Eleven Types of Love, Allah Explains in Just One Ayat

(The Qur’an speaks of love as a sign of Allah’s existence, guiding believers to find harmony and peace within themselves and with others. Along with wealth and other tests, love is also a test. Allah causes the love of certain worldly things within the heart of people, but He also declares that it is a test. The test being that your love should not exceed the Constitutional Love. This article elaborates on the definition of love and its boundaries, citing examples from the Quran and the lives of Companions.) Two words in the Qur’an denote love, and they are: hubba and wadda. For example, Allah says,

“Allah loves (yuhhibu) those who repent and loves (yuhhibu) those who adopt cleanliness.” [Surah Al Baqarah: 222]

“He made between you love (wadda).” [Surah Rum: 21]

Allah also states that love between people is from amongst His sign of Lordship and Creatorship.

“He placed between you, affection and mercy. Indeed in these are signs for people who give thought.” [Surah Rum: 21]

When Islam was systemized in Madinah, various commands and cautionary notes of things that could damage a person’s hereafter were revealed. Among them was cautioning people concerning love for materialistic things of this world, which would divert one from the duties assigned to them by Allah. The trials are not hidden, but they are declared. Allah offers a reward for those who maintain materialistic love within the boundaries of Constitutional love. He says,

“Your wealth and children are only a test, but with Allah is a great reward.” [Surah Taghabun: 15]

“Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies.” [Surah Taghabun: 18] Trials are often repeated so that people do not fail them. Even the Messengers gave caution to their respective nations. The Prophet said,

“Verily, there is a Fitnah (trial) for every nation and the trial for my nation (or Ummah) is wealth.” (Tirmidhi: 2336)

Allah says,

“Say, ‘If your parents, children, siblings, spouses, and extended family and the wealth you have acquired and the trade you fear will decline and the homes you cherish—(if all these) are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and struggling in His path, then wait until Allah brings about His Will. Allah does not guide the rebellious people.” [Surah At-Tawbah: 24]

This verse is from Surah Tawbah, which is considered to be an intense Surah which begins without the bismillah (in the Name of Allah that begins every surah) and begins to directly speak in a strict manner concerning the pagans of Makkah, the hypocrites, the People of the Book, as well as the Muslims. The verse above delineates eleven forms of love: five are directed towards individuals, three are associated with wealth, and the remaining three pertain to love, as defined within the Islamic Constitution. The verse offers an interesting in order to obtain its essence. The First Category: Love Towards Relatives “Say, ‘If your parents, children, siblings, spouses, and extended family…’” Prophet Ibrahim loved his father, but he would not allow that love to affect his tawhid, and so he continued to advise his father to abandon the worship of idols, remaining polite in his mannerism toward him.

“And mention in the Book, Abraham. He was surely a man of truth and a prophet. When he said to his father, “O dear father! Why do you worship what can neither hear nor see, nor benefit you at all? O, dear father! I have received some knowledge you have not received, so follow me and I will guide you to the Straight Path. O, dear father! Do not worship Satan. Surely Satan is ever rebellious against the Most Compassionate. O, dear father! I truly fear that you will be touched by a torment from the Most Compassionate, and become Satan’s companion.” [Surah Maryam: 42-45]

Ibrahim did not compromise on his Tawhid and proved that his lover for Allah far exceeded his love for his father. He was threatened with being stoned to death and was even exiled by his father from the city. This is what we mean when we say to place the love for a parent within its limits, and never crossing the boundaries set by Allah. The same Ibrahim, while he was on his deathbed, called his children Ismail and Is’haq, as well as his grandson Yaqub, and instructed them not to die on disbelief, even though all three were Allah’s Prophets. Allah relates to us that he said to them,

“O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.” [Surah Al Baqarah:  127]

Love Your Children but Do Not Let that Lover Surpass the Love for Allah Even children should never be above the love that one should have for Allah. A woman from Banu Makhzum stole (something), and she was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). She sought the protection of Umm Salamah, but the Prophet (ﷺ) said,

“If Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would cut off her hand.” (Sunan Nasai: 4891)

This hadith demonstrates that the love of a beloved ones must never be allowed to supersede the laws established by Allah. It is the love of near ones and relatives that causes a person to commit injustice to others, and so Allah has forbidden it and instructed the Muslims to give priority to the commands of Allah and His Messenger. To establish justice, love of kin should not be allowed to tempt a person to sway away from religious uprightness. This is the reason why Allah does not allow anyone’s love of those in the first category (i.e., parents, children, siblings, spouses and relatives) to be dominate over the love for Allah. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would make the following supplication, “O Allah! I ask for your love, and the love of whoever You love, and the love of every deed that takes me to Your love.” (Mishkat: 748, authenticated by Shaikh Al-Albani) Allah says,

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a better protector to both.”  [Surah Nisa’: 135]

The Second Category: Love for Wealth “And the wealth you have acquired and the trade you fear will decline and the homes you cherish…” Islam does not permit the snatching of an inch of land unjustly, and the punishment for those who do so is very grievous. The Arabic term for such an action is ghasb. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) declared,

“Any person who takes a piece of land unjustly will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih Bukhari: 2454)

Allah then completes the verse in Surah al-Tawbah by saying, “[If all these] are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and struggle in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His Will. Allah does not guide the rebellious people.” Precedence of Loving Allah Over Everyone Else If all these: Father or grandfather, children or grandchildren, brothers or sisters, wives or husbands, kindred or relatives, the wealth that you earn, the business and trade that you fear a decline, and the homes and palaces that you cherish, if anyone of these calls, tempts, forces, or urges you against Tawhid or in disobedience of Allah then it is not allowed to obey them.  This is called the love of Allah and His Messenger higher than worldly love. If anyone in this category caught you in emotional bonding to go for disbelief, sin, disobey Allah, or you are abused or blamed for holding an Islamic temperament, such should not overwhelm you and know that it is the test of your love choice. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

“None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his son, his father and the whole of mankind.” (Sahih Bukhari: 15, Sahih Muslim: 44)

The love of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) is compulsory and not optional, just as the love for one’s family and relatives is naturally inbuilt in the heart. The love for Allah’s Messenger is demonstrated by having love for his sunnah and through the application of the Shariah. The love for Allah and His messenger should be dominant over the natural  love that one has. If those mentioned earlier are more beloved to your than Allah, His Messenger, and struggling in Allah’s way.‏ Allah did not stop one from having loving, as that is from the fitrah of a person, nor did He make having love to be impermissible. Having love for the things mentioned is something that is natural and therefore not opposed. However, the person’s love for such things should be within the boundaries set by Allah, and the love that he has for Allah and His Messenger should dominate all other loves. Anas narrated that the Prophet said,

“Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: The one to whom Allah and His Messenger becomes dearer than anything else. Who loves a person, and he loves him only for Allah’s sake. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 16, Book 2, Hadith 9)

Jihad is Done for the Establishment of Allah’s Deen Allah says,

“O believers! What is the matter with you that when you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah, you cling firmly to your land? Do you prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter? The enjoyment of this worldly life is insignificant compared to that of the Hereafter. [Surah al-Tawbah: 38]

Then Wait for Allah’s Decision Allah’s punishment will come, and it is something that has been warned about, and it will arrive on those who are mischievous and corrupt, and Allah does not guide the rebellious. Love that is for Allah and for His Messenger is the one that will succeed. Love for Allah will cause one to become obedient to His Messenger and will offer him the courage to perform Jihad in the way of Allah. This love is very strong and is the loftiest, and it is far greater than the love for the eight materialistic things mentioned in the above verse. Allah makes a comparison between the two types of love.

“And of mankind are some who take others besides Allah as rivals to Him. They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah even more.” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:165].

The Punishment

“If you do not march forth, He will afflict you with a painful torment and replace you with other people.” [Surah al-Tawbah: 39]

Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Allah’s Messenger called some Arabs to mobilize, but they lagged behind and Allah withheld rain from coming down on them, and this was their torment.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Surah At Toubah: 39) There are two punishments mentioned in the above verse:

1. Painful torment can occur by being deprived of a good life and punishment in the hereafter. Like the case of Bani Israel who refused to participate with Musa in the fighting, and so Allah caused them to wander in the desert for the forty years.
2. Allah will replace them with others who will be better than them, as mentioned in the verse that Allah will not guide a rebellious people.

In conclusion, while the love for family and wealth is a natural part of the human experience, it pales in comparison to the profound and transcendent love for Allah and His Messenger. The former is fleeting and can often lead to attachment and disappointment, whereas the latter is eternal and the source of true contentment and peace.