To Love for the Sake of Allah (s.w.t.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) said, that among the Children of Israel, at the time of the exodus from Egypt, Korah was the richest man.  Korah carried a large part of that wealth into the Sinai with him, and with that wealth a great deal of influence over the Children of Israel.  Unfortunately for Korah, he used his influence to stir up rebellion and discontent with the leadership of Moses (a.s.).  In order to discredit Moses (a.s.) once and for all, Korah bribed a dishonourable woman to claim that Moses (a.s.) had committed adultery with her, and that the child in her womb was his.  As he was of course innocent, Moses (a.s.) was livid with rage, as he could only deny the accusation but could do nothing to prove it false.  How could he lead the Children of Israel when they would hold doubts in their hearts regarding his morals and veracity? 

So Moses (a.s.) turned to his Lord, saying, “Oh my Lord, Vindicate me!” 

The Lord Replied, “I have Granted you the power to command the Earth.  You may use it to vindicate yourself and prove your innocence to the Children of Israel.” 

Then Moses (a.s.) announced to all the people, “All who are with me come to my side and those who adhere to Korah stay by his side.”  Then Moses said, “Oh Earth, catch him and swallow him up!”  Responding to this command the Earth caught Korah, laying firm hold of his feet and ankles. 

Korah cried, “Oh my dear cousin Moses, for the sake of our kinship please forgive me!” 

But Moses (a.s.) was very angry and determined to punish Korah for all of his crimes, “Oh Earth, swallow him!” 

Then the Earth grabbed a little more of his legs, and he again cried out to Moses (a.s.) for forgiveness–and so it went on, a full seventy times: Korah asking for pardon and Moses (a.s.) refusing and demanding retribution.  Finally, the Earth had completely swallowed Korah. 

Then the Lord Addressed Moses: “Korah begged you for forgiveness seventy times, but you had no mercy for him in your heart.  I swear by My Might and Glory, had he even once addressed himself to Me, saying, ‘Oh my Lord, I repent, please forgive me’, I would have rescued him.  You had no mercy for him because you did not create him.  I am the Creator and I have boundless mercy for My repentant servants.” 

The Lord Created us and Loves us; that is why everyone loves love.  No one complains of love or wants it to be taken from him, but all want to be loved more.  Where do we seek love?  Do we take pure water from the gushing source, or muddy, slimy water from the ditch?  We love people, but they will die.  Perhaps our love will be unrequited, or because of a small error or indiscretion on your part that person’s heart will harden to us and love will be no more.  We say that we love him or her, but do we love him or her unconditionally?  Is our love permanent-love for the real immaculate divine essence living in that person, or temporary, as a result of some desirable attributes: beauty, youth, wealth, station or wit?  When that beautiful, young, wealthy, clever, amiable socialite becomes an ugly, old, penniless, senile, grumpy outcast will we still love her?  Is our love of the spirit or of the world? 

We must seek real love, a love that cannot go astray.  That love is the love of God and the love of his creatures for the sake of His love for them.  That love emanation may bind all receptive hearts.  There is a common saying, “The friend of a friend is a friend”, so love people if we love God, for we must know that He Loves them.  It is not always easy to love people, even good people, so what about the Korahs of this world? 

Love pertaining to the ego is not love, as all the ego knows is to love itself, and what is commonly called love is but a mutual understanding to support each other’s egoism.  We must not trust our ego, nor anyone else’s, for the ego is disloyal by nature.  When the spirit gains ascendancy the ego may be harnessed and put to good use, as the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “Your ego is your mount”, but left to its whims it will take us many miles from your path in search of herbage.