The Concept of Love in Islam in the Qur'ân and Sunnah

Introduction

Love is a crucial requirement for the human soul. One needs to love and be loved as
much as one needs to eat, drink, sleep and take a rest. A balanced life will have love at the
centre, and will manifest itself through harmonious relationships with others. Love is a
human being’s natural tendency towards an object that provides great pleasure; it is a
magnetism that pulls one towards another. In fact, in the Arabic language, the word love
(hub) is derived from the Arabic word for seed, and suggests a link to human birth and
evolution1.

Unfortunately, contemporary material civilization looks at love from a narrow perspective,

limited primarily to the relationship between men and women. The love of fellow man and
the environment is largely absent. Love is more than a basic instinct as taught by modern
science. Love is at the root of our essence and development, encompassing all aspects of
human behavioural patterns. Its full and comprehensive understanding is realised through the
religion of Islam.

The Qur'ân and Sunnah call for mankind to understand the real meaning of love through
daily practice. I will try to focus on the concept of love in the Qur'ân and the sayings of the
prophet Muhammad in order to demonstrate that Islam calls for respect and encourages the
instinct of love.

Chapter One: The Types of Love

The categories of love can be classified in the following hierarchy:

Love between a man and a woman

Love among the members of society

Love of the Prophet Muhammad (God pleased and peace be upon him)

Love of Almighty Allāh

Love between a Man and a Woman

1
Kamal, A. (2007)Hubb and the Human Endeavour: Love as a Foundation for Community in the Abrahamic Tradition.
Amman: Royal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. Available at http://www.aalalbayt.org/ar/ResearchDocuments/22.pdf
(Accessed: 10 January 2011)
 Love in Islam is sublime, inclusive and all-encompassing, rather than being restricted to one
form only between a man and a woman. Rather, there are more comprehensive, wide and
sublime meanings. There is love of the religion of Islam, love of Almighty Allah, love of the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), love the Companions (may Allah be pleased with
them all)2, etc.

Perhaps some people in Islamic society are influenced by what western media try to
disseminate via TV serials and movies, about the apprehension of true love by claiming that
marriage will ultimately be unsuccessful unless it is initially based on a pre-marital
relationship between a man and woman.3

To analyse this view, let us consult two major dictionaries and their definitions of ‘love.’

Cambridge Online Dictionary

‘To like another adult very much and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to
have strong feelings of liking a friend or person in your family.’4

Oxford Worldpower Dictionary

‘A very strong feeling of affection or sexual attraction for somebody or something.’ 5

These two lexicons claim that love is confined between a man and others. The concept of
love is restricted to satisfying the sexual instinct. Thus this great word in all its senses and
manifestations becomes limited and confined only to man’s base appetite of sex. Not only
this, many people in the Muslim world recently are deeply influenced by some western
theories like the call for intermixing between the two genders in schooling ''co-education'' all
across the educational stages, in order to teach the new generation things they need (love and
sex).

2
(2010) the concept of true love in Islam.Available at at:http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?
page=articles&id=156581 (Accessed: 13 January 2011)

3
Ibid

4
Cambridge Online Dictionary, Available at: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/love_1.(Accessed 18
December 2010)

5
Oxford Wordpower ,Oxford University press 1999
 In my opinion, it directly leads to great corruption and misunderstanding for the real
meaning of love, because the concept of love presented here is a distorted image.

In a study carried out at Cairo university about ‘love marriage’ versus ‘traditional marriage,’
it was found that 88% of marriages based on a love affair end in divorce; whilst traditional
marriages only have a 30% divorce rate.6 A similar study at Syracuse University in the U.S.
met the same conclusion: traditional marriages are much more successful than those based on
a love affair. These studies indicate that love or passion is not a guarantee for a successful
marriage; rather, it often leads to failure. The alarming rates of divorce assert these facts. 7
Commenting on this phenomenon, Professor Saul Gordon, a lecturer at Syracause, said,
"When you are in love; to you the whole world revolves around this person whom you love.
Marriage then comes to prove the opposite and destroy all your perceptions. This is because
you discover that there are other worlds that you have to be aware of. It is not the world of
humans, but the world of concepts, values and habits which you paid no attention to before."8

From an Islamic point of view, if somebody wants to choose a partner, the most crucial
thing that should be taken into consideration is their consciousness of Allah (Taqwa). In
Islam, it is not a sin if you feel a special inclination towards a certain individual, since human
beings have no control at all over such natural tendencies. However, these warm feelings
must be built with an Islamic perspective to make this relationship stronger and full of
harmony.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commanded the one seeks marriage to look at
the prospective woman he may marry. This is because it is better for causing agreement and
harmony between potential spouses. He said in the famous Ḥadīth: ‘A woman is married for
things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion .So you should take
possession of (marry) the religious woman otherwise you will be a loser.9

6
al-Munajjid,S.M, (1426 A.H), Celebrating Valentine’s Day, Rabwah, The Islamic Propagation Office

7
(2010) The concept of true love in Islam, Available at: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?
page=articles&id=156581(Accessed: 13 January 2011).

8
ibid

9
al-Bukhari,Muhammad,(1987),al-jam` al-sahih, Beirut,Dar ibn katheer,number
 Marriage is life-long company and a person’s real worth is manifested not by his or her
physical looks, but by character. Hence, after having mentioned that people normally look for
the beauty, wealth and family in a marriage partner, the Prophet recommended the righteous
one. He mentioned in another Ḥadīth: ‘Nothing is better for those apparently affirmed that the
most highly accepted marriage is marriage for religious reasons.’ 10

The concept of family in Islam is not just to raise the proportion of the population, or even
to achieve physical satisfaction, but rather the family is held in Islam as the key unit in
building society. That is why Islam pays great attention to the relationships between husband
and wife, children and parents, under the umbrella of mutual love among them. Moreover,
Islam ordered parents to love their children, to be kind to them and secure what they are in
need of. As al-Bukhari mentioned ''The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most merciful
person towards children''11

In summary, Islam teaches us, through the holy Qur'ân and Sunnah, that both males and
females should build up a good relationship through marriage, considering the family as the
basic unit of the social structure.

Love among the Members of Society

The religion of Islam is a social message which endeavours to establish a tightly knit and
collaborative society in which all people have the benefit of equal rights and duties. The
guarantor for this is the mutual love between the members of society; that love includes love
between neighbours, friends, strangers, colleagues and any person even he or she is non-
Muslim.

Islam cares for social relations among family and society, especially among the neighbours,
so no wonder when we observe that the Prophet gave a neighbour high status on many
occasions. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: ‘Whoever believes in Allah and the
Last Day should honour his guest. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should never
trouble his neighbour. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say something

10
al-Mousili, Ahmad,Musnad Abu Y`ala,Damascus,Dar al-Ma'moun,number 2747

11
al-al-Bukhari,Muhammad,(1989), Al-Adab al-Mufrad,Beirut,Dar al-Bash`er,number 376
good, or he should be silent.’12 In another Hadith he said: ‘Gabriel recommended the
neighbour so much that I thought he would leave an inheritance to him.’13

On the other hand, the attitude of true Muslim towards non-Muslims is based on the title of
love and sympathy because this person is his brother in humanity.

Islam through the Qur'ân and Sunnah calls its follower to show mercy and kindness towards
their opponent even they are against them in faith, or even provoke hostility.

Ibn Sa'd in his book al-Tabaqāt, mentioned the story of the Prophet with the tribe of Al-Tātif
In Al-Tātif the Prophet called people to the new faith, but sadly no one listened to him. He
met the leaders of the three most important tribes, but they would not listen either. Not only
did they take no notice of what he said, but they laughed at him and ordered their slaves to
abuse him and pelt him with stones. The Prophet gave every Muslim a lesson when he did not
take any negative reaction, and he kept doing his efforts until every Arabian tribe believe in
his message. 14

Love for the Prophet Muhammad

Allah gives the Prophet Muhammad (God bless and peace upon him) highest status in Islam.
History shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him) suffered from lots of difficulties and
trials in order to bring Islam to Muslims, sacrificing more than any prophet to save his
people. When the Messenger (peace be upon him) was hit, persecuted, slandered and
insulted, he still demonstrated love and compassion.

Thus love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Islam is not something that
Muslims can live without it because it is a real measure of one's faith and inner conviction.
One’s faith will not be completed or perfected until our love for the Prophet (peace be upon
him) exceeds our love for everything else in this world, including our own lives. The Holy
Qur'ân says: ‘The Prophet is closer to the believers than their ownselves. (The Qur'ân 33:6)

12
Ibn Hiban,Muhammad,(1993), Sahih Ibn Hiban,Beirut,Alrisalh,number 516

13
Abu Dawud , Sulayman,al-Sunan,Beirut,Dar al-Fikr ,number 5152

14
Ibn Sa'd, Kitab al-tabaqāt al kabīr, volume1, p196
 In confirmation of this the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘None of you becomes a
believer until I am dearer to him than his children, his parents and all mankind.’15

Allah said in the Qur'ân: ‘Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your
wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear
bukhthat there will no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His
messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah
guideth not wrongdoing folk.'(The Qur'ân 9:24)

Actions speak louder than words, and many Companions sacrificed their own lives to
protect the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: ‘On the Day of Uhud, some of the people fled and left the Prophet (peace be upon
him), but Abu Talhah stood before him covering him with a shield. Abu Talhah was a
powerful archer who broke two or three bows that day. When a man passed by carrying a
quiver containing arrows, he would say, “Give them to Abu Talhah.” Whenever the Prophet
(peace be upon him) raised his head to look at the people, Abu Talhah would say, “O Prophet
of Allah, may my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, do not raise your head lest you
be struck by an arrow shot by the enemy. My neck is before your neck.” 16 The Prophet
mentioned in another Hadith, ‘None amongst you can be a true believer until I am dearer to
him than even himself. 'Omar said, ‘I swear by Him (Allah) who revealed the Book (Holy
Qur'ân) to you! You are indeed dearer to me than even myself. The Holy Prophet
replied, ‘Omar, now your faith is complete.’17

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘None among you can be a proper believer until his
love for me is greater than the love he holds for his own parents, children and anyone else.’18

The companion Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) also relates that the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: ‘a person who possesses the following three qualities has acquired the
right and true meaning of his faith: His love for Allah the Almighty and Prophet Muhammad
is greater than his love for anyone else. His friendship with any person is only for the

15
As-San'ani, Abdul Razak,(1403 A.H), al-Musannaf , Beirut , al -Maktab al -Islami ,volume 11,number 20321

16
al-Mousili, Ahmad,Musnaod Abu Y`ala,Damascus,Dar al-Ma'moun,number 3921

17
al -Hakim ,Muhammad,(1990),Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahîhayn,Beirut, Dar al-Kutub al-`Ilmiyya number 5922

18
Ibn Mājah,Muhammad, Sunan Ibn Majah,Beirut,Dar al-Fikr,number 67
pleasure of Allah. Having accepted Islam, he detests disbelief as much as he would loathe
burning into the fire.’19

Love for Allah

Love for Allah is not a matter based on logic and reason; it is, rather, something more
intrinsic based on our human nature. Allah outlines how to attain to His love in His
Revelation: ‘Tell My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Compassionate, and that My
torment is indeed the painful torment’ (The Qur'ân 15: 49–50).

Elsewhere, Allah describes Himself as follows: ‘Allah, the Mighty, the Knower, the
Forgiver of sins, the Acceptor of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is
no deity beside Him. To Him is the final journey.’ (The Qur'ân 40: 2–3). Many hadith from
the Prophet refer to Allah's Almighty love, and his mercy towards mankind. `Abdullah bin
Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) said, "I know of the last of the inhabitants of the Hell to be taken out from there and the
last one to enter Paradise. He is a man who will come out of the Fire, crawling on all fours.
Allah, the Lord of glory and honour will say to him: `Go and enter Paradise.' He will go to it
and think that it is full up. He will then come back and say: `O my Lord, it is full up.' Allah
will say to him: `Go and enter Paradise.' He will again go to it and think that it is full up. So
he will turn back. Allah will again say: `Go and enter Paradise. For you have what is equal to
ten times the world.' He will say: `Are you making fun of me while you are the King?'' At this
I (i.e., the narrator) saw the Messenger of Allah laugh till his premolars were visible and he
said, "Such man will be the last dweller of Paradise in its lowest rank.''20

However, we must note that Allah mentioned His love combined with his punishment.
Revelation tells us that, as servants of Allah, all Muslims (good or bad) must mix love and
hope for Allah with fear of His wrath; for Allah is the Most Merciful and Compassionate and
He is also Stern in punishment. Fear alone, without hope, is an imbalance, as is hope without
fear.

Love of Allah the Almighty offers valuable life to the heart of mankind and sustains the
soul. He alone is worthy of remembrance, praise and worship. He is the kindest to be asked,
the most liberal to give, the most merciful to pardon, the mightiest to assist and the most
19
Ibn Hanbl,Ahmad,al-mousnad,Eygept,Muasash Qurtuba,number 13431

20
al-Bukhari,Muhammad,(1987),al-jam` al-sahih, Beirout,Dar ibn katheer number 6202
dependable to rely on because the heart of mankind naturally has love for those who do good
to them.

We must at least recognize the bounties that Allah has bestowed upon all His slaves. These
bounties are so many that they cannot be counted or enumerated. Allah said: ‘If you count the
blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them.’ (The Qur'ân14:34)

Finally, in the Qur'ân many verses included the bestowal of honour to mankind over other
creatures, as when Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, not in worship, but to
indicate the preference Allah shows to mankind. Moreover, Allah the Almighty has
subjugated His creatures to serve man. This honouring and preference in many occasions in
the Qur'ân indicates clearly the love of Allah for humanity.21

Teaching Love in the Qur'ân and Hadith

Brotherhood in faith, and loving one another for the sake of Allah, are among the most
superb acts of worship. This magnificent love plays a vital role in the Muslim daily life, and
its importance is emphasised in the Sunnah: ‘None of you will attain perfect faith until he
loves for his brother what he loves for himself’.22

Islam Urges to Build the Perfect Society via Strong Relationships among Muslims

Muslims must enjoin truth and patience, and give each other honest advice. They must
command what is right, ban what is wrong, and guide each other. They must help one another
in carrying out works of virtue and spread morality via an Islamic society. This is because
they are a single entity. The Prophet said: ‘The Believers, in their mutual love, mercy and
compassion, are like one body: if one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a
fever.’23 The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said: ‘When a man loves his
brother, he should tell him that he loves him.’24

Love among Muslims is a Theme of Social Association

21
Al-boti,M S,(2009),al-hubb fe al- Qur'ân,Dar al-fikr,p

22
al-Bukhari,Muhammad,(1987),al-jam` al-sahih, Beirout,Dar ibn katheer, number 13

23
al-Qushairi,Muslim, Beirut, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-`Arabi number 2586

24
al-Qudā`ī, Muhammad (1986).Musnad al-Shihāb.Beirut :Mu`sasa al-Risala,number 565-566
 Muslims must engage in the things that produce love among them, strengthen interpersonal
relationships among them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘A Muslim has six rights
over another Muslim.’ They asked, ‘What are they, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘When
you meet him, greet him with salam (Muslim's salutation meaning ‘peace’); when he invites
you, accept his invitation; when he seeks your advice, advise him; when he sneezes and then
praises Allah, invoke Allah’s mercy upon him; when he falls ill, visit him; when he dies,
follow his funeral.’25 The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: ‘Do not view any good act
as insignificant, even the act of meeting your brother with a cheerful face’ 26. This infers the
significance of delighting your brother in faith. According to this Hadith Muslim should be
greeted with a smile and given a pleasant reception.

Muslims should guide each other to what is good, and help each other in acts of obedience.
Equally, they must prevent and discourage one another from falling into sin and vice. The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘One should help his brother, whether he is
an oppressor or the one being oppressed. If he is an oppressor, forbid him from his
oppression. If he is being oppressed, then come to his aid.’27

Muslims must excuse each other’s faults and defend each other’s reputation, never speaking
ill of, or deriding each other. They should keep each other’s secrets, advise each other
sincerely, and never abuse each other. They must excuse each other’s mistakes and defend
each other’s honour, never speaking ill of, or deriding each other. They should keep each
other’s secrets, advise each other sincerely, and never abuse each other.

In other words, Islam calls to establish healthy relationships among all people. These
relationships include: self-denial, sacrificing, and social morality.

''Social morality in Islam requires one to place duty before right. Duties in Islam are
incumbent on all the faithful, regardless of status in society.''28

Love among Muslims shines in a most amazing and genuine manner when two of them are
far away from each other yet each of them is secretly praying to Allah for the other. The

25
Ibn Hanbl,Ahmad,al-mousnad,Eygept,Muasash Qurtuba

26
al-Qushairi,Muslim, Beirut, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-`Arabi number 2626

27
al-Bukhari,Muhammad,(1987),al-jam` al-sahih, Beirout,Dar ibn katheer, number 863

28
Caesar ,E, Farah.(2003). Islam: beliefs and observances, p128
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘A Muslim’s prayer for his brother in secret is answered.
At his head an angel is appointed, and whenever he supplicates for his brother with
something good, the angel appointed to him says, ‘Ameen, and likewise for you.’ (Muslim)29

Teaching Love among Muslims Creates a New Impression of Worship

Islam, through Qur'ân and Sunnah, calls all of its members to adopt and spread the notion of
"love for the sake of Allah." This unique phrase was never used before the advent of Islam
and fully expresses its spirit. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Allah will ask on the Day of Judgment: “Where are those
who loved each other for the sake of My glory? Today, on a day when there is no shade but
Mine, I shall shade them with my shade.”30

The Qur'ân and Sunnah often speak about the noble status of those whom Allah graces to
possess such love. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Among Allah’s
servants are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs, but whom the prophets and martyrs
will deem fortunate because of their high status with Allah.” The Companions asked, “O
Messenger of Allah! Inform us of who they are.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) told them that they are people who loved each other for Allah’s sake, even without
being related to one another or being tied to one another by the exchange of wealth. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) went on to describe their great reward on the Day of
Resurrection: “By Allah, their faces will be luminous and they will be upon light. They will
feel no fear when the people will be feeling fear, and they will feel no grief when the people
will be grieving.” Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) read the verse: [Behold! verily
on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve] (The Qur'ân 10:62). Another
famous Ḥadīth enumerates the seven types of people who will enjoy Allah’s shade on a day
when there is no shade but His. Among those mentioned are “two men who love each other
for the sake of Allah, meeting for that reason, and parting with this love (still cherished by
both of them).''31

29
al-Qushayrī,Muslim,sahih Muslim,Beirut, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-`Arabi, number 2732

30
al-Bayhaqi,Ahamad,(1994), Al-Sunan al-Kubra,Mecca,Dar Al-baz, number 20856

31
al-Bukhari,Muhammad,(1987),al-jam` al-sahih, Beirout,Dar ibn katheer, number 625
 Love for Allah’s sake transcends the limits of our worldly existence, enduring into the life to
come. Allah says, [Close friends on that Day will be foes to one another-except for the
righteous. (The Qur'ân 43:67)

Loving one another for the sake of Allah, and brotherhood in faith, are among the most
excellent acts of worship.

Islam Calls on the Youth to Preserve Chastity through Love

According to Islamic perspective of view, Marriage in Islam accomplished Muslim’s faith,

enabled one to protect his chastity and presented a lawful means to satisfy his sexual desire.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that: ‘we were with the Prophet
(peace be upon him) while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Apostle
(peace be upon him) said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry,
because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty, and whoever is not able to marry,
should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."32

The Qur’an says: ‘Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their
private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what they do.’ (The
Qur'ân 24: 30).

Conclusion
32
al- Qushayrī,Muslim,sahih Muslim,Beirut, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-`Arabi, number 1400
 The heart is the place where emotions and feelings spring forth from. In fact, nothing
influences or motivates a person than a love. One of example is that of a woman and her
baby. We observe that she apparently suffers from worry and continuing disturbance but
everybody knows that her feelings are full of ecstasy and love for her child.

This assignment has shown the role of love and fostering of genuine brotherhood
contributes to a positive environment for all members and classes of society. I have focused
on the role of love that Islam expects between men and women; a love which must be
controlled by Islamic conditions, emphasizing the important role of parents in establishing
good through love. Finally, I have looked at the role of love in human life through the
acquisition of love for Allah. This pure and most perfect love leads to satisfaction in this life
and bliss in the Hereafter.

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