SHIRK IN LOVE

Perhaps when we speak of shirk in love, the first thing that may come to mind is

one’s love of his family more than they love Allah, his wealth more than Allah, the

beauties of this world and perhaps one’s status in the dunya more than Allah. Indeed, if this is your idea of what shirk in love means, then you’re surely correct. Shirk in love is, committed not only against Allah, but against ourselves. For when we put others before Allah and allocate them the love that is deserve by only him, then surely we have truly wronged ourselves for He is in no need of our love, but we, as humans are in need of his love and mercy.

In order to protect ourselves, we must first understand that there are four types of love:

FOUR TYPES OF LOVE

TO LOVE ALLAH ALONE

LOVING THAT WHICH ALLAH LOVES

LOVING FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH

LOVING SOMETHING ALONGSIDE ALLAH

Having said this, perhaps some might say, “Well, I love Allah, I believe in him, and

He’s always in my heart”. This is the first type of love mentioned.

Subhaanallah! Please pay head my fellow my Muslims. For surely, we may go astray,

unless we truly understand what it means to claim love for Him. It is only by knowing

what it means to love Him, that we can protect ourselves from this evil sin of loving

our husbands, our children, our wealth, our status and the beauties of this world more

than Allah.

Remember, (1) the people of the book claim love for Allah too, but what makes

our love different to theirs is that as well as having love for Allah, (2) We love

what Allah loves whatever we hate, we hate for the sake of Allah and whatever He

loves, we love as well. For example, we know that Allah has made permissible the

marrying of up to four wives for men. Although this might be very difficult to accept,

yet, because it is something which Allah loves and has made permissible, then we

accept and love it only for the sake of Allah.

(3) The third type of love is loving for the sake of Allah. All of us here today have

been brought together by one common goal, to earn the love, pleasure and mercy

of Allah, because of this, we love you for the sake of Allah.

“Whoever loves for Allah, hates for Allah, gives for Allah, and withholds for Allah, has

sought the completion of his faith.” [Hadith Abu Dawood]

We can therefore see, that whatever good our hearts are inclined towards; it will be

because of our love for Allah.

So, now, that we know what it means to have love for Allah, how can one commit

shirk in love?

(4) This brings us to the fourth type of love.

The difference is very important and one that every Muslim should be familiar with,

so as to not fall into the trap.

Loving for the sake of Allaah and loving something alongside Allaah are two very

different concepts. It is our obligation as Muslims to make a very clear distinction

between them.

Loving for the sake of Allaah is a sign of the perfection of faith, but loving something

alongside Allaah is the essence of shirk. In today’s presentation, my focus will be on

the latter; SHIRK IN LOVE.

Alhamdulillah, Allah has given our husbands, wives, children and families as a

blessing to us, so that we may show thanks to Him.

It is our duty to provide and care for them, to show them love and mercy. However,

when our love for these people begins to take us away from the remembrance of

Allah and fulfilling our duty to Him, then we have indeed committed Shirk in love.

Loving Our Husbands

Today, it is not a big deal for a Muslim woman to be married to a so-called Muslim

husband who doesn’t pray, and he knows it is an obligation he owns to Allah, but he

chooses to reject this pillar of Islam thinking that the love he has for Allah in his heart

is enough, and we know that failing to pray takes you out of the fold of Islam. But

knowing this, she still stays married to him and if you ask her why, she’ll tell you, it’s

because I love him.

Astagfirullah! Allah has clearly told us in the Holy Qur’aan in the Interpretation of the

meaning:

“And give not (Muslim women) in marriage to idolaters until they believe” [Surah Al-

Baqarah, 2:221]

“They (Muslim women) are not lawful for them (the disbelievers) nor are they (the

disbelievers) lawful to them” [Surah Al- Mumtahinah, 60:10]

So how can we do this, when it has clearly been related to us not to marry anything

but a Muslim man? This without doubt shows that our love for Allah comes

secondary to our love for his creation. We need to have fear of Allah. Learn about His

rights over us, learn about his beautiful names and attributes and worship Him like he

deserves. “And amongst mankind are those who take [for worship] others besides

Allah, as equals [with Allah]: They love them as they should love Allah. And those who

believe love Allah more [than anything else]. If only the wrongdoers could see,

behold, they would see the punishment” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:165]

WE AS NEED EDUCATED OURSELVES; OUR LOVE FOR THE CREATION OF ALLAH

WILL LEAD US NO WHERE BUT TO THE HELL FIRE, unless we put Allah first.

Loving Our Wealth

Shirk in love not only includes loving our families more than Allah, but also our wealth.

How many Muslim men today will close their businesses in order to go pray the

congregational salaat or the Friday prayer, especially if the mosque is not even far?

But no, they will fear that they might lose customers while they were always praying,

worshiping Allah.

“He who became the slave of the Dinar or the Dirham will perish and be

destroyed.” [Hadith Bukhari]

Brothers, this wealth that you have, is from no one but Allah; so why not give thanks

and give Allah his rights: Take from your wealth and pay your zakaat and fear not any

reduction in your wealth for Allah is the provider.

Allah tells us in the interpretation of the meaning, Allah tells us: “Men whom neither

trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah” [Surah al-Noor,

24:37]

Do you not want to be one of these men, WHOM NEITHER TRADE OR SALE WILL

EVER DIVERT FROM REMEMBERING THEIR LORD? Please reflect on this brothers.

Loving Our Children

For the sisters, Alhamdulillah, when Allah has blessed us with beautiful children. We

can be so consumed in our daily chores, in feeding them, cleaning them, running

after them all day every day, and before we know it, we’ve missed the Zuhr Salaat, we

are so exhausted, that all we want to do is put our feet up before they wake up, and

before we know it, its Asr salaat, and we are rushing to prepare the food before our

husbands come home. We all sit together and eat NOT PRAYING EVEN ONE

SALAAT…and what do we say at the back of our minds, I’ll make up for it at Isha.

Sisters, yes, it may be difficult, but when its time to give Allah His rights, our children

must never come in the way of doing this. In fact, Allah told us in the interpretation of

the meaning: “O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you

from the remembrance of Allaah” [Surah al-Munaafiqoon, 63:9].

Surely, our love for Allah should always come first!

Having said this, it does not in anyway mean that we cannot love them, or love

beautiful things such as silver, gold, branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled

land, our businesses. We can love these things as long as we do not give preference

over our love for Allah.

We don’t want to be like the Mushrikeen, who love their idols along side Allah. And

this in itself is pure shirk.

We can only protect ourselves from falling into shirk by educating ourselves about

Allah. For how can we love Him like He deserves unless we truly know Him.

Insha’Allah, I will leave you with this beautiful Hadith: Anas reported that the Prophet

said, “There are three things which cause anyone who takes refuge in them to

experience the sweetness of belief – that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved

to him than anything else; that he loves a man only for Allah; and that he dislikes the

thought of reverting to disbelief as much as he would dislike being cast into the

Fire.” [Hadith Bukhari & Muslim].

Written by: Student of knowledge As'salato.