#Love

By Rana Mohammad

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ran home to Khadija and said, “Cover me, cover me!”  Khadija (radi Allahu `anha, may God be pleased with her) held her frightened husband close in her comforting arms. With her warmth and soothing words, she reassured him that she did not have a doubt he was the blessed by Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). She said to him words that would be recorded in the books of Islamic narrations forever: “By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You uphold the ties of kinship, speak truthfully, help the poor and destitute, serve your guests generously and assist those who are stricken by calamity.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Years after Khadija (ra) passed away, the Prophet ﷺ still remembered her love for him, proclaiming that he would always be indebted to her: “She believed in me when people denied me, she trusted me when people belied me; she supported me with her wealth when people refused to support me and I was blessed with children by her when I was denied children by other women.” (Ahmad)

Allah (swt) decreed that Khadija (ra) would be from those who supported the Prophet ﷺ and the establishment of His religion. They say that behind every successful man there is a supporting woman. Khadija’s love and faith in the Prophet ﷺ is what gave him strength at the beginning of his message. With her reassurance, the Prophet ﷺ went on to fulfill his prophecy. And thus – Islam emerged upon the most beautiful love story of all time. This shows us the place of love in Islam, and the permissibility of its manifestation within marriage.

We all want love. We want the kind of love that, when our world falls apart, we can turn to that ‘Khadija-esque’ person who will hold us close to ease our mind and heart while we are going through times of despair. We want someone who will never give up on us; who will strive to see us succeed; and who will be willing to make sacrifices to see us happy. However, is what we want what we actually need?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ greatly benefited from the love of Khadija (ra). She gave him provisional and emotional support. This is the love that human beings crave for by nature. At times, it is vital to have someone love you; to have someone believe in you with full faith when the whole world turns its back on you. However, many of us cannot find that love in one specific person.

You may find yourself all alone with no one to love you and with no one to turn to. You may find your world crashing down, with no person to hold you up, wipe your tears, and hear you out. Don’t fret. You may long for that person at the time, but you don’t necessarily need them just yet. You have Allah (swt) and in Him you can find everything you wish for and need. Allah (swt) is the one who gave the Prophet ﷺ what he needed when it was best for him. He didn’t always have Khadija (ra), but he always had and still has Allah (swt).

We tend to rely upon the means, and forget who facilitates the means for us. Allah (swt) is the One who willed for Khadija (ra) to propose to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.  When a person puts their trust in Allah (swt), He provides for them from means that never crossed their imagination.  He was a devout believer, while everyone else around him associated partners with Allah (swt). He was steadfast in his beliefs and had the best of character; thus Allah (swt) gave him exactly what he wanted at the moment he needed it the most. If we abide by the Prophet’s ﷺ example, Allah (swt) will give and take in our life accordingly, and Allah (swt) knows what is best for us. Allah (swt) says,“… We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.” [Qur’an 50:16]“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me…” [Qur’an 2:186]

Get to know your Lord, and strive to get closer to Him. Make a sincere effort to build your relationship with Allah (swt). We all know we cannot depend on anyone or anything in this world. And so, when your world comes falling down, and you don’t have what you want, know that you will always have what you need. You need Allah (swt), and He is always there for us no matter what. When Allah (swt) puts you through a hardship, know that every cloud has a silver lining.  While in the moment we may not understand why things happen, we at least need to realize they don’t happen without reason. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever Allah wants good for him, he puts them to the test. He puts them through difficulties; like a diamond or gold that has to be burnt after which anything bad from it is removed so that what you have is the pure diamond or the pure gold..” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Allah (swt) deprives us in order to give something better; something more. The longer we do not have what we want, the more we invoke upon Him in order to receive. All the while He elevates us, and brings us closer and closer to Him. He strengthens our iman to such an extent, that when we finally get what we want, we are not as excited as we would have expected. This is because, what we truly wanted all along was Allah (swt), and our nearness to Him gives us satisfying bliss that is bigger than our wants and desires.

When some people get what they want, they immediately neglect their Lord. So, if Allah (swt) does not give you what you want, take it as a sign to strengthen your connection with him. Allah (swt) says, “But if We give him a taste of favor after hardship has touched him, he will surely say, ‘Bad times have left me.’ Indeed, he is exultant and boastful…”–[Qur’an 11:10]

Allah loves you so much, He wants to make sure you have such strong faith, that when He does give you what you always yearned for, you will not disregard your Lord and thus suffer with worldly gain. Allah follows that verse with, “Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward.” [Qur’an 11:11]

Even if your sins pile up to the sky, Allah (swt) says, turn to Him and He will be there for us. His mercy is greater than any sin ever committed.  Allah (SWT) says “…My mercy encompasses all things.”[Qur’an 7:156]Allah (swt) also says reassuringly, “I am as My servant thinks I am, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to himself, I remember him to Myself; and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length; if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him with haste.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

There is no one who can love us more than Allah. Open your heart, and allow the love of the One who created you to enter where it belongs. Love Him more than you love anyone, and trust Him more than you trust anyone.

Finally, take notice that the Prophet ﷺ did not chase women, money, or any matter in this world. The Prophet ﷺ made strenuous efforts to get closer to his Lord, and Allah (swt)  sent to him the best of provisions. Prophet Yusuf (ra) was from the most beautiful of men, with women throwing themselves at him, yet he remained patient. He strived for Allah (swt), and Allah honored him with countless glad tidings. When you start to seek out only for Allah (swt), your world begins to fall into place. Know that it is possible to find true love in this life and to live a beautiful love story like the Prophet ﷺ and Khadija (ra). But heed that true love cannot exist unless it is for the sake of Allah. We love for His sake because we ultimately want to be with our Beloved, our Lord, and our Creator.