How can we love our Lord?

How can we love our Lord?

The causes that bring about the love of Allaah The Almighty:

If you really wish to quench the thirst of your heart with love for Allaah The Almighty, then you should consider the following reasons that will entitle you to this great gift. If you are indeed true, you will never leave any of these reasons without trying as hard as possible to perform them in the best possible way. You will never stop knocking on the doors hoping that He may love you. After attaining this great status, you will stop searching for a higher status, because this honor is incomparable.

These causes include the following:

1-   Knowing Allaah The Almighty and realizing the manifestations of His Names and Attributes:

Allaah The Almighty wants His slaves to keep trying to know Him more and more and He even thanks them for that and rewards them greatly by implanting His love in their hearts.

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Remember Him in prosperity and He will help you in adversity.” [Al-Qaasim ibn Bishraan] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Allaah The Almighty would wonder at a slave if he said, ‘There is none truly worthy of worship except You; I wronged myself, forgive me for there is no one who forgives sin except You.’ Allaah The Almighty would say, ‘My slave knows that he has a Lord who forgives and punishes.’” [Al-Haakim] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

Hence, Allaah The Almighty wants His slaves to know and remember Him all the time and to try to draw closer to Him through acts of obedience and to praise Him for His blessings.

‘Utbah Al-Ghulaam, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said, “Whoever knows Allaah The Almighty, loves Him; whoever loves Allaah, obeys Him; whoever obeys Allaah, He will place him under His protection; whoever is placed under the protection of Allaah The Almighty, he is blessed… he is blessed...” He kept saying so until he fainted.

A recommended way to know Allaah The Exalted:

Contemplating the kingdoms of the heavens and the earth:

 Muslims over the ages

kept contemplating the creation of Allaah The Almighty, until their hearts became full of certainty, and until they worshipped Allaah The Almighty as if they saw Him. Our righteous predecessors used to prefer contemplation to voluntary acts of worship. For example, the majority of the voluntary deeds of Abu Ad-Dardaa’, may Allaah be pleased with him, were contemplation and thinking.

‘Abdullaah At-Taymi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said, “Long contemplation is the best voluntary act of worship.”

There is no doubt that thinking about the Names and Attributes of Allaah The Almighty is among the strongest causes of love, because people love others for their good attributes. Hence, you must think about the Attributes of your Lord, His mercy and forbearance. You should know that the reward of whoever knows His Lord is to be admitted to Paradise.

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Allaah The Almighty has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one, whoever knows and memorizes them will enter Paradise.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]