Bismillah

These next two duaas encompass the best of both worlds–Allah’s Love, guidance, taqwa, chastity and contentment.

Allah’s Love

We all say we love Allah azza wa jal, but does He Love us? This week’s first duaa is one that asks for the Love of Allah ta’ala in all of its forms.

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam narrated this duaa in a Hasan (good) hadeeth in Tirmidhi and Ahmad:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَى حُبِّكَ

Allāhumma Innī As’aluka Ḥubbaka Wa Ḥubba Man Yuḥibbuka Wa Ḥubba cAmalin Yuqarribunī Ilā Ḥubbika

O Allah, I ask You for Your Love, and the love of whoever loves You, and the love of deeds that will bring me closer to Your Love.

Word for Word Translation and Analysis

Allāhumma: O Allah. Allahumma is special because it is unique to Allah azza wa jal; this calling is only used for Him.

Innī: Indeed I

As’aluka: I ask You

Ḥubbaka: (for) Your Love. Hubb is a love that you have for someone or something that you keep inside of you. It is an inner feeling of admiration and fondness.

Wa: and

Ḥubba: love

Man: whoever

Yuḥibbuka: he loves You

Wa: and

Ḥubba: love

cAmalin: deeds/actions

Yuqarribunī: it will bring me closer

Ilā: to/towards

Ḥubbika: Your Love

Memorize this duaa by ownloading it here.

Points of Benefit

• Although this duaa is a great way for us to gain the Love of Allah, we have to couple this duaa with actions. It is foolish to think that Allah will love us if we continue to sin without repenting or act in a way that contradicts our Deen. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam narrated how we can gain Allah’s Love in a hadeeth qudsi. Allah azza wa jal said: “The most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him (i.e., the obligatory); and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.” ” [Bukhari]
• From this above hadeeth we also learn that Allah’s Love guarantees His Protection and Guidance. Allah ta’ala says in this hadeeth that He, The Lord of the Heavens and Earth and all that is between them, hates to disappoint His slave! We can all be that slave if we strive to gain the Love of Allah.
• Loving Allah means you have emaan. Allah ta’ala says in surah Baqarah,

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ

But those who believe, are stronger in love for Allah. (2:165)

• Loving Allah means that you follow the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah azza wa jal commands the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa salaam to say, “If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”’ (3:31)
• Allah’s Love means everyone else will love you. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “When Allah loves a slave, He 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”.[Bukhari and Muslim]
• Why do we ask for the love of those who love Allah? It is because by loving them and having their love, we can also attain the love of Allah. Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu reported: The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “A man set out to visit a brother (in Faith) in another town and Allah sent an angel on his way. When the man met the angel, the latter asked him, “Where do you intend to go?” He said, “I intend to visit my brother in this town”. The angel said, “Have you done any favor to him?” He said, “No, I have no desire except to visit him because I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious.” Thereupon the angel said, “I am a messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake).”[Muslim]
• Another reason for asking for the love of those who love Allah is because we will be with the ones we love on the Day of Judgment. When a companion was worried that he wouldn’t make it to Jannah with the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, the Prophet replied, “a man will be with those whom he loves.” [Bukhari]. Anas radi Allahu anhu said nothing made the people of Madinah more happier than those words.
• Loving the righteous is a characteristic of the believers. Ibn as-Sammak said on his deathbed, “O Allah! You Know that, even if I had disobeyed You, I loved those who obeyed You! So, make this for me a means of nearness to You!” [Al-Ihya] Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma said, “By Allah, if I fasted all day without eating, prayed all night without sleeping, spent all of my wealth in the Path of Allah, but, had no love in my heart for those who obey Allah, and no hatred in my heart for those who disobey Allah, none of this would benefit me in the least.” [Al-Ihya]
• Loving one another is a means of gaining emaan. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “You shall not believe until you love another.” [Bukhari]
• Loving Allah is one of the ways to taste the sweetness of Emaan. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “There are three qualities whoever has them, will taste the sweetness of Emaan: To love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else; to love a slave (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah; and to abhor returning to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it as he would abhor to be thrown into the fire (of Hell)”. [Bukhari and Muslim].
• The benefits of Allah’s Love are too numerous too list, so here is some further reading: Causes that Bring about Love for the Lord of the Worlds, Love, Fear and Hope, Love of Allah, The Heaven of This World.

We ask Allah ta’ala to make us among those who He Loves, among those that love one another for His Sake and guide us to what He Loves, Ameen.

Guidance, Taqwa, Chastity and Contentment

In Saheeh Muslim it is related that Abdullah ibn Mas’ood radi Allahu anhu narrated that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam used to supplicate,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الهُدَى وَ التُّقَى وَ العَفَافَ وَ الغِنَى

Allāhumma Innī As’aluka al-Hudā Wat-Tuqā Wal-cAfāfa Wal-Ghinā

“O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, abstinence (from the unlawful) and modesty, and contentment and sufficiency.”

Word for Word Translation and Analysis

Allāhumma: O Allah

Innī: Indeed I

As’aluka: I ask You

al-Hudā: The guidance. Huda comes from hidayah which means to guide someone with care and affection. Hidayah includes three components: 1- to show one the path, 2- to help them ‘walk’ along the path, 3- to guide them until they reach their destination. Allah ta’ala not only shows us the straight path, but He assists us in staying firm upon it and by His Will and Mercy, reaching our destination of Jannah in the hereafter.

Wat-Tuqā: And the consciousness of You. Tuqa is the ‘masdar’ (verbal noun, i.e., the idea) of the word we are more familiar with, taqwa. Taqwa literally means to take shield from something and to be on one’s guard. The purpose of a shield is to protect, so taqwa is the consciousness that saves a person from the punishment of Allah. Out of the fear of Allah one avoids sins and seeks to perform good to save themselves from His Punishment. Allah ta’ala calls taqwa the best provision in the Qur’an, read about some of its virtues here.

Wal-cAfāfa: And the abstinence from the unlawful, chastity. ‘Afaaf comes from the root which means to restrain or be abstinent from what is not permissible. From this meaning, modesty and virtue is also derived. Here in this duaa, we are asking Allah for chastity and to protect us from falling into what is haraam.

Wal-Ghinā: And the contentment and sufficiency. Ghina comes from ghani which means to be self-sufficient, rich and to flourish. Allah ta’ala is Al-Ghaniyy which means He is Rich and Free from all needs. When a human is ‘ghani’ it means they do not need the help of other people, meaning they suffice themselves, and they have wealth. Many times this word is used in the negative context in the Qur’an (referring to people like Abu Jahl), but in this duaa it means sufficiency and being content with what Allah has given you.

Memorize this duaa by downloading it here.

Points of Benefit

Imam Nawawi rahimahullah states in the commentary of this hadeeth in Riyadh as-Saaliheen:

This Hadeeth contains four words, the meanings and implications of which constitute its essence. These words are guidance, piety (taqwa, fear of Allah), chastity and sufficiency. Guidance here means guidance at every turn of life and steadfastness on the path of truth. Fear of Allah is the greatest means of piety and strongest defense against sins. Chastity is the state of being free from what is unlawful. Self-sufficiency is the antonym of poverty and here it means the self-contentment. What it implies is that one should not care for what people possess. In view of all these qualities, the prayer of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned in this Hadeeth is very comprehensive and valuable.

Imam Sa’di rahimahullah said regarding this duaa in his book, Bahjatul Quloobul-Abraar:

“This duaa is from the most comprehensive and beneficial duaas, since it includes asking Allah for well-being with regards to both the Religion and the world.

Thus, al-hudaa (the guidance) is beneficial knowledge, and at-tuqaa (i.e. taqwa or piety) is righteous actions and leaving-off what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden; and this is (asking) for correctness and well-being of a person’s Religion.

For indeed, the Religion comprises of beneficial knowledge and recognizing the truth - which is guidance - and standing firm upon obedience to Allah and His Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - and this is piety.

And al-’afaafa (abstinence from unlawful) and al-ghinaa (contentment and sufficiency) comprises of being safe from (the harms of) the creation and that the heart is not attached to them.

And it also comprises of being content with Allah and what He provides, and seeking whatever will cause the heart to be satisfied with Him. So with this, happiness in this worldly life is completed, and the heart tastes true sweetness and delight - and this is a goodly life.

So whosoever is granted the provision of guidance, piety, well-being and contentment has indeed achieved true happiness, and has acquired all that could be possibly sought after, as well as being saved from all that is dreadful and frightening.” Excerpt from the introduction to ‘al-Khushoo fis-Salat’ of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali)

• Honor lies in Taqwa. Allah ta’ala says in surah Hujurat, “the most honorable among you are those who have taqwa.” (49:13)
• Being content is very difficult without emaan. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said “If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold, he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the dust (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance”. [Bukhari and Muslim] The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi sallam connected greediness and repentance in this hadeeth.
• When you focus on the hereafter, Allah will make you content. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “For the ones whose concern is this world Allah will scatter his affair, and place poverty between his two eyes. And he will not get from the world except what is written for him. And for the one whose intention is the hereafter Allah will gather for him his affair and place contentment in his heart, and the world will come to him willingly.‌” [ibn Maajah, Saheeh al-Jaami']
• Allah ta’ala does not love those who are extravagant, He says, “and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste by extravagance.” (7:31)
• How many of us possess the world? The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Whosoever begins the day feeling family security and good health; and possessing provision for his day is as though he possessed the whole world.” [Saheeh ibn Maajah]
• Be simple! Abu Umamah bin Tha’labah radi Allahu anhu reported: The Companions of Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned the life of the world before him. He sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Do you not hear? Do you not hear? Simplicity (in life) is part of Faith, simplicity is part of Faith.”[Abu Dawood, Saheeh Abi Dawood]

May Allah azza wa jal forgive us and grant us guidance, chastity, piety and sufficieny. Ameen.