Episode 12 - We will love Allah because He is the Affectionate

Imagine you saw a stranger, you smiled at him, then forgot about it. But this person gives you a car and says: I will never forget your smile. You felt his sincere love for you. He kept calling you to thank you for your smile. You got into trouble, and he helped you, spending his time, effort, and money. You got sick, and he visited you and fed you with his own hands. You felt shy and told him you didn't deserve all this... He said: No, I will never forget your smile at me. He kept showing you sincere love that is free from worldly interests.

What do you call a person like this? (Affectionate)... Right? Don't you feel extreme shyness towards the affection of such a person? Especially if you can't repay his kindness and generosity?

And Allah has the highest example! Allah, the Exalted, the Affectionate, is pleased with His servant, loves him, and honors him for very simple actions that the servant does not pay much attention to... On one condition: that this action, word, or feeling is purely for the sake of Allah. Look at the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: ((Indeed, one of you may speak a word of goodness that he thinks is insignificant, but Allah writes it for him as a good deed until the Day he meets Him)) (Sahih, narrated by At-Tirmidhi). A word that the servant may have forgotten, and he did not think it would reach such a level with Allah, but He is pleased with it from the servant forever because He is the Affectionate.

In the hadith narrated by Imam Muslim: ((I saw a man moving in Paradise in a tree he had cut from the side of the road, which was harming people))... A very simple deed, but we are dealing with: the Affectionate, the Exalted.

Allah, the Exalted, multiplies good deeds to ten times, to seven hundred times, to many times because He is the Affectionate.

Tears fall from you in a moment when you contemplate Allah's kindness, generosity, greatness, and patience... Tears... Allah shades you with them from His shade and prevents your eye from the Fire because He is the Affectionate.. (And a man who mentions Allah alone, so his eyes fill with tears) (Agreed upon).. (Two eyes will not touch them the Fire: an eye that wept from fear of Allah, and an eye that stayed awake guarding in the way of Allah) (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).

In the hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari about the man who had mercy on a dog and gave it water.. ((So Allah thanked him and forgave him)).

Simple deeds, but Allah thanks them because He is the Appreciative, and He becomes affectionate towards us if we do them because He is the Affectionate.. {And seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Affectionate} [Hud: 90]..

He may erase mountains of sins for you without caring, but He will not erase a single good deed without a reason: {Indeed, Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good} [At-Tawbah: 120].. because He is the Affectionate.

In the hadith narrated by Muslim, Allah says: ((Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times its reward, and more. And whoever comes with an evil deed will have its like in return, or He will forgive. And whoever draws near to Me by a hand's span, I will draw near to him by an arm's length. And whoever draws near to Me by an arm's length, I will draw near to him by a fathom. And whoever comes to Me walking, I will come to him running. And whoever meets Me with a sin as small as a speck of dust, without associating anything with Me, I will meet him with forgiveness like it)).. Yes. Because He is the Affectionate.

The One who makes you feel shy before Allah, the Exalted, with His generosity and affection, that you cannot benefit Him in any way, you cannot repay His generosity... And above that... He is the One who guided you to do good. The servant chooses, yes, but your choice of good is only by Allah's guidance to you. He guides you to do good, then He rewards you for the good that He guided you to do for Him!

Then, if Allah tests you, your patience rewards you for the patience that He guided you to do for Him! He rewards you with immediate reward in this world, without fail, even if it is with the comfort of the heart and its contentment, then He rewards you in the Hereafter.. What is this generosity and affection?.. No wonder, He is the Affectionate.

In the midst of trials, I saw from my Lord, Glorified and Exalted, patience, kindness, mercy, compassion, generosity, concealment, and help more than I imagined! I searched in my past and present to see why Allah blesses me in this way! I found nothing.. So I cried out of shyness before my Lord, the Exalted, and said to Him: (By Allah, my Lord, I do not deserve it, by Allah, my Lord, I do not deserve it). Indeed, I do not deserve it.. But He is the Affectionate.

Isn't all this enough to love our Lord, the Exalted, unconditionally? Isn't all this enough to love Him in the midst of suffering and trials, to feel close to Him and be content with His nearness no matter the circumstances?

Brothers and sisters.. Let us love Allah because He is the Affectionate.