Love and devotion to Allah

Muslims should love Allah (swt) and be devoted to him alone, so that in return he loves them. They must love Allah (swt) more than anything else, more than money, family, friends, and more than this life.

Muslims should also love Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ?Allah?s beloved- and follow his path, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

?Love Allah because he nourishes and sustains you. Love me because Allah loves me? [Tirmidhi]

We should learn how to earn Allah?s love. Allah (swt) tells us two ways by which he bestows his love upon us, Allah said in the Qur?an:

(Say: ?If you do love Allah follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.) Qur'an (3:31)

(Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds, to them will God Most Gracious bestow His Love.) Qur'an (19:96)

It is very clear that if we follow the traditions (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Allah (swt) will love us. Allah?s Messenger (swt) invited people to have faith in Allah and work deeds of righteousness, which he himself practiced with much devotion.

Muslims can show their love and devotion to Allah (swt) by performing not only the obligatory deeds required upon them but also to do the voluntary deeds. This means to commit to the obligatory five daily prayers, charity (almsgiving), fasting in the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca in the House of Allah (swt) once in a lifetime for those who can afford it.

In addition to these obligatory deeds, Muslims should try as much as possible to perform the optional prayers, to give voluntary charity, to fast in other days and months, and to perform minor pilgrimage to Mecca (umrah).

All these deeds must be done in accordance with the traditions (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) .The most important of these voluntary deeds is the after midnight prayers (tahajjud). Allah (swt) commanded his Messenger (pbuh) to pray night prayers, which the Prophet (pbuh) regularly performed and which became part of his ?Sunnah?.

Allah says in the Qur?an:

(O you (Muhammad) folded in garments! Stand (to prayer) by night, but not whole night, half of it, or a little less, or a little more; and recite the Qur?an in slow, measured rhythmic tone. Soon shall We send down to you a weighty Word. Truly the rising by night is a time when impression is more keen and speech more certain. True, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties: but keep in remembrance the name of Allah (your rabb) and devote yourself to Him whole-heartily. He is the god (rabb) of the East and the West: there is no god but He. Take Him therefore for your Disposer of affairs.) Qur'an (73:1-9)

By making night prayers a part of our practice, we become pious, a characteristic that will make us better Muslims. We must strive to be pious to earn Allah?s love, we must know that Allah?s Messenger (pbuh) encourages us to have such excellent character as narrated in the following saying:

Abu Dharr ( god bless him) narrated that Allah?s Messenger (pbuh) said to him;

?You are not better than people with red or black skins unless you excel them in piety.?[Tirmidhi and Ahmad]

Once we become pious, we earn Allah?s love, in return, Allah (swt) will bless us.

Abu Hurairah (god bless him) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said:

?If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, 'Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.? Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven. 'Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,' and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth."[Bukhari and Tirmidhi]

Muslims should love each other for the sake of Allah (swt), also they must invite other people to love Allah (swt) for the favors that he has given to them. Allah (swt) is our Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher. Everything comes from him. He alone deserves our love, Allah says in the Qur?an:

(Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah as equal (with Allah); they love them as they should love Allah. But those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see behold they would see the penalty that to Allah belongs all power and Allah will strongly enforce the penalty.)Qur'an (2:165)

Allah (swt) loves those who constantly supplicate, and repent, he says in the Qur?an:

(Truly Allah loves those who turn into him in repentance) Qur'an (2:222)

Finally, Muslims should always keep Allah (swt) in their hearts, and glorify him with his 99 names (tasabeeh) as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

?The people of paradise will not regret, except one thing: the hour that they wasted in which they made no remembrance of Allah?[Tabarabi]