First published on: Does Allah Love Us? – How to prove That?!
The direct short answer to this question is that NOBODY on the surface of the earth from the beginning of time and until the end of time even remotely has the same loving capacity as Allah Almighty does! Nobody! Allah Almighty IS, in fact, the Creator of Love and the One who Bestows Love. Any love you’ve ever seen or experienced in life is merely a minute reflection of His love. Love doesn’t exist and people don’t exist and Jesus (peace be upon him) doesn’t exist without Him.
Allah & Love
When we talk about Allah we’re talking about your God and my God; The One & Only Deity, Creator and Sustainer of all mankind and everything in the Heavens and the Earth.
One manifestation of love is to honor those you love, and Allah Almighty told us in His Direct Speech to mankind in the Qur’an:
Allah honored us and preferred us above all creations. His honor is not restricted to a race or a gender. His love is not restricted to the “whites” or the “rich” or those who come from a certain tribe or country. Rather He said:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” [Quran 49: 13] (2)
Someone might think, “Allah says that the most noble to Him are the righteous ones. So, if I have already sinned so many times and so much, does this mean that Allah does not love me?”
Here is a Beautiful Answer:
In the Qur’an, the Name of Allah Al Wadud (The Deeply Affectionate) is mentioned twice. In both cases, it is associated with forgiving sins.
And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate” [Qur’an 85: 14] (3)
And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Affectionate.” [Qur’an 11: 90] (4)
It’s interesting to associate the Name ‘The Infinitely Affectionate’ in the context of sins and forgiveness. When people do a lot of sins or mistakes, they don’t expect to be met with affection. They expect the opposite.
When we do repeated mistakes, we think that something in people’s hearts changes towards us. Maybe mistakes decrease people’s love for us a bit. Even if they forgive us, but they might not perceive us in the same light again after they’ve seen our repeated flaws.
This is the limitedness of human beings. But it’s not the Vastness of The Creator Allah Almighty!
Mistakes and sins, no matter how many and how big, do not decrease His Love towards the person who asks for forgiveness.
Allah specifically added His Name The Affectionate right after the Forgiving in the verse
And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate” [Qur’an 85: 14] (5)
The Result
This is to tell you that it’s not like He’ll forgive but won’t like us anymore. It’s that He forgives while simultaneously showing intense affection. There is no “and” there for pause or interruption. It’s not The Forgiving “and” The Affectionate. It’s “The Forgiving The Affectionate”, as though the process of forgiveness didn’t decrease His Affection one bit or for one second.
Allah Love & Self-Development
Allah knows when people do mistakes, they don’t love themselves, so He meets that with His Name the Affectionate to compensate for their lack of love for themselves or people’s lack of love towards them, and to allow them to re-love themselves and move on. This is a major door for self-development and growth.
Firstly, He shows direct, affectionate forgiveness for those who seek it. He encourages people to rectify their affairs so they won’t remain in harmful, damaging sins that ruin their and other people’s lives. And, not only does He love those who seek forgiveness and forgive them immediately, but also He said that He will put in the hearts of people affection towards those who rectify their affairs.
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection” [Qur’an 19: 96] (6)
He will appoint for you affection in the hearts of people, even if you don’t know how. People will love you without you knowing or being able to earn that love on your own.
Since Allah is The Creator and Controller of hearts, He’ll place in them whatever He wants.
Common Case
But what if someone has done so many mistakes and keeps falling in mistakes?
Well, The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
Allah, the Exalted, has said: ‘O son of Adam! I shall go on forgiving you so long as you pray to Me and aspire for My forgiveness *whatever may be your sins*. O son of Adam! *I do not care even if your sins should pile up to the sky* and should you beg pardon of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam! If you come to Me with an earth-full of sins and meet Me, not associating anything with Me in worship, I will certainly grant you as much pardon as will fill the earth.” [At-Tirmidhi] (7)
The striking part here is Him saying “I do not care” what you did or how many times it has been repeated, I’ll Forgive Affectionately and I do not care.
It’s interesting how people think there is no love in Islam, whereas Allah is bringing a new definition of Divine Affection that humans can hardly imagine or actualize, but can aspire to in their self-development journey.
It is direct, immediate Divine Affection despite mistakes while encouraging self-betterment.
This is holistic guidance and transformation. Love is not to die for your sins, love is to forgive you immediately and teach you how to live.
Allah Said That He Loves:
Those Who Purify Themselves:
Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” [Qur’an 2:222] (8)
The Doers of Good:
And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good.” [Qur’an 3:133-134] (9)
Those Who Are Just:
And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” [Qur’an 49:9] (10)
Those Who are Conscious of Allah And Obey His Messenger:
But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and is Conscious of Allah – then indeed, Allah loves al-mutaqeen (the God-conscious/those who fear Him).” [Qur’an 3:76] (11)
Those Who Trust in Him and Are Steadfast:
So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” [Qur’an 3:159] (12)
Some people might ask: but in Islam, there are so many rules and instructions. Why are there so many rules and instructions, if Allah loves us and forgives all our sins?
