---
type: domain
dependency: ''
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status: designed
objective: have good traits
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sidebar_label: Love and contentment
---

# The Meaning of Love for Allah

Every pleasurable thing is beloved, as pleasure arises from perception, which can be external (through the senses) or internal (felt within the heart). External perception finds pleasure in physical beauty, while internal perception finds beauty in qualities like knowledge, strength, and virtue. This explains why prophets, scholars, and companions are admired; if you examine what you love about them, you'll find it comes down to their:

1. **Knowledge** of Allah, His angels, books, messengers, and the spiritual realm.
2. **Strength** to control desires, give wise counsel, and guide others.
3. **Purity** from faults like ignorance, envy, and selfishness.

These qualities combine to form internal beauty. If these traits draw you to people, then your love for the Prophet, who embodied them completely, should be even greater. And when you consider the Creator of the Prophet—who sent him as a mercy to creation—you'll recognize Allah's kindness in this act alone.

# The Heart's Inclination Toward the Creator

Reflect on who has done the most good for you: Allah alone. A shallow love may be based on material benefits, fluctuating with what one receives. However, true love for Allah stems from His Majesty, Beauty, and unmatched attributes. As Allah told Dawud, "The most beloved to Me are those who worship Me purely out of reverence." For the gnostic, all love ultimately leads back to Allah.

# Reasons for Loving Allah

Two main reasons inspire love:

1. **His Goodness to You**:
	* **As the Sole Giver of Paradise and Salvation:** Allah alone can grant entry to Paradise and save from Hell, guiding through His books and messengers.
	* **As Our Constant, Present Lord:** He continuously guides, answers prayers, and places us in the best circumstances.
	* **In His Merciful Judgment:** Allah judges with grace, rewarding us based on our best acts, taking our mistakes as they are, and magnifying even small good deeds.
	* **In His Daily Blessings**: He goes beyond fulfilling desires to provide what we truly need and offer the ultimate gift of Islam.
	* **In His Continuous Forgiveness:** His forgiveness is limitless, available every night until the end of time.
2. **His Majesty and Beauty:** Allah's perfection is reflected in His mercy, wisdom, and justice, as well as in the beauty of creation—from nature's intricacies to the vast universe. This beauty mirrors His attributes, making Him the ultimate source of all perfection.

# The Gnostic's Joy in Divine Awareness

Knowledge of Allah and His attributes, alongside His creation, deeply delights the heart. The desire for this knowledge is among the strongest, surpassing all other worldly desires.

# Ways to Cultivate Love for Allah

* Recognize his perfection by **learning his names** and [reflecting on his creation](Processes/Contemplate%20the%20creation.md).
* Recognize his goodness by [reflecting on the countless daily blessings](Processes/Hamd%20and%20thanking%20allah.md).
* Affirm love through [daily supplications](Processes/Say%20morning,%20evening%20and%20before%20sleeping%20supplications.md), such as saying, "There is no god but Allah," in which Allah means the one who should be loved above all else.
* [Avoid overindulgence](Processes/Avoid%20indulging%20on%20the%20lawful.md) in lawful pleasures to focus on Him.

# Ways to Cultivate Allah's Love for Us

To get the love of Allah, we need to be among the people who have these good qualities :

* The doers of good
* Those who are [mindful of him](Objective/good%20traits/Fear%20and%20hope.md)
* The equitable and [just](Processes/Be%20just%20and%20adapt%20to%20each%20person.md)
* Those who [purify themselves](Processes/Clean%20and%20beautify%20yourself.md)
* Those who [return to him](Objective/good%20traits/Repentance.md)
* Those who put their [trust in him](Objective/good%20traits/Reliance.md)
* The steadfast and [patient](Objective/good%20traits/Patience.md)
* Those who [keep relationships for his sake](Processes/Resolve%20disputes%20and%20avoid%20boycotting.md)
* Those who [help others with food, money, or services](Objective/worship/Zakat%20and%20charity%20and%20selflessness.md)
* Those who [love one another only for his sake](Processes/Meet%20special%20friend%20only%20for%20god's%20sake.md)
* Those who perform [voluntary deeds](Processes/Level%20up%20worship.md) after completing the obligatory ones

# Signs of Love for Allah

Signs of genuine love for Allah include:

* **Avoiding sin to maintain closeness** and putting His commands above personal desires. Sin doesn't negate love but does affect its depth.
* **Accepting His decree** even when it opposes personal desires (See below).
* **Absence of aversion towards death**.
* [**Preferring the company of the obedient and distancing from disobedient people**](Processes/Hate%20the%20disobedient%20and%20love%20the%20obedient.md).
* **Longing for closeness to Allah**, [finding solace in His words](Objective/worship/Engaging%20with%20the%20quran.md), [engaging in remembrance](Objective/worship/Remembrance%20of%20allah.md), and performing [extra worship](Processes/Level%20up%20worship.md).
* [**Following the Prophet (ﷺ)**](Objective/worship/Following%20the%20sunnah.md): Learning about his life, striving to follow his example, and holding him in high regard as the final messenger of Allah.

# The True Sign of Love is Contentment During Tribulation

Some deny that contentment is possible in situations that conflict with personal desire, believing patience is the only option. This perspective often stems from rejecting love, whereas we affirm that love is real. A true sign of love is [contentment during hardships](Processes/Attitude%20in%20affliction.md) and acceptance of situations that conflict with one's desires. Contentment can be understood in three ways:

1. **Wonder Overwhelming Pain**: Deep love can fill a person with such awe that they hardly feel any pain, as seen even in worldly love, where desire or anger can become overwhelming.
2. **Acceptance with Faith**: A person may feel pain and naturally dislike it but still accept it due to the knowledge of the immense reward that comes from enduring hardship. Just as a sick person tolerates the discomfort of painful treatment, knowing it leads to healing, one who believes the reward of tribulation outweighs the pain can find contentment in it.
3. **Trust in Divine Wisdom**: Belief in Allah's wisdom behind all things removes any sense of objection or doubt. Rather than questioning or feeling confused by events, a person accepts them, trusting Allah's knowledge over their own and understanding that everything unfolds as intended.

# Combining Contentment with Allah's Decree and [Dislike for Disbelief and Disobedience](Processes/Hate%20the%20disobedient%20and%20love%20the%20obedient.md)

Allah commands believers to dislike those who oppose His command. To love Allah means to fulfill this duty. Imagine a beloved saying, "Prove your love by treating my servant harshly until he rebels against me. If you hate him, you show love for me; if you love him, you oppose me." In this way, you can dislike the servant's action if it shows enmity toward your beloved, even if your beloved intended for him to act that way. Thus, you hate his opposition as a sign of your loyalty, yet accept it as part of Allah's greater plan.

# The Meaning of Contentment with Allah's Decree

Contentment with Allah's decree means pursuing what pleases Him by [following the means](Processes/Supplicate%20for%20what%20you%20wish%20and%20aim%20high.md) He has provided for this purpose. It involves refraining from anything that would oppose Allah's pleasure and instead striving to connect oneself with His beloved servants by keeping His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.