Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (56) | Chapter on the virtue of loving God and communicating Him

0:04 *Riyad al-Salihin* (The Meadows of the Righteous)

0:07 From the Words of the Master of the Messengers,

0:10 Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:13 Chapter: The Virtue of Loving for the Sake of Allah and Encouragement Toward It,

0:19 Informing the One Whom a Person Loves That He Loves Him,

0:23 And What Should Be Said to Him When He Informs Him.

0:26 Allah Almighty said:

0:30 ﴿Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,

0:33 and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers...﴾

0:36 “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel - like as sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah hath promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works, forgiveness and immense reward.” (48:29)

0:39 To the end of the Surah.

0:42 And He Almighty said:

0:44 ﴿And those who were settled in the homeland and faith before them...﴾

0:48 “Those who entered the city and the faith before them love those who flee unto them for refuge, and find in their breasts no need for that which hath been given them, but prefer (the fugitives) above themselves though poverty become their lot. And whoso is saved from his own avarice - such are they who are successful.” (59:9)

0:51 On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),

0:55 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

0:59 "There are three qualities, whoever possesses them will taste the sweetness of faith:

1:04 That Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else;

1:09 That he loves a person solely for the sake of Allah;

1:14 And that he hates to return to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it,

1:19 Just as he hates to be cast into the Fire."

1:23 Agreed upon.

1:25 Among the benefits of the hadith:

1:28 The sweetness of faith is attained

1:31 By finding delight in acts of obedience and desiring them

1:35 Over the base desires of the soul.

1:37 A person ought to love Allah and His Messenger

1:40 More than his father, his child, himself,

1:43 And all of mankind.

1:46 The bond between believers is founded upon love for the sake of Allah.

1:51 Hatred of disbelief

1:53 Is realized by staying far away from it and from its causes,

1:56 As well as whatever draws near to it of sins and innovations.

2:00 Among the foundations of true love:

2:04 First:

2:05 Bringing this love to perfection,

2:08 By ensuring that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else.

2:13 Second:

2:14 Dedicating this love purely,

2:17 By loving for the sake of Allah and hating for the sake of Allah.

2:20 Third:

2:21 Repelling the opposite of this love,

2:24 By hating the antithesis of faith more intensely than one hates being cast into the Fire.

2:30 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),

2:34 The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

2:38 "Seven whom Allah will shade beneath His shade

2:41 On a Day when there is no shade except His:

2:44 A just ruler;

2:46 A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious;

2:50 A man whose heart is attached to the mosques;

2:54 Two men who love each other for the sake of Allah,

2:57 Meeting for His sake and parting for His sake;

3:01 A man whom a woman of beauty and status invites to sin,

3:05 But he says, 'I fear Allah';

3:08 A man who gives charity

3:11 And conceals it so that his left hand does not know what his right hand spends;

3:16 And a man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes brim with tears."

3:21 Agreed upon.

3:23 "Seven"

3:27 Means seven categories of people.

3:30 "Allah will shade beneath His shade,"

3:32 Meaning beneath the shade of the Throne of Allah.

3:34 "The ruler" refers to the holder of supreme authority,

3:38 And along with him is included everyone who governs any of the affairs of the Muslims.

3:43 "The just" is the one who follows the command of Allah,

3:47 Placing everything in its proper place

3:50 Without excess or neglect.

3:53 "Attached to the mosques"

3:55 Signifies intense love for places of remembrance and prayer.

4:00 "Parting for His sake"

4:02 Refers to parting bodily due to travel or death,

4:06 While their souls remain united upon the path of Allah.

4:11 "A woman of beauty and status invites him,"

4:15 Meaning she invites him to commit indecency.

4:18 "His eyes brimmed,"

4:20 Meaning they overflowed with tears.

4:23 Among the benefits of the hadith:

4:27 The virtue of the just ruler,

4:29 Who governs by the law of Allah and cares for the servants of Allah;

4:33 Hence he was mentioned first, due to the widespread benefit he brings.

4:38 The virtue of the youth who grew up in obedience to his Lord,

4:42 Never indulging in sins nor committing immorality.

4:47 The obligation of raising youth upon obedience to Allah and His Tawhid.

4:52 The virtue of the one who frequents the mosques,

4:54 Whose heart remains attached in them and to them:

4:58 Whenever he leaves them, he longs to return to them,

5:01 Out of love for the remembrance of Allah

5:03 And establishing the congregational prayer therein.

5:08 Love must be in Allah and for the sake of Allah,

5:12 Not for a passing worldly interest or fleeting gain.

5:16 The virtue of chastity and turning away from indecency,

5:20 Despite the presence of its temptations, out of fear of Allah.

5:23 The virtue of weeping out of the fear of Allah.

5:27 The virtue of secret charity,

5:29 Which is kept far from ostentation and causing offense.

5:33 The mention of men in this hadith is not exclusive to them;

5:39 Rather, women share with them in what has been mentioned,

5:42 Except for that which pertains to the just ruler—

5:45 The supreme leadership.

5:47 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:

5:52 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

5:56 "Verily, Allah Almighty will say on the Day of Resurrection:

6:00 'Where are those who loved one another for the sake of My majesty?

6:03 Today I will shade them beneath My shade,

6:06 On a Day when there is no shade except My shade.'"

6:09 Narrated by Muslim.

6:11 Among the benefits of the hadith:

6:15 The virtue of loving for the sake of Allah.

6:17 Encouraging those who do good seeking the pleasure of Allah,

6:21 So that they may be strengthened by it.

6:23 Affirming the attribute of Speech for Allah Almighty,

6:28 And that He speaks whenever He wills,

6:31 With a voice and letters.

6:35 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:

6:38 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

6:42 "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul,

6:44 You shall not enter Paradise until you believe,

6:48 And you shall not believe until you love one another.

6:51 Shall I not guide you to something

6:54 Which, if you do it, will make you love one another?

6:57 Spread the greeting of peace (Salam) among yourselves."

7:00 Narrated by Muslim.

7:02 Among the benefits of the hadith:

7:06 Entering Paradise can only be attained through faith.

7:10 Faith is neither perfected nor complete

7:13 Until a Muslim loves for his brother the good he loves for himself.

7:19 Spreading Salam is among the greatest means of cultivating mutual affection,

7:23 Which is to extend greetings of peace to those you know and those you do not know.

7:28 And the Salam is only to be initiated to a Muslim,

7:31 Because of his saying (peace be upon him):

7:34 "Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves."

7:38 Islam’s keen emphasis on communal cohesion and solidarity.

7:43 The scholar's duty to guide his companions and associates

7:47 Toward what benefits them and leads them to Paradise.

7:52 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),

7:55 From the Prophet (peace be upon him),

7:58 That a man visited a brother of his in another village,

8:02 So Allah stationed an angel along his path,

8:06 And he cited the hadith up to his saying:

8:09 "Verily, Allah has loved you just as you have loved him for His sake."

8:13 Narrated by Muslim,

8:15 And it was cited previously in the preceding chapter.

8:18 On the authority of al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with them both),

8:23 From the Prophet (peace be upon him),

8:26 That he said concerning the Ansar:

8:29 "None loves them except a believer,

8:32 And none hates them except a hypocrite.

8:35 Whoever loves them, Allah loves him;

8:38 And whoever hates them, Allah hates him."

8:41 Agreed upon.

8:45 The Ansar are the people of Madinah from the Aws and the Khazraj,

8:49 Who supported the Messenger of Allah with their lives and their wealth.

8:54 Among the benefits of the hadith:

8:58 Love for the Ansar is an integral part of faith.

9:01 Hatred toward the Ansar is a branch of hypocrisy.

9:06 Loving the allies of Allah and supporting them

9:09 Is a cause for earning the love of Allah for the servant.

9:13 The virtue of the foremost, first predecessors in Islam.

9:17 The permissibility of supplicating against hypocrites

9:20 And those who wage war against Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.

9:25 On the authority of Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:

9:28 I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:

9:33 "Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:

9:36 'Those who love one another for the sake of My majesty

9:39 Shall have pulpits of light,

9:42 Envied with admiration by the prophets and the martyrs.'"

9:45 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

9:49 *Manabir* (pulpits) is the plural of *minbar* (the pulpit),

9:52 Which denotes an elevated platform.

9:54 "Envied with admiration" means they wish they possessed a similar rank and honor,

9:59 Without desiring that it be taken away from them;

10:02 This is benign emulation (*ghibtah*).

10:06 Among the benefits of the hadith:

10:08 Affirming the attribute of Speech for Allah Almighty.

10:12 Those who love one another for the majesty of Allah have a tremendous status and an honorable rank

10:18 In a seat of honor in the presence of the Lord of the worlds.

10:22 The permissibility of benign envy (*ghibtah*) regarding good deeds,

10:25 Distinguished from blameworthy jealousy.

10:28 A person of lesser status may possess a quality that someone of superior status wishes for.

10:34 It does not follow from the prophets' admiration of those who love for Allah's sake

10:39 That they are superior to the prophets,

10:42 For the best of creation are the prophets.

10:45 On the authority of Abu Idris al-Khawlani (may Allah have mercy on him), he said:

10:51 I entered the Mosque of Damascus,

10:53 Whereupon I saw a young man with bright, white teeth,

10:56 And people were gathered around him;

10:58 Whenever they differed over an issue,

11:00 They referred it to him

11:02 And acted upon his verdict.

11:04 So I inquired about him,

11:05 And it was said:

11:06 "This is Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him)."

11:10 When the next day came, I went early at midday,

11:13 Only to find that he had preceded me in arriving early,

11:17 And I found him praying.

11:19 So I waited for him until he finished his prayer,

11:22 Then I approached him from the front,

11:25 Greeted him with peace,

11:27 And said:

11:28 "By Allah, I truly love you for the sake of Allah!"

11:32 So he asked,

11:33 "By Allah?"

11:35 I replied,

11:36 "By Allah."

11:37 He asked again,

11:39 "By Allah?"

11:41 I replied,

11:42 "By Allah."

11:43 Thereupon, he took hold of the middle of my cloak,

11:46 pulled me closer to himself,

11:48 and said:

11:49 "Rejoice!

11:50 For I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

11:54 say:

11:56 'Allah Almighty said:

11:58 "My love is guaranteed for those who love one another for My sake,

12:02 those who sit together for My sake,

12:05 those who visit one another for My sake,

12:07 and those who give generously to one another for My sake."'"

12:10 This is an authentic hadith,

12:13 narrated by Malik in *Al-Muwatta'* with an authentic chain of narration.

12:17 His saying, "I went early (hajartu)":

12:19 meaning, "I set out early."

12:21 His saying, "By Allah? (Āllāh?)"

12:23 to which I replied, "By Allah (Allāh)":

12:25 the first is with an elongated hamzah to express an oath by questioning,

12:29 and the second is without elongation, confirming the oath.

12:32 "Having radiant front teeth (barrāq al-thanāyā)":

12:35 meaning, his teeth were bright,

12:37 of a pleasant countenance,

12:39 never seen except smiling.

12:42 "They deferred to him":

12:43 meaning, they asked him,

12:45 "and acted upon his opinion":

12:46 meaning, they departed having accepted and implemented it.

12:49 "The fold of my cloak (habwat ridā'ī)":

12:51 meaning, he seized my cloak at the level of my waist.

12:55 "Those who give generously to one another (al-mutabādhilīn)":

12:57 meaning, those who assist one another and spend for My sake.

13:01 Among the benefits of the hadith:

13:05 It is recommended for one who loves another to inform them of their love.

13:11 When someone comes upon a person occupied with worship,

13:14 it is best not to distract them from it until they finish.

13:19 People inevitably require a scholar to guide them by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger,

13:24 to whom they may return for guidance,

13:26 and according to whose religious verdicts they may act.

13:29 Initiating greeting with salam comes before speaking.

13:33 It is permissible to ask a person to swear an oath without any suspicion of wrongdoing.

13:37 A magnificent exposition of the virtue of loving one another for the sake of Allah.

13:42 Among the fruits of loving one another for the sake of Allah:

13:44 mutual visitation, mutual giving, and mutual solidarity,

13:48 all of which are bonds that fortify the ties of love for the sake of Allah.

13:52 On the authority of Abu Karimah al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib (may Allah be pleased with him),

13:59 the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

14:03 "When a man loves his brother,

14:06 let him inform him that he loves him."

14:09 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.

14:12 Among the benefits of the hadith:

14:16 Whoever loves his brother for the sake of Allah should inform him.

14:19 A man informing his brother that he loves him for the sake of Allah

14:24 serves to strengthen brotherhood, increase affection,

14:28 and reinforce the bonds of mutual love.

14:31 On the authority of Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him):

14:35 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

14:38 took him by the hand and said:

14:41 "O Mu'adh, by Allah, I truly love you!

14:45 I advise you, O Mu'adh:

14:47 never fail to say at the end of every prayer:

14:51 'O Allah, help me to remember You, give thanks to You, and worship You in the best manner.'"

14:57 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i.

15:01 "At the end of (dubur)": meaning, immediately following;

15:05 "every prayer": meaning, every obligatory prayer.

15:09 Among the benefits of the hadith:

15:13 It is permissible for a man to take his brother by the hand.

15:16 It is recommended for one who loves another to disclose his love to him.

15:21 The high virtue of Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him).

15:25 It is recommended to consistently maintain this supplication at the end of every obligatory prayer.

15:31 It is recommended to seek aid and success from Allah,

15:35 so that the servant may fulfill his servitude to his Lord in the proper manner.

15:39 The perfection of love for the one you love

15:44 is to advise them to adhere to truth and patience.

15:47 On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):

15:51 A man was in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

15:56 when another man passed by, so he said:

15:59 "O Messenger of Allah,

16:01 I truly love this man."

16:03 The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him:

16:07 "Have you informed him?"

16:09 He replied: "No."

16:11 He said: "Go and inform him."

16:13 So he caught up with him and said,

16:15 saying:

16:16 "I love you for the sake of Allah."

16:19 The man replied:

16:20 "May He for Whose sake you love me love you in return."

16:23 Narrated by Abu Dawud.

16:26 Among the benefits of the hadith:

16:30 It is recommended for a person to go to his brother to inform him of his love.

16:35 The Sunnah is that he should go to him at his home,

16:38 in accordance with his saying (peace be upon him):

16:41 "When one of you loves his companion,

16:44 let him go to him at his home,

16:46 and let him inform him that he loves him for the sake of Allah, Mighty and Majestic."

16:51 Whoever is told by his brother that he loves him

16:54 should likewise reciprocate and pray for him, saying:

16:58 "May Allah, for Whose sake you have loved me, love you in return."

17:02 Meeting upon the methodology of Allah

17:06 increases mutual affection.

17:08 *Riyad al-Salihin*.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (56) | Chapter on the virtue of loving God and communicating Him

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