Divine Love
God’s love is manifest in beings brought into existence,
whether believer or disbeliever, to enjoy life, if only for a brief moment. It
is also realized in the creation of paradise for those who choose righteousness
over evil. God states in the final revelation that He loves those who do good
(Quran 5:13), those who are just (Quran 5:42), those who are pious (Quran 9:4),
those who are patient (Quran 3:146), those who put their trust in Him (Quran 3:159),
those who frequently turn to Him in repentance and those who purify themselves
(Quran 2:222). However, it is He who has defined for human beings through the
scriptures and the prophets what is good, just and pious. Consequently, those
who follow the prophets are most beloved to God. In the Quran, God instructed
Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, to say the
following to the believers:
“If you really love God, follow me and God will love you and
forgive your sins…” (Quran 3:31)
The prophets should be followed not only in the
compulsory acts ordained by God, but also in their eagerness to do acts of
voluntary worship.
The love of God is also manifest in His mercy and
blessings which He grants to those who deserve them as well as those who do not.
But, it is particularly manifest in His willingness to forgive the sins of
whomsoever turns to Him in sincere repentance. From the creation of Adam and
Eve, repentance was granted to them to erase their sins as an example to all
human beings who would follow them into this world. No matter how great human
sins may become, the door for sincere repentance remains open until the last
day of this world. Anas quoted God’s Messenger, may the mercy and blessings of
God be upon him, as saying:
“God, the Almighty, has said: O son of Adam, as
long as you call on Me and ask of Me, I will forgive what you have done, and I
do not mind. O son of Adam, even if your sins reached the clouds and you asked
My forgiveness, I will forgive you. O son of Adam, if you came to Me with sins
nearly as great as the earth and you met Me without giving Me partners, I will
give you a similar amount of forgiveness.”
Divine Grace
As for those in paradise, they will not enter it solely
based on their good deeds. It is the grace of God which will ultimately carry
them there. The final Prophet of God, may the mercy and blessings of God be
upon him, said in this regard:
“Try your best to do right, and be happy. For none
will enter paradise only because of his deeds.” His companions said, “O
Messenger of God! Not even you?” He replied, “Not even I, unless God envelops
me in His mercy and grace. And bear in mind that the deed most loved by God is
one done constantly, even though it is small.”
However, God’s grace is not arbitrary. It is based on
both correct faith and righteous deeds. In the Quran, God says:
“Whoever brings a good deed, will have [the value of] ten like
it, and whoever brings an evil deed will only be punished with one like it, and
they will not be wronged.” (Quran 6:160)
Were God to hold humankind to account strictly, no one’s
good deeds would outweigh their evil deeds. However, God has manifested His
grace by multiplying the value of good deeds, while keeping evil deeds at their
face value. It is by the grace of God that the true believers enter Paradise.
This does not mean that deeds have no role. Deeds have a major role, but they
are not the deciding factor. God’s grace outweighs them.
Consequently, the creation of human beings, the errors
that they make and the good that they do are all circumstances for the
manifestation of God’s attributes of mercy and forgiveness, His attribute of
justice and His attribute of grace.
Humankind should not question why God chose to manifest
His attributes in this way. It can only be assumed that this was the best way,
because God describes Himself as being the Most Wise and the Most Knowledgeable.
Humans can only understand what God chooses to reveal to them.
“…They will only encompass of His knowledge what He wishes…”
(Quran 2:255)
Thus, they should not try to equate themselves with God.
If He has told humankind why He decided to do something, it is not for them to
question why He decided to decide. Such questions are without end and thus
beyond human scope. It is they who will be questioned on the Day of Judgment
about their actions and intentions and not He. In the Quran, God addresses
this point:
“He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will
be questioned.” (Quran 25:23)
In this regard Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, was reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas to have said:
“Reflect on the creation of God but do not reflect
on God.”
To reflect on the reality of God is to reflect on the
infinite. And, as the mind boggles when it reflects on the limits of the
finite universe and the galaxies and stars within it, it will be more
confounded when it attempts to understand the uncreated. The Prophet, may the
mercy and blessings of God be upon him, warned that the satanic forces would
seek to introduce doubts in the hearts of the believers by raising unanswerable
questions about God. Aboo Hurayrah related that God’s Messenger, may the mercy
and blessings of God be upon him, said:
“Satan will come to everyone of you and ask: Who
created this and that? - until he questions: Who created your Lord? When he
comes to that, one should seek refuge in God [say: I affirm my faith in God and
His prophets] and avoid [such thoughts].”
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