Love For Almighty Allah (Azzawajal)

[Attari.Rafique]

The ultimate goal of every believer should be to attain the closeness of Almighty Allah. The closer

one becomes to Allah Ta’ala the more one’s love for Allah Ta’ala grows, so much so that one will

go to extreme lengths of patience and forbearance in the love of Allah. However, there is only one

road that leads to this closeness, as we will learn below.

Zulaikha became so in love with Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam) that she sacrificed all her wealth

and beauty. She had seventy camel loads of diamonds and necklaces. Yet she sacrificed all her

belongings for Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam). Anyone who used to tell her that they had seen

Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam), she used to give them an expensive necklace, so much so that

eventually she had nothing left. She had named everything ‘Yusuf’ and in her love of Hazrat

Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam) she had forgotten everything else. Whenever she looked at the stars, in

every star she used to see the name of Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam).

When Zulaikha brought Imaan and got married to Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam), she did nothing

else but busy herself with Ibaadat and the remembrance of Allah. If Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam)

called her during the day she would say she will come at night and if he called her during the

night she would promise to come in the day. One day Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam) asked her, “O

Zulaikha, you had become mad in my love, what has happened now?” She replied, “At that time I

was not familiar with the worth of your love. Now I have recognised the Truth of your love and

because of that I cannot bare anyone else in my love now.” Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam) said,

“Allah has informed me that you will give birth to two sons and both of them will be bestowed

with Prophethood.” Zulaikha replied, “If Allah has ordered this and in it is His Wisdom then I

obey.” [Mukashifatul Quloob]

Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) once passed by a young man who was watering the garden. The young

man requested Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) to make Dua that Allah Ta’ala grants him an atom of

His love. Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) replied, “You do not have the power within you to sustain an

atom of His love.” The young man said, “Okay then request half an atom of His love.” Hazrat Isa

(Alaihis Salaam) then made Dua to Allah Ta’ala to grant the young man half an atom of His love,

and then went away.

After a long time Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) passed by that road again and enquired about the

young man. People told him that that young man had become insane and had gone to the

mountains. Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) made Dua to Allah Ta’ala to make him meet the young

man. He then saw the young man standing on a mountain and looking towards the sky. Hazrat Isa

(Alaihis Salaam) greeted him but he remained silent. Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) asked, “Don’t

you recognise me, I am Isa.” Allah Ta’ala then sent a revelation to Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam)

saying, “O Isa! That person who has even half an atom of My love, how can he listen to the voices

of humans? By My Honour and Majesty! Even if you take a saw and cut him into two pieces he

would not feel it.” [Mukashifatul Quloob]

Hazrat Aasiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) had kept her faith a secret from her husband, Firaun.

When Firaun came to know about her faith, he ordered for her to be given various forms of

punishment so that she would abandon her faith, however, she remained steadfast in her belief in

Allah. Firaun then ordered nails to be pierced through her body and told her that there is still

time and she still has the chance to abandon her faith. Hazrat Aasiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha)

replied, “You might have control over my body but by heart is in the protection of my Rabb.

Even if you cut every part of my body, my love for Allah will continue to increase.”

Hazrat Moosa (Alaihis Salaam) was passing by that way and Hazrat Aasiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala

Anha) asked him, “Is my Rabb pleased with me or not?” Hazrat Moosa (Alaihis Salaam) replied,

“Oh Aasiya! Angels in the heavens are waiting for you and Allah Ta’ala is praising you in front of

them. Ask for whatever you wish and it will be granted.” Hazrat Aasiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha)

made Dua, “Oh my Rabb, make for me a house in Paradise near You and release me from Firaun,

his tyranny and the tyrant people.”

Hazrat Salman Farsi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates that Firaun used to punish Hazrat Aasiya

(Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) in the sun. When the people would leave after the punishment, the

angels used to provide shade over her with their wings, and she used to see her house in Jannat.

[Mukashifatul Quloob]

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states that when Firaun made Hazrat Aasiya

(Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) lie in the sun, got four nails to be driven through her body and a

grinding wheel placed on her chest, Hazrat Aasiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) raised her gaze

towards the sky and prayed, “O my Lord! Build a house for me in Paradise near You and deliver

me from Firaun and his work and deliver me from the people unjust.” [surah 66, Verse 11]

If we look closely at the incidents above we notice that Zulaikha attained such closeness to Allah

Ta’ala through her love for Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salaam); the young man attained his closeness

due to asking help from Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam); and Hazrat Aasiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha)

attained her closeness due to her belief, love and obedience to Hazrat Moosa (Alaihis Salaam). The

common factor here is the Prophets of Allah; no one can reach closeness to Allah Ta’ala without

the mediation of the Prophets and for us without the mediation of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi

Wasallam). This is in fact what they have been sent to mankind for, as Huzoor Mufti-e-Azam

Hind Maulana Mustafa Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states in a Naath Shareef:

Ye Seedha Raasta Haq Ka Bataane Aaye Hain

Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم has come to show the straight path of Truth;

Ye Haq Ke Bando Ko Haq Se Milaane Aaye Hain

Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم has come to unite the servants of Allah with Allah

In this day and age we sometimes hear people saying that we should not ask anyone but Allah,

and we must not have excessive love and praise for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) as

this is for Allah alone. Firstly, where did Allah Ta’ala stipulate the amount of love and praise for

Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that should not be exceeded, and secondly, have they

not heard the saying of the Beloved friend of Allah, Hazrat Sufyaan Sauri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh)

who said, “The person who loves the one who loves Allah, in reality loves Allah. The person who

respects the one who respects Allah, he actually respects Allah.” [Mukashifatul Quloob] Therefore

the more love and respect one has for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), in fact is more

love and respect for Allah Ta’ala. Furthermore, the young man could have asked Allah Ta’ala

himself for an atom of His love, yet he chose to use Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) as a Waseela

(mediation) and indeed Allah Ta’ala was pleased with his action and granted him His love and

closeness.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us all the Taufeeq to recognize our ultimate goal and to work towards it,

instead of wasting our precious and limited time in chasing after the Dunya, Ameen.

Edited 26 جون 2011 by attarirafique