For the Love of God

By: Tarif Khalidi   Source: IslamiCity Dec 7, 2019 7 Comments

Category: Faith & Spirituality, Featured, Highlights Topics: Allah, Prophet Jesus (Isa) Values: Love, Spirituality Views: 14065
14065

Jesus said, "The lover of God loves hardship."

And it is related of him that he once came upon a large group of worshipers who had shriveled up from worshiping, like worn-out water skins. "Who are you?" he asked. "We are worshipers," they answered. "Why do you worship?" he asked. They replied, "God put the fear of hell in us, and we were afraid." So he said, "It is incumbent upon God to save you from what you fear."

Then Jesus passed on and came upon others who were even more worshipful. He asked, "Why do you worship?" and they replied, "God gave us a longing for paradise and what He has prepared there for His friends. That is what we hope for." So Jesus said, "It is incumbent upon God to give you what you hope for."

Then he passed them by and came upon others who were worshiping and said, "Who are you?" They said, "We are lovers of God. We worship Him not out of fear of hell or longing for paradise, but out of love for Him and to His greater glory." So Jesus said, "You are truly the friends of God, and it is with you that I was commanded to live." And he resided among them.

This story is excerpted from the book "The Muslim Jesus" by Tarif Khalidi. The book presents in English the largest collection of the sayings and stories of Jesus in Islamic literature.

Note:

Loving God selflessly, neither out of fear of hell nor out of greed for paradise, was a sentiment ascribed to early Sufis - for example, the famous woman mystic Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya (d. 185/801), who was seen walking the streets of Baghdad with a bucket of water in one hand and a flaming torch in the other. When asked why she did so, she replied, "I want to quench the fires of hell with the water and burn down paradise with the torch, so that people can come to love God selflessly, neither out of fear of the one nor out of greed for the other."

Reference:

Abu Talib al-Makki (d.386/996), Qut al-Qulub, 2:56 (Asin, pp 411, no. 84 bis; Mansur, no. 30) Cf. al-Ghazali, Ihya, 4:228 (Asin, pp 410-411, no. 84; Mansur, no.166; Robson, p.100) and Ihya, 4:298

  Category: Faith & Spirituality, Featured, Highlights
  Topics: Allah, Prophet Jesus (Isa)  Values: Love, Spirituality
Views: 14065

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Older Comments:
KHAN FROM US said:
Prophet Muhammad(s) is our last Prophet and Quran is God's Final Testament. We must
quote in reference to Quran and Prophet Muhammad(s) and nothing less.

Of course Moses and Jesus were VIP in Islam but we have follow the Quran and Prophet
Muhammad as per commands in Quran and Ahadith.

Anyway who is the writer of this article (name)?
2012-11-01
BABANDI A. GUMEL FROM U.K said:
Allah (S.W.T) loves so many different kinds of people that included Sabirin those who are patient,Muhsinin the doers of good deeds (doing it to the level best)the Sadiqeen are those who sincere or truthful,Tauwabinna of course are those who love repentence i.e always making tauba Allah is Pure and and clean therefore accept only those that are pure so He loves cleaninness therefore loves those who are called Mutadahirin,Mutawakkilin are the people who put their trust in Allah therefore naturally Allah would also them .In short as Muslims if we claim we love Allah sincerely from the core of our hearts then it is incumbent upon us to follow the footsteps of our Prophet(S.A.W) then Allah would definitely love us.May Allah give His sincere love and the love of His Prophet and the Sunnah of the Prophet and all the Prophets,the Sahabah their followers the followers of the followers,the four Aimmah, and all our Predecessors including the scholars, Auliya and Salihin all over the World and those who sincerely love Allah and His Deen we have to have their love and respect in our hearts.May Allah make us among those who love Him and love those who love Him Amen.
2012-10-31
ABDUL RAHMAN FROM USA said:
I luv ALLAHtt
2011-12-31
MUMIN ADEBOWALE FROM NIGERIA said:
Salam alaykum,
Allah has commanded us to fear him, to be dreadful of hell and also warns us about the punishment of the grave. E.g. Taku nar.
Also, worshipping Allah for the sake of paradise is not wrong because Allah promised the righteous doers, Aljanat and the polytheist hell.
2011-12-30
SHAPANDI SARDI FROM SINGAPORE. said:
Assalaamu'alaikum. It might have been among the teachings of Jesus a.s. to love Allaah without fear of hell and without longing for paradise. But as Muslims, we are required to follow Muhammad's if we claim to truly love Allaah. (Verse 31 of surah Aali 'Imraan). AlQur'an was revealed to Muhammmad for him to guide us. Among his teachings is that we hope for Jannah and fear the hellfire. Verse 133 surah Aali 'Imraan commands us to strive for forgiveness and the Jannah. And verses 201 alBaqarah & 16 Aali 'Imraan require us to fear the hellfire.
2011-12-30
SULAIMAN M SHELLENG FROM NIGERIA said:
article is very inyeresting & educative, and give me more room to go about comparetive studies.
2011-12-30
YASEEN FROM UK said:
Increasingly I am always sceptical about people who quote Hadith or
oher sources. This is a mighty story but it leaves out the most
important facts, like where did Jesus say this, and where did he
find the 'lovers of God'.
What is even more disturbing is that the author fails to acknowledge
God by His name
he is Allah and if this is from an Islamic source then the author
would have had no qualm about accepting Allah.
This is a very poor book written on baselessness.
If anyone wants to know Allah, His Final Testament, the Qur'an is
suffcient.
Go study the Qur'an in detail.

2011-12-29