When you Need to Feel Loved | Allah's Names | Dr. Omar Suleiman | Ep. 10

When We Need to Feel Loved

What's wrong with this phone? I can't sleep without the sound of the bomb. I'm worried about my son. His phone is off for a few hours.

It's not normal. It's the first time it happens. Where's your son? You said you were on your own.

I took him to his uncle's country. On his own? Yes, on his own. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't get along with him.

I had to send him on his own. The person I love the most in the world sent him on his own. The one who's left in the world sent him on his own.

What was I supposed to do? Should I have left him? Maybe I should have left him. But if I left him with me, he'd go with the one who left him. He'd go with his father, his brother, his grandfather.

Maybe I should have left him with me. I know my son. He doesn't know how to sleep without me.

He doesn't know how to eat without me. Maybe I shouldn't have left him. What was I supposed to do? Oh, my love.

I miss you so much. I miss you, mother. Take care of him, my sister.

Don't worry. God will take care of him. Take care of him.

God willing, my love. Believe me, my sister. If anyone loves your son more than you do, it's God.

Whatever God has written is good. And whatever God has written is good. Take care of him.

Oh, my God. Take care of him. Make sure he's safe.

That he's safe. That he's away from the bombing and the destruction.

Does Allah Love Everyone?

Does Allah love everyone? It's a question that makes people uncomfortable. But the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Allah doesn't love the persistent sinner and the striving good-doer in the same way. But He loves good for you and He loves repentance from you.

So we need to change how we phrase this. Instead of saying Allah loves the sinners, say Allah loves the repenters. That way you don't belittle the sin or cheapen His love, but you also don't make a person hopeless thinking they can never reach Allah's love because of their past sins.

It's your present sins that serve as barriers not your past. And if you're repenting, then know that divine love doesn't expire with failure. Shu'aib said to his people:

Seek your Lord's forgiveness, then turn back to Him. Indeed, my Lord is merciful and loving. Notice how he says رَبَّكُمْ Your Lord and then he says رَبِّي My Lord and then follow me and then you'll experience His love the way I experience His love because it's not for free. And Allah says:

Say, if you truly love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you back and forgive your sins.

So Allah's love is expensive and unique but not inaccessible.

Allah's Name is Al-Wadood

Allah's name is Al-Wadood, and وُدّ. حُبّ can be a mere feeling of love. وُدّ is love translated into action. We're more used to the word Habib which also means beloved one. Al-Wadood is the one who loves and acts upon his love.

And when Allah loves you, it never stops at just feelings. He announces that love throughout the heavens. He calls Jibreel and says يَا جِبْرِيل إِنِّي أُحِبُّ فُلَانَ I love so and so, so love them as well.

I love that person too. And then Jibreel announces it to the angels in the heavens and then they love you too. And then that love descends to the earth and it's like the current of love runs from the throne of Ar-Rahman through the angels of light into the lives of people you may not have even met yet.

وُدّ is to love someone and then to constantly look for them and do what they love for them. He is Al-Wadood, the one who loves and acts upon his love Habib the most beloved who was always seeking his Lord's pleasure. So when you follow the Habib you enter into the circle of Al-Wadood.

And just like no one else loves you like Allah, no one else deserves to be loved the way you love Allah.

From those who take partners beside their Lord are those who love them not the way they should love Allah. Because that can translate into preference.

If you love someone or something equally to Allah then you will conform to what it wants of you. And that's called associating partners in love. Because love itself can become a false idol.

Al-Wadood is willing to love but you have to be loyal in that love. And you're not asking Allah for an empty love. You're asking him for a transformative one.

Hence the beautiful du'a of the Prophet:

(Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3235)

Oh Allah, I ask you for your love and the love of those who love you and the love of every deed that brings me nearer to your love.

سُمِّيَتِ الْمَحَبَّةُ لِأَنَّهَا تَمْحُو مِنَ الْقَلْبِ مَا سِوَى الْمَحْبُوبِ It's called مَحَبَّة, love. Because it erases from the heart everything other than the object of your love.

So his love overwhelms your heart in a way that makes the hate or the hardship of this world bearable. إِذَا صَحَّ مِنْكَ الْوَدُّ فَالْكُلُّ هَيِّنٌ فَكُلُّ الَّذِي فَوْقَ التُّرَابِ تُرَابُ If I have your love, then everything else is easy because everything above the dirt is dirt itself.

I will never forget this young girl in France who when hijab was banned in schools she shaved her head. And then as she was being interviewed this teenage girl says these beautiful words: If being ugly in the sight of the creation means being beautiful in the sight of the creator then it's worth it. Where do you think that spiritual clarity comes from? And can you imagine Al-Wadood looking at her at that moment and then the conversation that must have happened in the heavens if she was sincere in what she said?

And at night when you rise from the comfort of your bed and maybe even from your beloved spouse just to stand before him Allah turns to his angels and says انظروا إلى عبدي Look at my servant ترك فراشه ولحافه من بين أهله وحبه فقام للصلاة رغبة فيما عندي ومخافة مما عندي He left his bed and his comfort and his family and his beloved yearning for what is with me and fearing what is with me.

That's Al-Wadood loving you back announcing your name in the heavens for the simplest act of love on earth. And think about it if Al-Wadood loves the repentant sinner so much and rejoices for him how much more do you think he loves the striving worshipper.

Al-Muhsin - The Ultimate Good-Doer

وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ Allah loves the good doers but Allah himself is Al-Muhsin the ultimate good doer.

Ihsan means doing more than what's expected of you outmatching every good and Allah will never let you outdo him in good to him or anyone else.

So imagine for your half-distracted prayers your fasting from just before sunrise to sunset that sometimes ends with feasting your charity that didn't sting too much. He gives you Jannah in return. He takes your one dollar and he turns it into mountains of gold. The tasbih that barely cost you a breath earns you a palace in Jannah. That's him being Muhsin to you for what you do between you and him.

And when it involves being a Muhsin to others Allah even rewards more. The Prophet said that a man from the nations before you was called to account in the hereafter. Nothing good was found with him except that he would overlook people's loans and he would relieve debt. So Allah said نحن أحق بذلك منه We are more worthy of this leniency than him. We will overlook all of his sins.

And the Prophet said whoever simply cancels a transaction with his brother or sister because they regretted it so someone agrees to purchase something from you but they quickly regret it and now you're not bound to release them from that transaction but you say, you know what, don't worry about it. The Prophet said for that Allah will cancel his mistakes on the day of judgment.

So if it's in the realm of relieving someone or helping them from a place of ihsan Al-Muhsin will meet it with so much more in this life and the next. The Prophet said whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden from the burdens of this world Allah will relieve him of a burden from his burdens on the day of judgment. And whoever eases a difficulty in this world Allah will grant him ease from a difficulty in this world and in the hereafter. And whoever covers the faults of his Muslim brother or sister Allah will cover his faults in this life and in the hereafter. Allah is engaged in helping his servant so long as his servant is engaged in helping his brother.

And your ihsan can sometimes come in the smallest extra details because Al-Muhsin pays attention to the smallest things that you do for him and then rewards it unimaginably.

Now imagine something far bigger than those small deeds like freeing someone from slavery. The Prophet said whoever frees a believing slave then Allah will free every part of his body from the fire. So the same way that you freed that person from captivity Allah frees you from eternal captivity.

Now this ihsan isn't even limited to acts of kindness to humans. Remember that lifelong sinner who gave water to a dog and Allah forgave them for all of their sins. But for what? You gave water to a dog, not Allah. But Allah is grateful to you for taking care of one of His creation with the blessing that He provided for you in the first place.

And this unveils the next layer Allah is Shakir, appreciative. Just as He is Ghafir, forgiving. And He has the capacity of forgiveness and gratitude that is unimaginable. And for the smallest single act of kindness He rewards in the most incredible of ways. But His name is also Ash-Shakur The most appreciative. And just as Al-Ghafur forgives beyond measure Ash-Shakur rewards beyond measure.

Ash-Shakur - The Most Appreciative

Now what's the difference between shukr and ihsan? Ihsan is more general in that you may show it to someone who did nothing for you like overlooking a shortcoming or holding a door for a stranger or picking up a piece of garbage from in front of someone's house. But shukr is specifically how you show appreciation for good. So Al-Muhsin won't be outmatched in the extra effort on thanking someone for any good that they put forth.

And as He appreciates even your smallest deed think about how many humans deny the most significant good done to them.

Verily we have guided him to the path. Either he is shakir, grateful or intensely ungrateful.

Iblis said وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ And you will find that he specifically said that he could disconnect you from prayer by making you ungrateful.

Think about it. People are not willing to pray five times a day. You realize how ungrateful that is to Allah. He provides for you day and night and you can't even spare a few minutes for Him to say thank you. And he used the term shakir basic gratitude to describe human beings to say I'm grateful.

But then look at the Prophet when he was asked why he prays not just five times a day but so much extra at night that his feet swell up. And the Prophet has already been forgiven for all of his sins. And he replies أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا Shall I not be an extremely grateful servant. He wanted to do even more.

And Allah says if you are grateful then I will increase you even more. And there's another thing about being grateful to Him. When you realize His blessings upon you you're increased in your love towards Him. And the Prophet said أَحِبُّوا اللَّهَ لِمَا يَغْذُوكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمِهِ Love Allah for the blessings that He provides for you.

But here's the thing. Those blessings can be provided out of love for you or despite His not loving you. The Prophet said إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُعْطِي الدُّنْيَا لِمَنْ يُحِبُّ وَمَنْ لَا يُحِبُّ وَلَا يُعْطِي الْإِيمَانَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَحَبَّ Allah gives of this world to those He loves and those He doesn't love. But He only gives iman, faith to those whom He loves.

He begins by loving you enough to guide you. And then He loves you again when you love Him back through repentance. And then He loves you most when gratitude transforms your worship from obligation to extra loving devotion. And the extra He may give you may not just be extra reward but extra in regards to your relationship with Him.

Du'a - Seeking Allah's Love and Appreciation

Ya Wadood love me even after I falter and let your love reach me through every mercy I overlook. Teach me to love you more than what you give and to find sweetness in every test that draws me closer to your love. Announce your love for me in the heavens until I hear that announcement myself in paradise. Surround me with it in everything around me and let me feel it deep inside myself.

Ya Muhsin You perfect everything you touch. Make me one of those who do good because you do good. Guide me to the ways of good in every single one of my dealings. Then let my deeds of excellence become a reflection of your unmatched perfection.

Ya Shakur For every small effort I make reward me beyond measure. Let me never grow tired of thanking you and never forget that gratitude itself is a gift from you. Accept from me what is broken and multiply it until it becomes whole.