Instinct of Love
"And proclaim unto
mankind the Pilgrimage (the Hajj). They will come unto thee on
foot and also on every lean camel; they will come from every
deep ravine that they may witness things that are of benefit
to them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over
the beast of cattle that He bath bestowed upon them. Then eat
thereof and feed therewith the poor and the distressed. Then
let them make an end of their unkemptness and pay their vows
and go around the ancient House (the Ka'aba)." (-xxii : 27-29)
ISLAM is a religion of pure
monotheism. It does not admit of any intermediaries or
intercessors between man and his Creator. It frowns upon all
material and visible objects which might become centres of
devotion and to which people paid spiritual homage in one form
or another. There is no place in it for an intervening agency,
a manifestation, an image or an idol. There is also no
priestly class in it nor a tribe of monks or hermits.
And when My servants question thee
concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of
the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My Call
and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led
aright. (-ii : 186)
So worship Allah, making religion pure
for Him (only). Surely, pure religion is for Allah only. And
those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We
worship them only that they may bring us near unto Allah.
(-xxxix : 2-3)
Islam dwells at such a high level of
intellectual purity, high-mindedness, honesty of purpose and
sincerity of action that it is impossible to conceive of a
better ideal or a nobler concept. No other faith or philosophy
in the world can compare with it in these respects, nor can
anyone improve upon the description given in the Qur’aan or
the Uniqueness and Excellence of God.
Naught is His likeness; and He is the
Hearer, the Seer (of everything). (-xiii: 11)
Landmarks of Allah
But human nature being what it is, the
quest for something within the perceptible phenomenon through
which one could seek the satisfaction of the inward impulse of
love, adoration and submission has always formed a part of his
essential character and personality.
For the fulfilment of this need, God
has appointed certain visible and material objects which are
consecrated to Him and bear a special relation to His Blessed
Name and are held popularly to be His own and upon which there
is so much of His Grace that the mere sight of them evokes His
remembrance. Besides, with them are associated events, rites
and experiences that serve as the portents of Allah, and
remind us of His faith and the fortitude and endeavour of His
Apostles. He has pleased to give to these objects the name of
the Landmarks of Allah, and to proclaim that to pay reverence
to them is to pay reverence to Him while to show disrespect to
them is to show disrespect to Him. He has permitted, or,
rather, invited mankind to gratify its innate urge for love,
closeness and observation through them.
That is (the command). And whoso
magnifieth the Landmarks of Allah, it surely is from the
devotion of the hearts. (-xxii: 32)
That is (the command). And whoso
magnifieth the Landmarks of Allah, it will be well for him in
the sight or his Lord. (-xxii: 30)
Instinct of Love
Man is neither wholly a rational
animal nor is he so helpless as to be obliged to make his
submission to any law or authority. He is also not a part in a
machine which moves alone, a set course and according to a
fixed law. He is mind as well as heart, faith as well as
intuition and submission as well as love. It is in the
many-sidedness of his personality that lies the secret of his
greatness and nobility and it is through it that he has been
able to overcome seemingly insuperable obstacles and perform
superhuman deeds. What is more, it was on account of this
grand peculiarity of his being that he was entrusted with the
'responsibility' the heavens, the earth and the mountains had
declined to shoulder and has succeeded in rising to heights
that are the envy of the angels.
The bond between man and his Creator
is not only of a legal or logical character that may be
limited to the payment of dues the observance of laws and the
enjoyment of rights. It is also a bond of love and other
sublime emotions like those of devotion, tenderness and
self-effacement and its scope is so wide that no human thought
or deed has remained unaffected by it. Islam does not forbid
this love. On the other hand, it calls us to it, encourages it
and sustains it.
Says the Quran: Those who believe are
stauncher in their love for Allah. (-ii : 165)
Say (O Mohammad): If your fathers, and
your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe,
and the wealth you have acquired, and merchandise for which
you fear that there will be 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 the wrongdoers. (-ix : 24)
The Qur’aan, while speaking of the
Divine Apostles, draws pointed attention to their qualities of
love, earnestness and sacrifice. Of Prophet Yahya (John), for
instance, it says: ‘And We gave him wisdom when a child. And
compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout.’
(-xix: 12-13)
The wonderful episode of Hadhrat
Ibrahim (Abraham) is a saga of love and dedication. The
Qur’aan specifically mentions how Hadhrat Ibrahim placed the
knife on the throat of his son and did not remove it till God
had witnessed the depth and intensity of his sincerity,
fortitude and sacrifice. ‘We called unto him: O Ibrahim! Thou
hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! Thus do We reward the
good. Lo! That verily war a clear test. (-xxvii: 104 - 6)
Again, in the praise of
Hadhrat Ibrahim it says: Lo! Ibrahim was mild, imploring,
pertinent.’ (-xi:75)