THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE & DESIRE: Worship Combines Complete Love & Complete Submission
Worship Combines Complete Love & Complete Submission
Worship combines complete love and complete submission, so the worshiper loves and submits himself, unlike the one who loves one to whom he does not submit; rather, he loves that person or thing to attain something else that is loved, unlike the one who submits himself to someone he does not love (like someone submitting to a harsh and oppressive ruler); both of these are in no way worship.
Everything that is loved for other than Allah's sake and aggrandized for other than Allah tarnishes one's worship, as the Prophet said in the authentic hadith:
تَعِسَ عَبدُ الدِينَارِ والدِرْهَم والقَطِيفَة والخَمِيصَةِ، تَعِسَ وَانْتَكَسَ، وَإِذَا شِيكَ فَلَا انْتَقَشَ إِن أُعْطِيَ رَضِيَ، وإِن لَمْ يُعْطِ لَمْ يَرْضَ.
Wretched is the slave of the dinar, the dirham, the qatifah (a thick silk cloak), and the khamisah (a garment). He is wretched time and time again. If he is pricked with a thorn, he doesn't attempt to remove it. If he is given something, then he is satisfied, and if he is not given anything, he is bitter. *1
And that is like what is reported in the hadith.
الشرك في هذه الأمة أخفى من دبيب النمل. فقال أبو بكر الصديق رضى الله عنه: يا رسول الله إذا كان أخفى من دبيب النمل فكيف نصنع به؟ فقال : ألا أعلمك كلمة إذا قلتها نجوت من قليله و كثيره؟ قل: اللهم إني أعوذ بك أن أشرك بك و أنا أعلم واستغفرك لما لا أعلم.
"Shirk in this ummah is more hidden than a crawling ant." So Abū Bakr said, "If it is more hidden than a crawling ant, then what should we do about it?" So he said, "Did I not teach you a phrase that, if you say it, you will be saved from a little of it (i.e., shirk) and a lot of it? Say: 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowingly committing shirk with You and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.' "
There is no ummah (nation) that practices tawhid greater than this ummah; because of this, Shiddad bin Aws said:
يا نعايا العرب يا نعايا العرب، إن أخوف ما أخوف عليكم الرياء والشهوة الخفية.
Beware, O Arabs! Beware, O Arabs! The thing I fear the most for you is ar-riya' (showing off) and the hidden desire.
Abu Dawud said that "hidden desire" means love for leadership.
And in the hadith reported by at-Tirmidhi on the authority of Ka'b bin Malik, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
ما ذئبان جائعان أرسلا في غنم بأفسد لها من حرص المرء على المال والشرف، لدينه.
Two hungry wolves sent in the midst of a flock of sheep are no more destructive to them than a man's greed for wealth and fame is to his religion.*2
At-Tirmidhi declared this hadith to be good and authentic. And one's commitment to tawhid will be in accordance to the strength of one's love and hate. Indeed, Allah, the Most High, said:
وَ مَا یُؤۡمِنُ اَکۡثَرُهُمۡ بِاللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَ هُمۡ مُّشۡرِکُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰۶
And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him.[Surah Yusuf 12:106]
It is reported that Abu Bakr said to the Prophet (ﷺ):
يا رسول الله، إذا كان أخفى من دبيب النمل فكيف نصنع به؟ فقال: ألا أعلمك كلمة إذا قلتها نجوت من قليله و كثيره؟ قل: اللهم إنيأعوذ بك أن أشرك بك و أنا أعلم واستغفرك لما لا أعلم.
"If it is more hidden than a crawling ant, then what should we do about it?" So he said, "Did I not teach you a phrase that, if you say it, you will be saved from a little of it (i.e., shirk) and a lot of it? Say: 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowingly committing shirk with You and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly." *3
So he commanded him to seek refuge from the known shirk by asking Allah for forgiveness, because asking for forgiveness and tawhid completes one's religion.
As Allah, the Most High, said:
فَاعۡلَمۡ اَنَّهٗ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِکَ وَ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ یَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَکُمۡ وَ مَثۡوٰىکُمۡ ﴿۱۹
So know (O Muhammad (ﷺ) that la ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshiped but Allah), and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sins of) believing men and believing women. And Allah knows well your moving about, and your place of This hadith was mentioned previously. rest (in your homes). [Surah Muhammad 47:19]
And He, the Most High, said:
الٓرٰ ۟ کِتٰبٌ اُحۡکِمَتۡ اٰیٰتُهٗ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتۡ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡ حَکِیۡمٍ خَبِیۡرٍ ۙ﴿۱ اَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوۡۤا اِلَّا اللّٰهَ ؕ اِنَّنِیۡ لَکُمۡ مِّنۡهُ نَذِیۡرٌ وَّ بَشِیۡرٌ ۙ﴿۲ وَّ اَنِ اسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡا رَبَّکُمۡ ثُمَّ تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَیۡهِ یُمَتِّعۡکُمۡ مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی وَّ یُؤۡتِ کُلَّ ذِیۡ فَضۡلٍ فَضۡلَهٗ ؕ وَ اِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَاِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ عَذَابَ یَوۡمٍ کَبِیۡرٍ ﴿۳
Alif, lām, ra. (This is) a book, the verses whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge, etc.), and then explained in detail from One (Allah), Who is All-Wise and Well-Acquainted (with all things). [Surah Hüd 11:1-3]
And in the hadith:
إن الشيطان قال أهلكت بني آدم بالذنوب، وأهلكوني بلا إله إلا الله والاستغار، فلما رأيت ذلك بثت فيهم الأهواء، فهم يذنبون ولا يستغفرون، لأنهم يحسبون أنهم يحسنون صنعا.
Indeed, the Shaytan said, "I destroy Bani Adam with sins, and they destroy me with la ilaha ill-Allah and seeking forgiveness, so then I thought to spread desires among them so they would sin and not seek forgiveness because they think they are doing good." *4
Therefore, whoever makes his desires like his god, then he becomes someone who worships his desires, and his evil deeds will be beauti- fied for him and he will see them to be good. Allah, the Most High, said:
اَفَحَسِبَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّتَّخِذُوۡا عِبَادِیۡ مِنۡ دُوۡنِیۡۤ اَوۡلِیَآءَ ؕ اِنَّـاۤ اَعۡتَدۡنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ نُزُلًا ﴿۱۰۲ قُلۡ هَلۡ نُنَبِّئُکُمۡ بِالۡاَخۡسَرِیۡنَ اَعۡمَالًا ﴿۱۰۳ اَلَّذِیۡنَ ضَلَّ سَعۡیُهُمۡ فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا وَ هُمۡ یَحۡسَبُوۡنَ اَنَّهُمۡ یُحۡسِنُوۡنَ صُنۡعًا ﴿۱۰۴
Do then those who disbelieve think that they can take My slaves as awliya' (lords, gods, protectors, etc.) besides Me? Verily, We have prepared Hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers. Say (O Muhammad (ﷺ)): "Shall we tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!" [Surah al-Kahf 18:102-104)
And He, the Most High, said:
اَسۡبَابَ السَّمٰوٰتِ فَاَطَّلِعَ اِلٰۤی اِلٰهِ مُوۡسٰی وَ اِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّهٗ کَاذِبًا ؕ وَ کَذٰلِکَ زُیِّنَ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ سُوۡٓءُ عَمَلِهٖ وَ صُدَّ عَنِ السَّبِیۡلِ ؕ وَ مَا کَیۡدُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ اِلَّا فِیۡ تَبَابٍ ﴿۳۷
[Fir'awn said] "The ways of the heavens, and I may look upon the God of Müsă, but verily, I think him to be a liar." Thus it was made fair-seeming, in Fir'awn's eyes, the evil of his deeds, and he was hindered from the (right) path, and the plot of Fir'awn led to nothing but loss and destruction (for him). [Surah Ghafir 40:37]
And Allah, the Most High, said:
وَ اِذۡ زَیَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّیۡطٰنُ اَعۡمَالَهُمۡ وَ قَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَکُمُ الۡیَوۡمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ اِنِّیۡ جَارٌ لَّکُمۡ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَتِ الۡفِئَتٰنِ نَکَصَ عَلٰی عَقِبَیۡهِ وَ قَالَ اِنِّیۡ بَرِیۡٓءٌ مِّنۡکُمۡ اِنِّیۡۤ اَرٰی مَا لَا تَرَوۡنَ اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ اللّٰهَ ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ شَدِیۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ ﴿۴۸ اِذۡ یَقُوۡلُ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ مَّرَضٌ غَرَّهٰۤؤُ لَآءِ دِیۡنُهُمۡ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّتَوَکَّلۡ عَلَی اللّٰهِ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِیۡزٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿۴۹
And (remember) when the Shaytan made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said, "No one of mankind can overcome you this Day (on the Battle of Badr) and verily, I am your neighbor (for each and every help)." But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he ran away and said, "Verily, I have nothing to do with you. Verily! I see what you see not. Verily! I fear Allah, for Allah is severe in punishment." When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease (of disbelief) said, "These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion." But whoever puts his trust in Allah, then surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. [Surah al-Anfal 8:48-49]
And He, the Most High, said:
وَ کَذٰلِکَ زَیَّنَ لِکَثِیۡرٍ مِّنَ الۡمُشۡرِکِیۡنَ قَتۡلَ اَوۡلَادِهِمۡ شُرَکَآؤُهُمۡ لِیُرۡدُوۡهُمۡ وَ لِیَلۡبِسُوۡا عَلَیۡهِمۡ دِیۡنَهُمۡ ؕ وَ لَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا فَعَلُوۡهُ فَذَرۡهُمۡ وَ مَا یَفۡتَرُوۡنَ ﴿۱۳۷
And so, to many of the mushrikun their partners' (false deities) have made fair-seeming the killing of their children, in order to lead them to their own destruction and cause confusion in their religion. And if Allah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them alone with their fabrications. [Surah al-An'am 6:137]
The perfection of one's religion depends on performing the obliga-tions and abandoning the prohibitions, and the basis of action and abstinence is al-hubb and al-bughd (love and hate). Hence, if one abandons an obligation or performs a prohibition, then that is due only to a deficiency in iman, which is belief and loving what Allah loves and hating what Allah hates.
Things that are loved can be split into two categories:
1) That which is loved for its own sake.
2) That which is loved for the sake of something else.
There must be something that is loved for its own sake, and the only thing that is legislated to be loved for its own sake is Allah, the Most High, and likewise nothing deserves to be glorified for its own sake other than Him.
Everything that Allah commands to be loved and glorified should only be loved for Allah and its glorification is the worship of Allah. Allah is the beloved and the glorified and the eternal object of love and glorification. Everything else apart from Allah should be loved for His sake; one loves what Allah loves. Complete love is to love the things that your beloved loves, and to hate the things your beloved hates, and the following hadith bears witness to this:
أوثق ما عرى الإيمان الحب في الله والبغض في الله.
The most trustworthy sign of iman is loving for Allah's sake and hating for Allah's sake.*5
And it is reported in the Sunan:
مِنْ أَحَبَّ لِلَّهِ وَأَبْغَضَ لِلَّهِ وَأَعْطَى لِلَّهِ وَمَنَعَ لِلَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَكْمَلَ الإِيمَانَ.
If anyone loves for Allah's sake, hates for Allah's sake, gives for Allah's sake, and withholds for Allah's sake, he will have perfect faith. *6
Whoever loves other than Allah or glorifies other than Allah for its own sake, then they have committed shirk, and if it is loved in order to arrive at or attain something else that is loved or to glorify something other than Allah, then this is also a branch of shirk. Allah the Exalted never legislated for mankind to worship anything other than Him or to worship another deity as an intercessor between mankind and Allah, as He, the Most High, said:
وَ سۡـَٔلۡ مَنۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ مِنۡ رُّسُلِنَاۤ اَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡ دُوۡنِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ اٰلِـهَۃً یُّعۡبَدُوۡنَ ﴿۴۵
And ask (O Muhammad) those of Our messen- gers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint gods to be worshiped besides the Most Beneficent (Allah)?" [Surah az-Zukhruf 43:45]
And He, the Most High, said:
سَنُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ بِمَا أَشْرَكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلُ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ ۚ وَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ )
We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah, for which He had sent no authority; their abode will be the Fire, and how evil is the abode of the wrongdoers. [Surah Ali Imran 3:151]
*1. Reported with similar wording by al-Bukhari (4/24) and Ibn Majah in his Sunan (2/1386).
*2. Reported by at-Tirmidhi (4/16-17).
*3. This hadith was mentioned previously.
*4. This hadith is weak.
*5. Reported by Ahmad in Al-Munad (4/286). Al-Albani declared it to be hasan (good).
*6. Sunan Abi Dawid (4/4681). Al-Albāni declared it authentic.
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