#Islam
A Short Gem from “Love for Allah,” a Lecture by Sh. Hussain Abdul Sattar
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaah,
Last Saturday in Manhattan, I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend a talk given by Sh. Hussain Abdul Sattar entitled “Love for Allah.” While I would love to give a full summary of this talk, I unfortunately did not take notes, which makes summarizing an arduous task. However, I did want to share an amazing gem from the talk:
As Muslims, we want our hearts to be so filled with the love of Allah 
, that we would cry for the sake of Allah upon being reminded of Him. However, crying for the sake of Allah is not something that many Muslims find easy to do… in fact to many Muslims, it is a rare occurrence. Yet, if we think about the nature of the heart, we realize that our hearts are made to express emotion.
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If you think back to when you’ve ever watched some dumb movie with a happy ending, or when you watch your favorite football/basketball/baseball team suddenly make a comeback in the last few seconds of the game… how often it is that these little inconsequential moments move our hearts and maybe even cause us to shed a tear. Our hearts are so easily moved at these insignificant events, then imagine how easy it should be for one’s heart to be moved at the remembrance of Allah!
The bottom line is that if our hearts are filled with movies, TV, and whatever else of the dunya, then it is dunya that will dominate our emotions. However, if we remove the garbage of this dunya from our hearts, and fill our hearts with the remembrance of Allah, then this remembrance will move our hearts to tears bi idhnillaah.
Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah
Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.
The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.
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Solomon2
July 3, 2007 at 12:19 AM
if we remove the garbage of this dunya from our hearts, and fill our hearts with the remembrance of Allah, then this remembrance will move our hearts to tears bi idhnillaah.
Perhaps. But in the U.K. there are Muslims who removed “the garbage of this dunya” from their hearts, only to have the empty space filled with murderous nihilism, not love. If exposure to some Western movies and TV is sufficient to avoid such a fate, don’t you think that price is worth paying?
Amad
July 3, 2007 at 12:42 AM
Perhaps George Bush and Blair as well as the Sharon and other Israeli butchers like him should also have watched lots of tv to keep their hearts void of the nihilism and butchery that they have exhibited in having hundreds and thousands of people killed between them. It is easy to sensationalize these Muslim “mini-murderers-wannabe”, while conveniently forgetting who is responsible for the majority of murders/killings in the world, call it what you like.
By the way, your little snips are getting pretty ridiculous now. The purpose seems to be more of trolling than any benefit.
Solomon2
July 3, 2007 at 1:02 AM
You don’t have any answer for me, do you, Amad? I’m staying on the subject, the content of Muslim hearts; you’re the one avoiding it. So who is the troll, exactly? Whose “little snips are getting pretty ridiculous now”?
Back to the subject. The Hard Question: is it preferable to do as Mr. AlFarsi suggests if it means that a proportion of the population will turn into tearless murderers, or is it better to watch tear-jerking episodes of sport and soap operas that teach so many people to feel the joy and compassion of others?
ibnabeeomar
July 3, 2007 at 1:26 AM
“if it means that a proportion of the population will turn into tearless murderers”
i didnt know that. was there some kind of scientific study to prove that this is the overwhelming case? that’s quite the leap in logic…….
Abu Mus'ab
July 3, 2007 at 2:00 AM
Jazakallah for the wonderful post akhi. Personally, I feel really challenged to shed a tear for the sake of Allah. And it makes me feel guilty sometimes.
Your post has encouraged me to try and be more attentive to this aspect, that is crying while remembering Allah.
inexplicabletimelessness
July 3, 2007 at 3:24 AM
JazakAllahu khair for the naseeha. May Allah soften all our hearts and help us to turn to Him in good and bad times, ameen.
AbdulRahman
July 3, 2007 at 6:45 AM
It’s not necessary that these murderers you speak of did actually rid their hearts from TV movies and whatnot.
I think this post speaks of the ultimate heart, which is filled with Love for God.
The people you speak of Solomon, may (or may not) have emptied their hearts from the nonsense of TV, only to have them filled with rage and feelings of victimization that caused them to perform heinous acts.
But these are not the hearts spoken of above.
hema
July 3, 2007 at 8:45 AM
jazakAllah for the reminder.
may Allah give us the tawfeeq to save our tears for his rememberance alone.
Amad
July 3, 2007 at 9:20 AM
Solomon, your “logic” defies logic. Why do you see the world in black or white?
Basically, what you are implying is that a person’s heart can only be filled with love of God OR the stuff of amusement and that there is no third resort except nihilistic violence? So, I insist that this is such a ridiculous insinuation that it is only meant to flame the discussion, not really to add benefit. Also, you imply that somehow these violent tendencies are only limited to Muslims because this is talking about love of Allah. And again, history proves that the vast majority of civilian killings have been committed NOT by Muslims.
This topic is a gentle reminder for the love of Allah, so please do not hijack it for your ulterior purposes, which are quite apparent in most of your comments here.
ibnabeeomar
July 3, 2007 at 10:10 AM
i was just reading back over this, it is sad that such a nice post was hijacked by this discussion.
back to the original point though, the post really struck a chord with me. sometimes, even if you no longer listen to music, etc, sometimes you may just hear a song that you used to know for 30 seconds and it will just get stuck in your head immediately.. may Allah(swt) give us the tawfeeq to make the Quran the life of our hearts
Mujahideen Ryder
July 3, 2007 at 11:09 AM
If you liked this talk and his lecture, you can visit Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar’s website here. It contains many lectures and audio files available to download or for your iPod. Highly recommended!
He also spent a great deal discussing why we shouldn’t watch TV, or waste time on the Internet. He said that almost 90% of the problems and fitna Muslims face today is due to the Internet. From pornography to chatting with people your not suppose to which end up into haram relationships.
Shaykh Hamza and Imam Zaid have also said it numerous times in there recent lectures how the fitna of the internet has infested itself in the Muslim world.
Shaykh Husain recommended that we stay away form the TV, internet, news, and cell phone. Why? TV is useless. The internet should only be used publicly and for work/school use. News you can find out from other people. Cell phone is a huge time killer. Use it only when necessary.
Those are some of my gems.
Solomon2
July 3, 2007 at 11:10 AM
you are implying is that a person’s heart can only be filled with love of God OR the stuff of amusement and that there is no third resort except nihilistic violence? So, I insist that this is such a ridiculous insinuation
No. Mr. AlFarsi wrote that the “dunya” will dominate unless it is removed so “the rememberance of Allah” can fill Muslims’ hearts instead. I pointed out another possible result. I did not exclude others.
Yet I wonder if what Mr. AlFarsi dismisses as “garbage” may indeed be more beneficial than he thinks. The mark of the fanatic is lack of compassion for other people, specifically his intended victims, who are pre-judged as guilty and worthy of punishment. Fanatics also wish to limit the joys of people’s life to that which can be experienced in serving their cause. If the “rememberance of Allah” by itself is supposed to be sufficient to move us to emotion, what of human needs and causes?
Mr. AlFarsi couldn’t take notes at the lecture, so perhaps someone could check with Sh. Hussain Abdul Sattar and see if this is what he wanted to communicate. Could he have said something to the effect of, “If our hearts are so easily moved by a football game or love story, how much more our hearts should be moved by the love of Allah?”
In that case, would eliminating the “garbage” cited improve matters, or is it actually a benefit that helps train our sensitivities to what G-d perceives as holy, as training wheels teach children to ride bicycles?
Or as AbdulRahman put it, the “ultimate heart which is filled with Love for God” – is at a higher level than ordinary love. But to reach the top of the ladder, isn’t it necessary to climb the rungs first?
Amad
July 3, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Now, Solomon, you are adding some value to this thread :)
What you mention is the classic debate on whether you need to experience and see evil to appreciate good (consequently God, who represents the Perfection of all good) or can you appreciate and love good and God without experiencing evil. For Muslims, we look at it as the deeds of the heart. The heart as a vessel that holds deeds. If you fill this heart with trash, then that heart may not have any room for the goodness. Evil and goodness cannot reside in the same heart; one will dominate and eventually take over.
Based on the overwhelming evil present in the world, I think if we try our best to avoid it, we cannot succeed 100%, so why make an effort to capture it? Avoiding evil/sins is itself a struggle that purifies and takes you up the rungs of the ladder to Allah (the God).
Also, knowing human compassions and human needs does not imply that we have to watch soaps and experience other entertainment channels. Why not go to the graveyard (as our Prophet (S) instructed), go to visit the sick at the hospital, fast to feel the hunger that people feel (which we do in Ramadan), be part of relief organizations or events; all these acts will strengthen human compassion. And I agree we all don’t do enough of this. I imagine that the terrorists (both individual and state-types), dictators, etc. don’t do much of this humanitarian work at all, otherwise they would feel much angst before hurting another soul.
You make good points… worth contemplating.
Solomon2
July 3, 2007 at 3:12 PM
Based on the overwhelming evil present in the world, I think if we try our best to avoid it, we cannot succeed 100%, so why make an effort to capture it?
I’m afraid I don’t understand the question. Would you please try to explain this to me further, Amad?
Amad
July 3, 2007 at 4:11 PM
That basically even if we don’t go after the evils of society, they will touch us, so we’ll have the opportunity to deal with it and test our “resolve” whether we like it or not.
ans
July 3, 2007 at 4:28 PM
“News you can find out from other people. ”
Isn’t it easier to get distorted news when we rely on rumors from other people? Even while I am reading this article here, I am exploiting the net for the intention of obtaining extra information about Islam. Now, the issue here is to be extra cautious while using the net and not refrain from using it. Remember that internet is a vital medium for da’wa. Simply by avoiding using the technologies wont settle the problems.
Ibraheem
July 21, 2007 at 4:07 PM
Ahmad…Ahmad, and again Ahmad – May Allaah be pleased with you. The Allaah I mean is the one who, with all the power and might rules this world with kindness and justice. The Allaah I refer to is the one who has all the capablity to be very cruel, heinous, treacherous, tyrannical, or most evil – but He chooses to be “most gracious, most merciful”. The Allaah I’m talking about is the one who has no cause to fear about either entering Paradise or Hell, but still chooses to be the most righteous ruler. You and I and have no choice, but to act good or else a consequence befalls us either here or hereafer. This Allaah has nothing to fear, or isn’t forced by any shred of necessity to be righteous- yet still, He’s beyond grace and kindness. The Allaah I’m talking about is the one who makes the earth’s most expensive resources its cheapest….(water, oxygen, salt, you name it). How much do we pay for gas/oil to keep our vehicles on the road? How much do we pay for water? How much do we spend to live in a desired mansion of our dreams? And how much do we pay for the oxygen we breathe? Is there any other creator who’s forcing Allaah to be kind or act righteous this way? If Allaah, with all His might is this way, what are we waiting for? If Allaah were to transfer His control over oxygen to a company in Manhattan, Riyadh, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, or anywhere else…can we fathom how rich and over-imposing the proprietors of such trade will be? In our schools, we talk about oxygen and other gases…but do we find out how they’re produced and sustained? We merely babble about processes and sequences in our subjective vistas to suit earthly undrstanding and quest for mundane knowledge. Isn’t this enough to squeeze the last drop of tears from “those who reflect”? Ahmad, please don’t argue with anyone trying to usurp the gist of this thread and process it into his commodity of discord and ill-inspired whims. We watch celebrities and admire them…yet we take for-granted the creator of such mortals. You know what I feel whenever I think of one of Allaah’s attributes such as “Aleemann Hakeeman”? (the all-knowing, most wise or rich with wisdom) – Allaah knows what was in the spot am occupying right now 10,000 years ago. Allaah knows what creature(s) walked on the space I’m sitting at right now with this computer in my house 20,000 years ago. Allaah knows excatly on Saturday, at 3:00pm 67,000 years ago, what creature did abide where I’ve placed my furniture right now, calling it my home or house. And if there will be a thousand or more years from now as my clock is ticking on my wall, Allaah knows exacly what will occupy this same space I still call my house. How much tears will we shed for a Harvard or Cambridge professor as he gives lectures if he has such knowledge? But we take our lord for-granted! Subhaanallaah!
Amad
July 21, 2007 at 11:31 PM
Love your take, but who’s Ahmed?
Ibraheem
July 22, 2007 at 2:40 AM
Ahmad AlFarsi, I suppose, is the one who kindly set this thread in motion.
Ali M.
September 8, 2007 at 12:16 PM
Those who love Allah must love His creation.
Therefore, If u fill ur heart with the love of Allah, yet the hate for innocent unbelievers, then u cannot claim to really love Allah.
Does it not say in the Quran that to kill one human is like killing all of humanity?(paraphrase)
Moreover, we don’t need to look at terrorists to validate whether the love for Allah swt is beneficial or not. Simply look at the life of our Beloved Prophet pbuh.
His love for Allah swt is unmatched, yet his enemies praised Him…e.g. the Emperor Heraclius of Rome said he would want to wash the feet of the Prophet pbuh if he got the chance(sheikh Anwar al awlakis lecture on Aisha R.A)
Look at the noble character of the Prophet pbuh and aspire to that and who will be loved in this dunya and Hereafter inshAllah.
Khan
December 23, 2008 at 7:42 AM
Asslamo alaikum..
nice words but i think if we want that Allah love us and We increase love for Allah in our hearts then we should spend our lives according to Sunnah this is the only way through which we can increase the love of Allah in our hearts …
Lets fashion the way of Sunnah our habits..
May Allah bless us all..
Regards