Allah’s love guarantees success, and abundant rewards. One must be aware of qualities favored by Allah and seek out methods to attain His love.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him'. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so- and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him". [Al- Bukhari and Muslim] Another narration of Muslim is: Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ) said: "When Allah loves a slave, He calls Jibril (Gabriel) and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him.' And then Jibril loves him. Then he (Jibril) announces in the heavens saying: Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; then the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him; and then people on earth love him. And when Allah hates a slave, He calls Jibril and says: 'I hate so- and-so, so hate him.' Then Jibril also hates him. He (Jibril) then announces amongst the inhabitants of heavens: 'Verily, Allah hates so- and-so, so you also hate him.' Thus they also start to hate him. Then he becomes the object of hatred on the earth also". [Muslim]
وعنه عن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: "إذا أحب الله العبد نادى جبريل: إن الله تعالى يحب فلانًا، فأحببه، فيحبه جبريل، فينادي في أهل السماء: إن الله يحب فلانًا، فأحبوه، فيحبه أهل السماء، ثم يوضع له
القبول في الأرض" ((متفق عليه)) .
وفي رواية لمسلم : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إن الله تعالى إذا أحب عبدًا دعا جبريل، فقال : إني أحب فلانًا فأحببه، فيحبه جبريل، ثم ينادي في السماء، فيقول: إن الله يحب فلانًا، فأحبوه فيحبه أهل السماء، ثم يوضع له القبول في الأرض، وإذا أبغض عبدًا دعا جبريل فيقول: إني أبغض فلانًا، فأبغضه، فيبغضه جبريل، ثم ينادي في أهل السماء، إن الله يبغض فلانًا، فأبغضوه، ثم توضع له البغضاء في الأرض".
Reference: Riyad as-Salihin 387; Introduction, Hadith 387
1. Al-Mohsinun (those who do good)
وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ۛ وَأَحْسِنُوا ۛ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Persevere in doing good, for God loves those who do good” (Surah Baqarah:195)
فَاٰتٰٮهُمُ اللّٰهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنۡيَا وَحُسۡنَ ثَوَابِ الۡاٰخِرَةِ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ
Thereupon, Allah granted them the reward of this world as well as a better reward of the World to Come and Allah loves those who do good. (Surah Al-Imran:148)
The Arabic term used here is iĥsān, the highest level of altruism and self-denial. The Prophet Muĥammad (PBUH) defines it as: “worshipping God as if you see Him with your own eyes; for, though you cannot see Him, He certainly sees you”. [Related by al-Bukhārī and Muslim] Once this stage of piety is reached, one will become
a consummate devotee,
utterly obedient to God in everything; and
all one’s resources, energies and life will be entirely dedicated to Allah Almighty.
This closing comment is a befitting end for a passage dealing with fighting and giving for Allah’s cause. It urges believers to aspire to the level of iĥsān, the highest grade of religious excellence.
2. At-Tawwabun (those who constantly repent)
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٲبِينَ
Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance (Surah Baqarah: 222), meaning, Allah (the most-forgiving) accept the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them Allah will turn in mercy: For Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. A person’s repentance will be accepted as long as they repent any time before their death. But one should not procrastinate because they do not know when they will die (Surah 4:17)
3. Al-Mutatahhirun (those who purify/clean themselves)
وَيُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
Allah loves those who keep themselves pure (Surah Baqarah: 222), meaning, those who purify themselves from the impurity and the filth that include having sexual intercourse with the wife during the menses and anal sex. The immediate physical pleasure is not the only purpose of sexual intercourse; its higher purpose is the continuity of human life. Allah points out what He has made lawful, and a Muslim seeks what is lawful. Moreover, Allah’s laws are meant to purify His servants.
4. Ahl As-Sunnah (those who follow the Messenger (PBUH))
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. Muhammad), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' (Surah Al-Imran:31), meaning, what you will earn is much more than what you sought in loving Him, for Allah will love you.
This honorable Ayah judges against those who claim to love Allah, yet do not follow the way of Muhammad . Such people are not true in their claim until they follow the Shari`ah (Law) of Muhammad and his religion in all his statements, actions and conditions. It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَد
Whoever commits an act that does not conform with our matter (religion), then it will be rejected of him. True love of Allah is not a mere verbal claim or a spiritual passion. The claim and the passion must be confirmed with a conscious following of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) and implementation of the Divine way of life. To be a true believer is not to repeat certain words or to experience certain feelings or to observe certain rituals. True faith is total obedience to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) and a conscious implementation of the constitution conveyed to us through Allah’s Messenger.
5. Al-Muttaqun (God-fearing)
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِين - إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَٰئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
“Indeed those who fulfill their pledges and guard themselves against evil [enjoy Allah’s love]; for Allah loves the righteous. Those who barter away their covenant with Allah and their oaths for a trifling gain will have no share in the life to come. Allah will neither speak to them, nor cast a look on them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He cleanse them of their sins. Theirs will be a grievous suffering.” (Surah Al-Imran: 6-7)
What we have here is a single rule applicable to all. Anyone who observes this rule by fulfilling his pledges and guarding himself against evil will earn himself Allah’s love and honour. Anyone who takes a paltry price in exchange for his covenant with Allah and his oaths — needless to say, any worldly gain or, indeed, this whole world is nothing but a paltry price and a trifling gain — will have no share whatsoever in the life to come. He will be rejected by Allah and he will not be purified by Him. The only wages he gains himself are simply a grievous suffering. We note here that the fulfillment of one’s pledges relates to fear of Allah. Hence, there can be no double standards, one for friends and another for enemies. Pledges are not viewed from the point of view of self-interest. Their fulfillment is a matter which relates to dealing with Allah: the identity of the other party to whom a pledge is given is of little significance.
6. As-Sabirun (those who are patient)
وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ
“Allah loves those who are patient in adversity.” (Surah Al-Imran:146), this ayat describes the inner feelings of the believers. It shows them as -
Observing all standards of propriety when they address Allah.
The testing times, the difficulties and the dangers do not make the believers oblivious of their need to turn to Allah.
As they do, their first request is not victory, as would have been expected, but forgiveness for their errors and excesses.
Prayer for increased strength and victory over the enemy comes second
They do not pray for any great bounty or reward.
They have not implored Allah to give them the reward of either this life or the life to come. Their humility when they turn to Allah and address Him is too great to allow them to do this, and despite the fact that they are fighting for His cause. They pray only that He will grant them forgiveness of their sins, make firm their steps, and grant them victory over the unbelievers. It is very important to realize here that they do not pray for victory for themselves, but rather for the defeat their opponents and the frustration of the unbelievers. This is the sort of good manners which befit believers when they address Allah, the Almighty.
7. Al-Mutawakkilun (those who put their trust in Allah (SWT))
فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
“When you have resolved upon a course of action, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.” (Surah Al-Imran:159), meaning, the role of consultation is to examine all views and select a particular course of action. When the process reaches this stage, consultation must give way to implementation with resolve and decisiveness, placing trust in Allah. Thus, Allah’s will determines the outcome as He pleases. This is a distinctive quality of the believers. Reliance on Allah, putting our trust in Him and submitting to His will constitute the final line which maintains the proper balance in Islamic philosophy and Islamic life. Ultimate authority belongs to God and He does what He chooses.
8. Al-Muqsitun (those who act justly)
وَإِنْ حَكَمْتَ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
But if you judge between them, then do so with justice. Surely Allah loves those who are just. (Surah Al-Ma'idah:42), Allah (limitless is He in His glory) says that this whole issue is one of faith or unfaith, Islam or non-Islam, Divine law or human prejudice. No compromise or reconciliation can be worked out between these two sets of values. Those who judge on the basis of the law Allah has revealed, enforcing all parts of it and substituting nothing else for it, are the believers. By contrast, those who do not make the law Allah has revealed the basis of their judgement are unbelievers, wrongdoers and transgressors.
Rulers can either implement Allah’s law in total and, thus, they remain within the area of faith, or they may enforce some other law. In this latter case, all three descriptions of unbelief, wrongdoing and transgression apply to them. If people accept God’s rule and judgement, administered by rulers and judges, then they are believers. Otherwise, they are not.
There is no middle way between the two, nor can any justification or claim of serving legitimate interests be admitted. Allah, the Lord of mankind, knows what serves people’s interests and He has enacted His laws for that very purpose. No law or system of government is superior to His. No servant of Allah may reject Allah’s law or claim to have better knowledge than God with regard to what serves people’s interests. If he makes such a claim, by word or deed, then he pronounces himself an unbeliever.
Allah says in the next ayats: “Those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed are indeed unbelievers. Those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed are indeed wrongdoers. Those who do not judge in accordance with what God has revealed are indeed transgressors. Do they desire to be ruled by the law of pagan ignorance? But for those who are firm in their faith, who can be a better law-giver than God?” (Ayats 44-50).
Al-Muqatilun fee sabilillah (strugglers in Allah's cause)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ
Surely Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ˹solid˺ ranks as if they were one concrete structure (Surah As-Saf:4), this ayat refers to the particular matter when they (Prophet (pbuh) & his companions) did something different to what they used to profess, namely Jihad. It defines what Allah likes in this question and what earns His pleasure. This is not mere fighting, but fighting for Allah's cause, in collaboration with the Muslim community, within its ranks, and with resolve and steadfastness, so that believers remain "in solid ranks, as though they were a firm and compact building." Islam neither likes nor encourages fighting, but it makes it a duty on Muslims because life necessitates it, and because the purpose behind it is very important.
Islam presents the final version of the divine system to humanity. Although this system meets all the needs of an upright human nature, it requires that people exert themselves to rise to its standard and maintain it. On the other hand, there are numerous forces on earth that dislike this system and try to undermine it, because it deprives those forces of many privileges that are based on values Islam considers false and which it aims to eradicate from human life. These evil forces try to -
exploit people's weaknesses and their slackening after they have attained the high standard to which Islam elevates them.
exploit people's ignorance and inherited values to oppose Islam and
prevent the establishment of its system.
Evil can muster great forces and falsehood is a want to boast of its power; Satan is indeed wicked and cunning.
Hence, the advocates of faith who try to establish the Islamic system protect it must be strong in order to overcome the agents of evil and Satan's supporters. They must be strong in their moral values, and tough in their fighting against evil. They must resort to combat when it is the only way to guarantee the freedom of action that promotes the Islamic system, and freedom to believe in it and implement it in human life. They fight for Allah's cause, not for their own glory or for any bonds of race, nationality, tribe or clan. The aim of their fight is that Allah's word reigns supreme, for the prophet says: "Whoever fights to make Allah's word supreme fights for Allah's cause." [Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
“Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it” [Quran 3:92].
Rest Allah knows best.
Source: Quran, Sunnah, In the shade of the Quran & Tafsir Ibn Katheer