Sister Theresa wrote: Over the past couple of years of reading and listening to lectures about Islam and comparative religion, I have started to look at the three major monotheistic religions in a different light.
I started to realise that Christianity tends to appeal more to the emotions.
Christians will tell that God is love and that their faith is a rich, inner experience. This is true and a beautiful way to look at faith.
In Judaism, on the other hand, education remains one of the highest principles.
There is an emphasis on learning tenets and laws. To many Jews, religion is a life-long cerebral process. This is a noble and very beneficial practice, as they claim.
But Islam surpasses the two..
God calls Himself Al-Wadud. God says in the Quran: Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah, hearts are assured. (13:28)
Likewise, in Islam, education is vital. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” (Ibn Majah)
So there is a lifelong obligation to continue to acquire knowledge.
In fact, the first verses of the Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad had to do with gaining knowledge: Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. (96: 1-5)
We cannot leave out knowledge. If we do, we will be those who are led astray.
We cannot leave out love either. If we do, we will be those who have earned God’s unacceptance. And we ask God to save us from these fates every time we pray.
In the meaning of the Ayah: Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour, not of those who have evoked [Your] unacceptance or of those who are astray. (Quran 1:6-7)
Much has been written and commented on about gaining religious knowledge.
It is a major focus for new Muslims, especially.
But it is so important to also emphasise growing in love for God, our religion, our Prophet, our families, our spouses ..etc
Love, and all that it entails- compassion, empathy, tenderness, etc.- is an essential part of an Islamic way of life that we sometimes overlook.
And there are many different ways we should be experiencing this love in Islam.
Love for God
The love for God is the love we should be seeking first and always. We cannot offer love to others when our own hearts are empty. So we must first fill our hearts with the source of love, God. To love God, we must first get to know Him.
Get to know God’s names and attributes, how He informsus about them in the Quran, and how the Prophet tells us about God in the Hadith.
One Example is God’s attribute- mercy: The Prophet Muhammad said: Verily, there are one hundred parts of mercy for Allah, and it is one part of this mercy by virtue of which there is mutual love between the people and ninety-nine reserved for the Day of Resurrection.” (Muslim)
And one of God’s names is the Most Merciful – Ar-Rahim. God tells us in the Quran: And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. (26:9)
To love God, be thankful to Him. Being thankful to the Creator for all that He has created, for all that we have.
Through this love of Go,d we can find love for the rest of God’s creation.
Love for the Prophet Muhammad
Once we establish our love of God, we can form a bond with the Prophet (peace be upon him). God sent him to mankind to convey God’s message and mercy to mankind.
In the face of extreme tests and opposition, the Prophet Muhammad stood up and spoke the truth about God. He spoke the truth about guidance.
Through death threats, insults, torture, fear, loss of property and the death of loved ones, the Prophet remained steadfast.
Even when it seemed like the world was against him, he conveyed God’s mercy to mankind, to us, so that we could be guided.
Love for Your Brothers and Sisters
The love between believers is a natural one. As the expression goes, any friend of so and so is a friend of mine.
In this way, do the believers find mutual love through their shared love of God and His Messenger (peace be upon him).
We have love for each other as Muslims because we realise that we are all creations of God, we are all struggling in the path to God, and we want to help each other in this path.
The Prophet said: None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself. (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)
