord! I wish to know whom among Your servants You love so that I may love them too?” He said: “When you see My servant frequenting My remembrance, know that I have given him permission to do so and I love him. When you see My servant not remembering Me, know that I have withheld this from him and I dislike him.” (Al-Du’aat for al-Rawandi, 20:18, Kanz al-‘Ummal, 1870)
53. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He inspires him with good worship.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4066)
54. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He endears honesty to him.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4073)
55. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He adorns him with tranquility and forbearance.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4099)
56. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He inspires him with truthfulness.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4101)
57. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He inspires him with guidance and grants him success in obedience.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4177)
58. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He admonishes him with lessons.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4032)
59. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He makes wealth hateful to him and shortens his ambitions.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4110)
60. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He grants him a sound heart and upright character.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4112)
61. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “When Allah loves a servant, He tests him, and when He loves him intensely, He purifies him completely.” They asked: “What does His purification mean?” He replied: “He does not leave him wealth or children.” (Al-Du’aat for al-Rawandi, 166:461)
62. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “When Allah honors a servant, He occupies him with His love.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 4080)

The Measure of One’s Status with God

63. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever wishes to know his status with Allah, let him observe the status of Allah with him. Allah places His servant in the same position as the servant places Allah in his own self.” (Bihar al-Anwar, 71:156:74, Kanz al-‘Ummal, 1882)
64. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever wishes to know his status with Allah, let him observe his status with Allah when it comes to sins. This is how his status with Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will be.” (Al-Khisal, 617:10)
65. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever wishes to know his status with Allah, let him observe the status of Allah within him. Whoever is given a choice between two matters, one of this world and one of the hereafter, and he chooses the hereafter over the world, then he is the one who loves Allah. Whoever chooses the world over the hereafter, then he is the one who has no status with Allah.” (Jami’ al-Akhbar, 505:1398)

The Sign of Love for God

66. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said – in what Allah revealed to Moses (peace be upon him): “Whoever claims to love Me but when night falls, he sleeps away from Me, has lied. Is not every lover desirous of solitude with his beloved? Here I am, O son of Imran, watching over My beloved ones. When night falls, I turn their hearts from their eyes, visualize My punishment before their eyes, they address Me as though seeing Me, and speak to Me as though present with Me.” (Amali al-Saduq, 292:1)
67. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “When the love of Allah illuminates the heart of a servant, it empties him of every distraction. Every mention other than Allah is darkness, and the lover is the one who purifies his inner self for Allah, speaks truthfully, and fulfills his promises.” (Misbah al-Shari’a, 521)
68. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “The love of Allah is a fire that does not pass by anything except it burns it, and the light of Allah does not shine on anything except it illuminates it.” (Misbah al-Shari’a, 523)
69. In what Allah revealed to David (peace be upon him): “O David! Whoever loves a beloved, believes in his words; whoever is pleased with a beloved, is pleased with his actions; whoever trusts in a beloved, relies on him; and whoever longs for a beloved, strives to meet him.” (Uddat al-Da’i, 237, A’lam al-Din, 279, Irshad al-Qulub, 60)
70. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “The sign of love for Allah is the love of His remembrance, and the sign of dislike for Allah is the dislike of His remembrance.” (Kanz al-‘Ummal, 1776)
71. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “The heart that loves Allah loves much toil for Allah, and the heart that is heedless of Allah loves comfort. So do not think, O son of Adam, that you will attain the heights of righteousness without hardship, for the truth is heavy and bitter.” (Tanbih al-Khawatir, 2:87)

Degrees of the Lovers

72. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was asked by a Bedouin about the degrees of the lovers. He replied: “The lowest degree is that they see their obedience as insignificant and their sins as enormous, thinking that there is no one in both realms taken to account except them.” The Bedouin fainted. When he regained consciousness, he asked: “Is there a degree higher than this?” Imam Ali replied: “Yes, seventy degrees higher!” (Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, 1:133:188)

The Greatest Status

73. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “Those with intellects who worked with contemplation until they inherited the love of Allah – if they reach this stage, they make their desire and love for their Creator. If they do so, they reach the greatest status, seeing their Lord in their hearts, inheriting wisdom beyond what the wise inherit, knowledge beyond what the scholars inherit, and truth beyond what the truthful inherit. The wise inherit wisdom through silence, the scholars inherit knowledge through seeking, and the truthful inherit truth through humility and prolonged worship.” (Bihar al-Anwar, 70:25:26)
74. Allah revealed to some of the truthful: “I have servants among My servants who love Me and I love them, who long for Me and I long for them, who remember Me and I remember them. The least I give them are three: I cast My light into their hearts, so they inform about Me as I inform about them; if the heavens and the earth and what is in them were in their scales, I would consider them little for them; and I turn My face towards them. Do you see anyone who I turn My face towards knows what I want to give them?” (Maskan al-Fu’ad, 28)
75. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Allah said: ‘My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him. He continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he calls upon Me, I respond to him, and if he asks Me, I give him.’” (Al-Mahasin, 1:454:1047)

Love of God and Love of the World Do Not Coexist

76. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Love of the world and love of Allah do not coexist in a heart ever.” (Tanbih al-Khawatir, 2:122)
77. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “As the sun and night do not coexist, so too love of Allah and love of the world do not coexist.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 7219)
78. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever loves meeting Allah, forsakes the world.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 8425)
79. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “If you love Allah, remove the love of the world from your hearts.” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 3747)

Encouraging the Love of God

80. Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: “Allah revealed to Moses (peace be upon him): ‘Love Me and endear Me to My creation.’ Moses replied: ‘My Lord, You know there is no one more beloved to me than You, but how can I endear You to Your creation?’ Allah revealed: ‘Remind them of My bounties and blessings upon them, for they do not remember from Me except good.’” (Qisas al-Anbiya, 161:179)
81. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Allah, the Exalted, said to David (peace be upon him): ‘Love Me and endear Me to My creation.’ David replied: ‘My Lord, I love You, but how can I endear You to Your creation?’ Allah said: ‘Remind them of My favors upon them, for when you do so, they will love Me.’” (Qisas al-Anbiya, 205:266)

Love of God

82. Imam al-Kazim (peace be upon him) said – in a supplication narrated from him in the month of Ramadan: “Illuminate my face with Your light, and love me with Your love.” (Iqbal al-A’mal, 45)
83. Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) said – in his supplication: “My knowledge, O my Master, has led me to You, and my love for You is my intercessor to You.” (Iqbal al-A’mal, 68)
84. Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) said: “To You, O my Unique One, my aspiration clings. In what is with You, my desire is expanded, and my hope and fear are devoted to You, and with You, my love is acquainted.” (Iqbal al-A’mal, 73)
85. Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him) said – in a supplication: “Blind is the eye that does not see You watching over it, and lost is the transaction of a servant who did not allocate a share of Your love for himself.” (Iqbal al-A’mal, 349)
86. Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) said – in the Ziyarat Jami’a: “Peace be upon those who invite towards Allah… and the perfect ones in the love of Allah.” (Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, 2:273:1)