Where Does My Loyalty Lie?

As Muslims, we are always in a fix whether or not to celebrate the days promoted in the name of “fun”. We feel we ought to be a part of such celebrations to fit into society, yet something inside bothers us as Muslims and we ask ourselves whether it is even allowed in Islam or not.

As we come into the world, we are usually named by our parents. But even before our birth, we have been given a title by the One who created us. We are called ‘Muslims’ and given an identity with the privilege of being born into a Muslim household. The Qur’an explains this in the following verse:

هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ

“…Allah named you “Muslims” before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people…”
[Al-Hajj:78]

With this understanding of being ‘Muslims,’ we are given a certain way of life, a certain set of beliefs and also the road to a future. The guidelines are clearly defined which, if we follow, we are promised success, In Sha’Allah. It is a basic and simple principle for those who understand it.

Now along the way, Shaytan causes us to derail from this path. We begin to look here and there for something that can entertain us and we want a more “colorful” lifestyle. It may not benefit us, yet it is the temporary bliss we seek for an immediate gratification. This is very similar to the chocolate that remains in our mouths for hardly a few seconds, but provides us pleasure. We love it even though we know it to have repurcussionary results to our healths. Usually, we choose to follow this deviation blindly being unaware of our actions or the consequences. At times we may even know the result, yet choose to indulge in it because it just “looks so good” and “feels so right.” We end up following our desires and falling head on into sin.

Going back to the fact that we are Muslims and thus we have been given a benchmark. For each of our decisions in life, the basic questions we have to ask ourselves are: “Would Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) like for me to do this? Did RasulAllah ﷺ practice this? Did the Companions (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) perform this act after the death of RasulAllah ﷺ? We have been clearly informed in the last sermon at the time of Hajj atul Wida, RasulAllah  ﷺ said:

“O People! No prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. O People! Reason and understand well the words that I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my Sunnah (i.e. sayings, deeds and approvals), and if you follow these you will never go astray.”

 So, another question to be answered is: Is this proven by verses of the Qur’an and given in the Sunnah?

The debate on whether any celebration of the West or in our culture, whether it be Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or Basant is allowed in Islam is, in my opinion, leads to further deviation. We need not argue or go into the details of it being permissible or not. Because as we argue on it being halal or haram, Shaytan will further help us find ways to make it permissible. We will find excuses and we will find daleel (proof) for its allowance. This is how Shaytan beautifies our actions and gives us redemptions.

The simple answer to the above questions is: RasulAllah ﷺ did not do this and nor should we. The wives of RasulAllah ﷺ nor the Companions (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) celebrate this holiday or perform this act and nor should we. Why would we want to make additions to an already complete way of life? Our evidence is the in the Qur’an itself. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) himself tells us that He has given us a perfect way of life:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

“This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.”
[Al- Mai’da: 3]

Also in the Qur’an, we are clearly told:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّـهِ الْإِسْلَامُ

“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.”
[Al-i-Imran:19]

Why would we want to re-invent something and put our energy on something that is not needed as the ‘dos and dont’s’ that we have been given in the form of Sharia are complete and perfect? We can simply concentrate on fulfilling those duties that we are supposed to be doing and that includes understanding the Qur’an, learning it and implementing it as part of our daily routine. Come to think of it, we really do not have the time to indulge in frivolous activities such as Valentine’s or suchlike that do not benefit us nor provide us with a satisfying gain. In fact, such celebrations leave us feeling unhappy, unsatisfied and incomplete.

So, let’s focus on what the expression of love really is for a Believer at all times and not for just one day of the year. The love, which we feel for Allah, is a blessing, which we cannot truly appreciate until it touches us.

We learn in the Qur’an that for a Muslim, loyalty lies only with the Creator. For a Believer, the deepest form of love is for our Rabb.  In the Qur’an, it is mentioned:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّـهِ

“But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”
[Al-Baqara:165]

Our loving as a Believer is for the sake of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) alone. We have been told to practice the concept of Al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ (Loyalty and Disavowal). Al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ is referred to as holding fast to all that is pleasing Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and withdrawing from and opposing all that is displeasing to Him, for the sake of Allah. In a hadith we are given the reward for loving others for the sake of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ).

Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying:

Verily. Allah would say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory’s sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine. ﷺ
[Sahih Muslim]

Once this focus is established, Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) returns the love of the individual by loving His slave back. The Divine Love of Allah for any one of His creatures is then quite an extraordinary thing, supremely unmerited. In fact, the great blessing of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) is that He guides His creations to His Love, and that He reveals to them its sweetness of iman (faith)!

This is stated in a hadith where we learn: Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

 ‘If Allah loves a person, He calls Jibrael saying, ’Allah loves so and so; O Jibrael love him.’ And make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the heaven: “Allah loves so and so therefore you should love him also, and so all the inhabitants of the heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasures of the people on the earth.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

At times we may feel we don’t have a relationship with Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ). We may feel distanced and even a bit aloof. This can be a very natural feeling, but it indicates the low level of our iman and the fact we need to work on it. We want to attain the highest level of faith as the Companions (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and to be able to find that connect with the Creator so much so that we only turn to Him for all our needs. This happens when we have tasted the sweetness of faith. If we feel we are not there yet, what shall we do?

• Make dua for attaining the love of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)

Dua is a weapon of the Believer. We need to ask Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) for His love. Ask Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) to grant you this blissful feeling. A masnoon dua is:

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّىْ أَسْئَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَ حُبَّ مَنْ يُّحِبُّكَ وَ الْعَمَلَ الَّذِىْ يُبَلِّغُنِىْ حُبَّكَ

O Allah! I ask of You Your love, the love of whoever loves You and the love of the deed which will draw me in attaining Your love.
(At-Tirmidhi)

• To acquire Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)’s love, we must follow the Sunnah

Almighty Allah said:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
[Al-i-Imran: 31]

• To acquire Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)’s love, we increase our nawafil (supererogatory) acts As we draw closer to Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), our love for Him grows deeper. This heartfelt love is translated into action. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) gives us the tawfique for action.

This is stated in a hadith Qudsi:

Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said that Allah said:

 “I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My worshipper keeps on coming close to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hands with which he grips, and his legs with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (refuge), I will protect him.”
[Al-Bukhari].

All these ways help us achieve the love of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), keep us focused on the Straight Path and help keep the tranquillity in our lives. The end result of this is that we are saved from an identity crisis of any kind, our lives have a meaning and we are provided with a sense of the self-worth as slaves of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) under His obedience at all times. May Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) grant us this clarity. Aameen.