Love in the human heart
Love is one of the greatest gifts Allah places in the human heart. It softens what is hard, lifts what is heavy, and keeps the soul from falling into isolation. Allah creates love so that people learn how to show mercy, support one another, and live in a way that reflects the dignity He has granted them. Without love, a person may grow, work, or achieve, but their heart remains unlit. When Allah creates love within someone, He is opening a door to goodness that they themselves could not have opened.
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Ghazālī explains that Allah uses the experiences of the heart to teach a person about themselves. Love shows the servant their strength when they give, and their weakness when they rely too much on what is created. Through it, Allah teaches the heart balance. When someone loves others, they learn patience, forgiveness, generosity, and humility. And when those they love fall short, it teaches the heart not to depend on human beings more than is appropriate. This is not a punishment; it is a form of training. The heart learns that kindness from people is a blessing, but constancy belongs only to Allah.
Every form of love, whether deep or simple, strong or fragile, carries a reminder that the human heart was created to be attached to something greater than the world. Ghazālī points out that Allah tests the heart with moments of loss or disappointment so the servant remembers that no attachment on earth was ever meant to be unbreakable. It is through these moments that the heart turns sincerely to Allah, recognising its need for the One who never withdraws His care.
In this way, love becomes one of the quiet ways Allah guides the servant. It builds character, purifies intention, and redirects hope back to the One who created hope itself. A person who learns from love becomes gentler with others and more truthful with themselves. And when they finally recognise that every love in this world is temporary, they also recognise that Allah’s love for His servants, the care He shows them, the mercy He sends them, the support He gives them, is what truly carries them through this life and the next.
In this way, love becomes one of the quiet ways Allah guides the servant. It builds character, purifies intention, and redirects hope back to the One who created hope itself. A person who learns from love becomes gentler with others and more truthful with themselves. And when they finally recognise that every love in this world is temporary, they also recognise that Allah’s love for His servants, the care He shows them, the mercy He sends them, the support He gives them, is what truly carries them through this life and the next.
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Love for the Prophet ﷺ is unique because it is love for the one who conveys Allah’s mercy, teaches Allah’s revelation, and embodies the character that Allah wants His servants to adopt. Love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the highest and most beneficial form of created love because Allah commands it, nurtures it, and makes it a means of guidance.