Overwhelmed by the Love of Allah.

Assalamu alaykum

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Overwhelmed!.... in reflection of the last couple of weeks I've had....that is the word that comes to mind.

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Subhnallah... I am just sitting here in awe of Allah! In awe of those who have been blessed with the high levels of Ehsaan, Subhanallah, how i wish to be one of those who are experiencing the true love for Allah (Ishq Haqiqi).

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"The face of one who sincerely loves Allah ('ashiq) glows with the spiritual radiance (nur) of love for Allah. The knotted hearts of ordinary people become untied when they glanced upon such a face".

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These people who - when they are seen - Allah is remembered.

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Ive been reading book which was given to me by a beloved sister of mine, (Jazakallah khair sis, you know you have a special place in my heart, that's 'Ishq Majazi;)). The book is called "Love for Allah" by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad, translated by Brigadier Ashfaq Ashraf.

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The book covers the following: 1) The importance of Love for Allah 2) The effects of love for Allah 3) The conditions of the lovers of Allah in this world 4) A comparison between love ('ishq) and intellect ('aql) 5) True love ('Ishq Haqiqi) and metaphorical love ('Ishq Majazi) 6) The condition of the lovers of Allah when dying 7) The condition of the lovers of Allah in their graves 8) The conditions of the lovers of Allah on the Day of Judgment 9) The signs of a sincere lover 10) Love for Allah in the present times 11) How to attain love for Allah 12) The difference between a Murid and a Murad

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Although this book is small and relatively light in appearance... appearances can be deceiving! I have found this book to be a eye opener and more importantly a heart opener!

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"Traveling the path becomes difficult if one's footsteps follow the dictates of the intellect alone. The path leading to Allah has many points where the intellect falters, causing one to stumble. However, if one rides the mount of love, one easily races along the path. And, endeavors that a person deems impossible are rendered possible by Love."

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One leap of love has completed the journey,

I had thought this Earth and sky to by boundless.

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The simplicity of the way the book is written by a person who is a person deeply in love with his most Beloved, Allah. His words emanate from the heart, such that it effects the heart of the reader immensely.

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"When an ordinary person says something it has no effect on others. When spoken to a person imbued with love for Allah, the same words penetrate the innermost recesses of the heart."

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Words which come from the heart

Have an incredible effect.

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The entire book effected me a lot and put a lot of things into perspective. The book begins by explaining the importance of love and the role of love in a person's heart

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"The human body is composed of limbs and organs, each with a unique trait: seeing is the trait of the eye; listening is the trait of the ear; and smelling is the trait of the nose. Similarly, loving is the trait of the heart; the heart is always in love with someone"

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Be it with a stone, God, or anyone else

There comes not tranquility without loving

The heart is the ocean of love; love is its act,

Guard it a thousand ways; it will still fall in love.

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Subhanallah, the author mixes his knowledge with love and his love with poetry, but I cannot but dream of words which would be better for such a immensely fantastic topic.

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Another point which made me reanalyse my own condition was the difference between True love ('Ishq Haqiqi) and metaphorical love ('Ishq Majazi).

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"To love those among creation that Allah has commanded to love is in truth a completion of love for Allah. A hadith states that the Prophet (salalhi wa alyhiwa salam) used to supplicate;

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O Allah, I ask of You Your love and the love of those who love You.

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Therefore, to love the Prophet (salalhi wa alyhiwa salam) is in reality to love Allah. Similarly, love for the noble Companions (Sahabah) AS, the family of Prophet (salalhi wa alyhiwa salam), and the friends (awliya) of Allah also falls in this category. In addition, love for one's shaykh is also due to love for Allah. There are certain limits to these loves of creation and to exceed these limits, or to fall short of them, is considered a sin, In essence, to have love for the Prophet (salalhi wa alyhiwa salam) is a condition of one's faith (Iman). While, to love one's shykh, parents, children, spouse is the completion and perfection of one's love for Allah. Thus, true love ('ishq haqiqi) is to love both Allah and those among His creation that He has commanded us to love"

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How to attain such a blessed unique quality is hard to those only whose hearts are not opened to Allah.

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"The foremost condition of attaining love for Allah is to sincerely crave for such love. A person may acquire the material world (dunya) passively, but true love ('ishq) is a treasure; therefore it cannot be acquired unless one actively seeks it.

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I am humbled by my abaseness, and in awe of Your exaltedness,

Yet, what can I do of my heart, still it desires to reach you.

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So we must be yearning for Allah, be sincere in wanted to meet Him.

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I'm off to read the book again... you can never get enough of a good book! I haven't touched on half the things that the author has, and I haven't done justice to it, so please get a hold of a copy and read it.

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wassalam

Keep me in your duas