Sweatness of faith

It is related by Anas radiallahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said: “None of you believes unless his love for me exceeds the love he has for parents, children and all men.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Faith can attain perfection and a Muslim can become a faithful Believer only when his love for the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam is greater than for any other person, even his parents and children.

The love for Allah, the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, and the Islamic faith being stronger than for anyone or anything else in the world was declared as essential for tasting the sweetness of faith. True devotion to Allah and Islam is not possible without devotion to the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam and true devotion to the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam cannot be imagined without devotion to Allah and Islam. Love for the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, will, of course, be for the sake of Allah and out of deep attachment to Him and love for Islam will, instinctively, stem from it. It is for this reason that love for the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam alone has been stressed in the above hadith.

The love of the Believers for Allah, the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam, and the Islamic faith must be stronger than for all the lovable objects in this world. Without it, the continence of Allah cannot be gained, nor His special guidance obtained, nor can eman acquire perfection.

Once this stage is reached, it will not only be easy for anyone to observe this duties of Islam and to carry out the command of Allah and the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam’ but he will also derive a pleasure even from laying down his life for the sake of eman.

A person whose heart the love for Allah and His Messenger is not well established firmly will find it most difficult to keep to the everyday Islamic duties and to obey the common religious rulings. At best, it will become a routine affair, an automatic procedure. Hence, it has been said that unless the love for Allah and the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wasallam governs and has the control of all other attachments and affections the true station of love cannot be attained nor its sweetness perceived.