Shirk in Love
Major shirk can be divided into four categories:
- The first category of major shirk is "associating in
supplication", which involves directing one's supplications to
other than Allah as a means of gaining provisions or being cured
from a sickness or obtaining help during a crisis or for any other
purpose.
- The second category of major shirk is "association in the
intention", that is, performing deeds that may be good in
themselves but which are done for the sake of this worldly life and
not for the sake of Allah.
- The third category of major shirk is "association in loving
Allah". That is to love someone or something else more than or as
much as one loves Allah.
- The fourth category of major shirk is "association in obedience"
which is to obey people when they make unlawful things lawful, and
to believe that it is permissible to follow those who make such
legislations.
Here we discuss the third category.
The third category of major shirk is "association in loving Allah".
That is to love someone or something else more than or as much as
one loves Allah. Allah says: "There are men who take others besides
Allah as equal with Him. They love them as much as they should love
Allah. But the believers have more love for Allah."
[Al-Baqara:165]
{وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن
دُونِ اللَّـهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّـهِ
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّـهِ}
Transliteration: Wamina
alnnasi man yattakhithu min dooni
Allahi andadan yuhibboonahum kahubbi
Allahi waallatheena amanoo
ashaddu hubban lillahi
There are people who recognize Allah as the Creator, the Owner and
the Sustainer of the universe, and yet love others more than Him.
Some people love money more than they love Allah and for this
reason, they do not pay zakat or they gain their money from
unlawful sources. They are the slaves of Dirhams and Dinars, or in
today's terminology, the slaves of Dollars. The Prophet, sallallahu
`alaihi wa sallam, said: «He who
became the slave of the Dinar or the Dirham will perish and be
destroyed...» [Reported by Bukhari]
«تعس عبد
الدينار»
Some people love their desires more than they love Allah.
Consequently, they would follow their desires even when they lead
to disobeying Allah: "Do you see the one who is taking as his lord
his own desires?" [Al-Furqaan: 43]
{أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ
إِلَـٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ}
Transliteration: Araayta mani ittakhatha
ilahahu hawahu
Therefore, loving Allah and His Messenger more than anything is a
precondition for tasting the sweetness of faith. It has been
narrated in an authentic hadith that the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi
wa sallam, said: «There are three
qualities whosoever has them will taste the sweetness of Iman:
loving Allah and His Messenger above all else, loving someone
solely for the sake of Allah, and hating to return to disbelief
after Allah has rescued him from it, as much as he would hate being
thrown into Hellfire.» [Reported by Bukhari]
«ثلاث من كن فيه وجد حلاوة
الإيمان: أن يكون الله
ورسوله أحب إليه مما سواهما، وأن يحب المرء لا يحبه إلا لله، وأن يكره
أن يعود في الكفر كما يكره أن يقذف في النار »
Allah has put two criteria to test whether one's love for Him is
more than the love of anything else. The first is the following of
the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam. Allah
says: "Say (Muhammad), if you do love Allah, follow me, Allah will
love you (in return) and forgive your sins" [Al-i-Imraan:31]
{قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ
اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ
ذُنُوبَكُمْ}
Transliteration: Qul in kuntum tuhibboona
Allaha faittabiAAoonee yuhbibkumu
Allahu wayaghfir lakum thunoobakum
Thus, following the Sunnah in all aspects of our lives is
absolutely essential. The second criterion to know if one's love of
Allah is more than anything else is through jihad for the sake of
Allah: "Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers,
your wives or your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the
commerce in which you fear a decline or the houses in which you
delight, are dearer to you than Allah or His Messenger, or the
jihad for Allah's sake; then wait until Allah brings about his
decision; and Allah does not guide the rebellious," [Al-Tawba:
24]
{قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ
وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ
وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا
وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّـهِ
وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ
اللَّـهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ
الْفَاسِقِينَ}
Transliteration:
Qul in kana abaokum waabnaokum waikhwanukum waazwajukum waAAasheeratukum waamwalun iqtaraftumooha watijaratun takhshawna kasadaha wamasakinu tardawnaha ahabba ilaykum mina Allahi warasoolihi wajihadin fee sabeelihi fatarabbasoo hatta yatiya Allahu biamrihi waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alfasiqeena
Source: The Friday Report Issue 4, Rajab 1416
http://www.islaam.com
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