And it is the very same love and affection...

And it is the very same love and affection, which Ibrahim wished for his posterity, and which last of the Prophets besought from Allah Almighty for his kith and kin. What is deduced from traditions is that the pith and substance of faith is nothing other than love. Bareed Ajli says, "I was in that session of Imam Baqir when a traveler came from Khorasan. He had covered that long distance on foot. He appeared before the Imam. When he removed his footwears, his feet were ruptured and split.

He said: 'By God, but for your love nothing has brought me here'. The Imam said, 'I swear by Allah, even if a stone loves us. God will resurrect it along with us and install it in our vicinity on the day of the Judgment'. The Imam also said "Is faith anything other than love"? One man said to Imam Sadiq, "We name our children after your and your fore-fathers' names; has this practice got any benefits for us"? The Imam replied: "Yes, by God faith is nothing but love".

Thereafter he recited, "If you love Allah, obey me (Prophet) so that Allah may love you". ( 60 ) Basically love and affection would generate obedience. The lover does not have the will to betray the wishes of the beloved. We see with our own eyes that a youthful lover would forego everything for the sake of his beloved, and would sacrifice everything for the sake of his beloved.

The obedience and worship of Allah by a man is proportionate to love and devotion he has for God; as Imam Sadiq has said," You disobey God and yet profess love with Him. Because friend is one who obeys whom one claims to be his friend'. Previous…