The

Love For the Sake of Allah

The Firmest Handhold of Emaan
Translated by Nasrin As-Salafiyah

The Love for the Sake of Allah

The gentle wind spreads over the light of the Moon like a dreamy environment and informs of a beautiful evening. Ibrahim and Fatimah gathered in the library room waiting for their father in order that he narrates to them a beautiful story from the ahadeeth of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. Fatimah: Where were you O Ibrahim? Ibrahim: I was visiting my friend Ahmed in his illness, because he was absent from the school. Fatimah: But you were delayed a lot. Ibrahim: Yes, because I was passing on to him the lessons, which we took today in the school. Fatimah: I will supplication for him for cure. Ibrahim: I will supplicate for him also, because I love him for the sake of Allah. And here the father entered upon the falling of that word; and he came to them suddenly with the salaam (greeting). The father: Assalamu Alaykum (May the peace be upon you) O my Children. The children: Waalaykum Assalam (May the peace be upon you) O my father. The father: I heard the word of I love him for the sake of Allah O Ibrahim. Ibrahim: Yes, I was talking about my friend Ahmed. The father: Since that we are talking about the love for the sake of Allah, it is alright that I inform you a beautiful story about that, the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam narrated it to his companions before. The children: Amazing O my father. The father: In the ancient time, there were two believing brothers used to love each other for the sake of Allah. One of them travelled to a far land, so one of the days, his friend missed him a lot and longed for him.

The believing man: Indeed I longed for our brother in the way of Allah, Abdullah a lot. The other believing man: And indeed I missed him a lot also. The man: His news has been cut off from us for a long time. The other: I wonder is there a thing became acquainted with him? The man: I am afraid he is in some hardship, or in need of someone to stand beside him. The other: We must not worry in this manner. The man: Whats your opinion, if we travel in order that we are assured about his situations. The other: But he lives in a very far village, and the distance between him and us is long. The man: The distance is not a problem. The other: we supplicate (for him), we should wait until his news reaches us or he comes to visit us. The man: No I will go to visit him with the permission of Allah, and if you wish you may come with me. The other: Convey to him my salaam (greeting), and tell him we are longing for him and ask him to supplicate. The man: I will convey to him if Allah wills... I place you in the trust of Allah O my brother. The other: (I) Agree, with the permission of Allah. The father: So the believing man left cutting through the distances in order to visit his believing brother and the path was long and exhausting. The man: What a long and difficult path, but I will carry on in order that I gain the reward from Allah Azza wa Jal. The father: In fact, Allah heard from him his good trust in Allah, and rewarded him with great good and gave him glad tiding of a lot of good. Fatimah: And how is that O my father?

The father: When the believing man came near to the village, which he intended, a man met him in the path. The strange man: Where are you going to O good man? The believing man: I want to visit a brother of mine in this village. The strange man: Maa Shaa Allah (What Allah willed), is there a need for you with him that he carries out for you or some benefit? The believing man: No. The strange man: Perhaps you will request him for wealth for you or some advantage? The believing man: No, of course. The strange man: Then why do you want to visit him? The believing man: Because I love him for the sake of Allah. The strange man: For the sake of Allah! Why? The believing man: Because I desire that Allah will love me as I loved my believing brother for the sake of Allah. The strange man: May Allah bless you, Allah answered you, because I am the messenger of Allah to you to inform you that Allah loves you as you loved your friend for the sake of Allah. Ibrahim: Then, the strange man was an angel from the angels! Fatimah: Yes, he was a messenger to the believing man to give him glad tiding of the love of Allah for him. Ibrahim: Then, who should I visit also tomorrow? Fatimah: I will visit my friend Khadijah because I love her for the sake of Allah also. The father: You have done well O my children, it is related from the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam that he said, The firmest handhold of Emaan is the love for the sake of Allah. [Musnad Imam Ahmed] As Allah prepared for the lovers of each other for His sake a great reward. The children: Thank you O my father for this beautiful story.

Some Ahadeeth on this Topic

The firmest handhold of Emaan is the love for the sake of Allah and the hate for the sake of Allah. [Musnad Imam Ahmed] The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said, The best of the actions is to love for the sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allah. [Sunan Abi Dawud] The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said, "Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. They are: a just ruler; a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, (i.e. worship Allah (Alone) sincerely from his childhood), a man whose heart is attached to the mosque (who offers the five compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque); two persons who love each other only for Allah's sake and they meet and part in Allah's cause only; a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for an illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah; a person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity). a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears." [Sahih Al-Bukhari] Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhe wa sallam as saying: Verily. Allah would say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory's sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine. [Sahih Muslim]

Reference: The story is taken from Saudi School website and translated by Nasrin As-Salafiyah, and the ahadeeth are compiled by Nasrin As-Salafiyah