Love for the Sake of Allah

Question

How can love between a husband and wife be a true love? As we know, there cannot be another love in the heart alongside love for Allah. How can we make our love for others, especially for our spouse, a true love? [AR_ID:1159]

Answer 1

Peace be upon you. The believer always needs two wings to soar: the first is the wing of a good relationship with the Lord of the worlds, and the second is the wing of relationships with others, including the Prophet and his family, extending to believers, spouses, and family. The believer has a relationship with their Lord and with others. Your question can be expanded: how can we reconcile love for Allah with love for others? This is not limited to love for a spouse but also includes love for children, parents, relatives, and the list goes on. The answer is that love for a spouse and children must be in line with love for Allah and an extension of it. This can be understood from the story of Noah (peace be upon him) with his son. Despite being the apple of his eye, when the son turns away from obedience to Allah and follows the devil and his party, we strive to bring him back to the right path. If we fail, the call comes from Allah: 'O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, his work is unrighteous.' Therefore, as long as the child is on the path of righteousness, we love him, and as long as the wife is also righteous, we love her. This love is sacred because it is love for the sake of Allah. On the other hand, love that arises from desire fades with age because it is based on physical beauty, which diminishes over time. Thus, the correct bond between husband and wife is a love that does not fade, meaning the love that comes from Allah. If the wife is a believer who loves Allah, then the husband loves her for the love of Allah. The more her faith increases, the more the believer's love for her increases, even if she loses her beauty or becomes disabled at home. As long as the heart loves Allah more than before, the level of love also increases. Hence, we read in the supplication: 'I ask You for Your love, and the love of those who love You, and the love of every action that brings me closer to You.' It is narrated from Abu Hamza al-Thumali from Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) that he said: 'When Allah gathers the first and the last, a caller will call out to the people, saying: Where are those who love each other for the sake of Allah? A group of people will stand up, and it will be said to them: Go to Paradise without reckoning. The angels will meet them and ask: Where are you going? They will say: To Paradise without reckoning. They will ask: What kind of people are you? They will say: We are those who love each other for the sake of Allah. They will ask: What were your deeds? They will say: We loved for the sake of Allah and hated for the sake of Allah. They will say: Indeed, how great is the reward for those who work.' [Wasail al-Shi'a, Vol. 16, p. 167].