Understanding Love Toward Allah

One of the deepest emotions in human life is love. Understanding the true meaning of love and directing it correctly is a key principle that strengthens a person’s faith. A believer knows that the only being to love and attach oneself to wholeheartedly is Allah. Allah has created humans from nothing and endowed them with the most precious blessings, including the body, intellect, consciousness, and faith. These blessings meet all the needs of a person’s life. Moreover, Allah promises great rewards in this world and the Hereafter for those who believe in Him and obey Him. These blessings are manifestations of Allah’s infinite mercy and generosity. Therefore, the only being truly worthy of love is Allah.
Love is naturally shaped by admiration and attachment to the superior and beautiful qualities of the beloved. The beloved reciprocates this interest, creating a strong bond of love. However, it is crucial to recognize the true object of love and direct it appropriately. Allah is the source of all beauty and superior qualities. Consequently, love should be directed solely toward Allah.
When people view someone or something as an independent entity and love it as if loving Allah, this is a clear sign of falling into shirk (associating partners with Allah). Shirk is forgetting Allah and directing love and devotion toward a being independent of Him. A believer, in contrast, feels love for another person as a reflection of the love they have for Allah. The person is loved because they embody manifestations of Allah.
Polytheists, however, love differently. They love others as if they were Allah. This mistaken understanding of love leads them to great punishment in this world and the Hereafter. Human relationships, especially between men and women, often involve the most common forms of love. Yet, these relationships are frequently established outside the pleasure of Allah. Romantic and emotional bonds can lead individuals to prioritize each other’s satisfaction over Allah’s approval. They may even disregard Allah’s limits to please one another. In such relationships, the love that should be directed toward Allah is instead directed toward people. The Qur’an describes such relationships as “worshiping one another” or “making each other divine.”
If love becomes a passion that distracts a person from Allah and prevents proper remembrance of Him, it leads to shirk. Allah has given humans the natural capacity to love one another. However, this love should never be independent of Allah. Loving one another is only correct and acceptable when it is based on the love one has for Allah. This is reflected in the Qur’an’s depiction of paradise, where the closest people to Allah are defined by their love for one another.
The love of believers is pure, radiant, and brings peace to the heart. A believer loves someone because they contain manifestations of Allah. Even if they lose a loved one or cherished thing, they do not grieve excessively, because the true owner of what they love is Allah. Allah is the source of all beauty and manifestations. The loss of a beloved is part of Allah’s plan and decree, so a believer does not despair.
A faithful person prioritizes love for Allah above all else. If something or someone they love passes away, they understand it as a test and decree from Allah. Polytheists, on the other hand, place those they love above Allah, forgetting Him. When their loved ones or objects are taken from them, they experience immense pain and loneliness. By prioritizing beings over Allah, they are led into punishment both in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur’an states that the torment experienced by polytheists in this world will be far greater in Hell. Every grief in this world will transform into a far more severe spiritual punishment for them in the Hereafter.
Love is one of the deepest human emotions, but it must be correctly directed. True love is the love of Allah. Allah is the Creator of everything and the true owner of all beauty. Humans must place their love for Allah above all else and direct their affection and devotion solely toward Him. Those who lose this understanding fall into shirk and experience emptiness, loneliness, and pain in their hearts. The Qur’an clearly teaches the nature of true love and the dangers of shirk. True love is the love of Allah, and it properly directs all relationships in a person’s life.