Most beautiful teaching of islam

I think the most beautiful teaching is of love.

Love is so much of Islam that it becomes undividable.

Love God

In Islam one of the first things we are taught it how to love Allah, and how much Allah loves us. The Qur’an tells us:

When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.

2: 186

Really consider this. God, the Lord of all creation, promises us that if we simply think about Him, he will be close to us; if we call on Him and ask for help, no matter how small and menial, He will help us! I don’t know anyone human has that kind of strict dedication for another human being! Then of course there is a famous hadeeth form Qudsi:

Allah says: “ Take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run towards you.” Hadith Qudsi.

This Hadeeth has inspired me in many more ways than I can even count. It reminds me that no matter what wrong I do, how far I go astray, or what kind of trouble I put myself in, Allah is always willing to forgive me, and all it takes is for me to just try and go towards Him, and He will run towards me.

That is a truer love than any I have ever experienced.

Love your parents

Islam holds parents in the highest regard. The Qur’an says:

23. Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour.

24. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: “ My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.”

17: 23-24

This verse shows how highly parents places are held in Islam, the first and foremost rule of Islam is laid out (worship none except Allah), but what is the second? Charity? The Pilgrimiage? No! Be kind to your parents.

The Prophet held parents, especially mothers, in high regard also:

A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘ O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘ Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘ Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘ Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).

Then there is this hadeeth:

Abdullah ibn Amr related that the Messenger of Allah said: The major sins are to believe that Allah has partners, to disobey one’s parents, to commit murder, and to bear false witness (Bukhari, Muslim).

In this hadeeth, the simple act of disobeying your parents is associated with major crimes like murder, lying, and worshiping false gods! How highly then are parents respected!

Love your wife/husband

In Islam the bond between husband and wife is sacred. (Women in Islam: Gender Roles on ask-a-muslim – shameless self-promotion). Islam considers men and women as perfect equals and commands us to love each other. In fact, the Qur’an says:

And of His Signs is that He has created mates for you from your own kind that you may find peace in them and He has set between you love and mercy. Surely there are Signs in this for those who reflect.

30: 21

This verse clearly states that Allah, in all His mercy, gave us someone to love and cherish, and we should hold them dear to us.

There are so many stories about the way the Prophet (SAW) treated his wives with love. When revelation first came to the Prophet, he was terrified of what was happening, so he ran to his wife Khadejah for comfort. Or when Aishia had lost a piece of her jewelry in the middle of enemy territory, in the desert, the Prophet had his whole army stop, so he could find it for her. Or after the siege for Mekkah, members of Khadejah’s (she had passed away some time ago) family who had belittled, tormented, and harassed the Prophet, brought him pieces of her old jewelry, and even after all those years, his eyes still filled with tears seeing memories of his beloved wife, and he pardoned them. The hadeeth are full of stories showing us we should always love and be kind with our significant other in all matters.

Love… everyone

So we covered loving Allah, loving parents, and loving your spouse, but who else is there? Well… everyone! According to a hadeeth narrated by Aishia (the wife of the Prophet) our neighbors are not just the ones that live next to us, in front of us, and behind us. Our neighbors are not just the ones that live in our neighborhoods, no! In fact our neighbors are everyone that lives up to 30 homes away form us. So how should we treat our neighbors? Like this:

“ Gabriel has continued to strongly recommend me to be kind to my neighbour until I thought that he would make him among my heirs.” Sahih Bukhari

What the Prophet means here is that the Angel Jibri’el(Gabriel) continued telling him to be kind to his neighbor, that the Prophet began to think he would have to put the neighbor in his will! That is how important everyone is.

This is what I love about Islam. I love the love.