Journey of Love- Ten Boosters

With the end of November, we have reached the end of our exciting theme of the month, #LoveStruck, a theme that gave us ample food for thought. At this point, the YouthClub Bloggers can’t help but think that there is no one in the whole wide world who could love us in a more selfless and beautiful manner than our Creator, Allah, who is al-Wadood (The Most Loving). And there can be no one who deserves our love more than Him.

Do we love Him?
Of course!
Do we really and truly love Him?
Umm…

We shy away from asking ourselves this question, because the answer might not always please us. At times it might seem that our claim to love Allah is just that- a claim. Mere lip-service, hollow words, unsupported rather undermined and contradicted by actions!

Allah tells us about the believers:

 “Those who believe are overflowing in their love for Allah” (Surah al-Baqarah: 165)

And, it is a love that is mutual, as Allah says:

 “O you who believe! If any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love, and they will love Him..” (Surah al-Maidah: 54)

Just as Iman (faith) is not a static entity- it can increase and decrease; so is the case with love.  Loving Allah is an amazing journey that the lovers undertake.  Some are trailblazers who reach far ahead, while others lag behind.

We would like to share with you ten boosters which can help us in our journey of love.  These ten ways to increase in our love for Allah have been taken from the book Madaarij as-Saalikeen (The Stations of those who travel to Allah), by the great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (with comments added by the Blog Team). Here goes:

1- Reciting the Quran, reflecting and understanding its meaning and its intent.

What better way can there be? What else could be #1? The Quran is after all the Speech of Allah Himself!

2- Drawing closer to Allah, the Most High, through optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory duties.

Yes, offer your five prayers, and pile up the Sunnahs and nawafils.  Wherever you are, whatever you do, always seek out and grab opportunities to please Him.

3- Being continuous in the remembrance of Allah, with the tongue, the heart and the limbs under all circumstances. The more continuous the dhikr (remembrance), the more love develops and intensifies.

How can you forget someone whom you love, especially when that ‘someone’ is closer to you than your jugular vein?  To the lovers, remembrance comes as naturally as swimming to a fish.  Remember Him; He will remember you.

4- Giving precedence to what Allah loves over personal loves, when being overcome by desires.

Warm bed vs Fajr? Quran class vs hangout? Anger vs forgiveness? Answer back or not? Keep watching or flip the channel? Let it be His choice every time. <3

5- Contemplating and deliberating over the Names and Attributes of Allah.

How can you love someone you don’t even know properly?  Get to know Him the way He introduces Himself.  Through His Asma ul Husnaa– His Beautiful Names.

6- Recognizing and remembering the favors and bounties of Allah, both manifest and hidden.

This is something that will make you say Alhamdolillah from the core of your being.  It is also a very important technique in positive psychology. Try it to experience the uplifting effects and the surge in love for Allah. 🙂

7- To be humble and submissive before Allah, and this is the greatest matter.

He is the All-Powerful King; you and I are slaves, mere specks in His infinitely huge Universe.  Logically speaking, the very thought of defying him, while He Sees and Knows, should send shivers down your spine.

8- To be in seclusion reciting the Quran, during that time in which Allah descends to the lowest heaven (which is the last third of every night), finishing this recitation with seeking Allah’s forgiveness and repenting to Him.

Ahhh! There is no time like the last third of the night.  It can give a new life to your heart (if you’re praying, and not slumbering, that is).  May Allah make us among those who utilize this time every single night of our lives (Say: Ameeeen).  The long winter nights are the perfect time to kickstart your Tahajjud routine.

9- To sit in the gatherings of the true and sincere lovers of Allah, reaping the fruits of their speech, and not to speak except if there is benefit in it and that you know that such talk will increase you in goodness and that it will benefit others as well.

Take a good, hard look at your gatherings and at your friends. Nine times out of ten, you will end up being like them. Company does rub off.

10- To stay clear of all those causes which distances the heart from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

Because the medicine will not benefit unless we make it a habit to abstain from the things that are harmful for our spiritual health!

And because a journey of a thousand steps starts with a dua (supplication), let’s earnestly make the Prophetic dua:

“O Allah, I ask for Your love, and the love of those who love You, and love of actions that bring me closer to Your love” [Bukhari].