In Arabic, love is written as حب (hub); the name Al-Wadud is derived from the word وُدّ (wudd), which means an act or expression of love. So, hubb is just the emotion, whereas wudd is the physical manifestation of that love.1
And Allah has Named Himself al-Wadud: The Affectionate.
This word was specifically chosen to show that Allah not only loves you, but that He shows you He loves you. And if we have been in the dark about this, it's time to take notice how Allah manifests His love for us - for you, for me specifically - everyday.2
Allah is the source of all forms of love. Love between a mother and her child, Love between two friends, Love between spouses; It all originates from Allah (SWT).
The concept of Love has always been so fascinating to me —even to researchers.3
Love has fascinated researchers for decades. We look at what experts have learned about the origins and psychology of love.
Love is a powerful, complex emotional experience that involves changes in your body chemistry, including your neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). It impacts your social relationships in varied ways, affecting how you relate to others around you.
But the love that really fascinates me, is the love between a mother and her child, especially in animals.
Every time I watch an animal documentary, it fascinates me how much the mother loves and cares for her young and the lengths she’s willing to go just to protect them from predators.
The animal world is a rollercoaster. The relationship between the prey and the predator makes you wonder why animals are so vicious and heartless towards each other. But then when you see the way they love and protect their young (some animals btw, some animals abandon their young or eat them) you’re left wondering “where does this love come from?”
Mummy Octopus — who sacrifices her life to protect her eggs🥺
For many a female octopus, laying eggs marks the beginning of the end. She needs to cover them and defend them against would-be predators. She needs to gently waft currents over them so they get a constant supply of fresh, oxygenated water. And she does this continuously, never leaving and never eating.4
When the eggs hatch, she dies, starving and exhausted. As biologist Jim Cosgrove says, “No mother could give more”
Mouth breeding fishes
Many species of fish are mouthbrooders, which mean that they protect their eggs by keeping them in their mouths. During this time the mothers don’t eat anything, to minimise the risk of swallowing their own eggs. When the eggs hatch, the fish swim out. For some species of fish, the young continue to use their mothers’ mouth as shelter after they have hatched.
Strawberry poison-dart frog
Aside from protecting her young from predators, this amazing parent has to deal with young who may try to eat each other. In order to prevent this from happening, mother frogs transport each baby tadpole individually on her back to a safe pool of water, which is often in the heart of a flower. She then visits each nursery pool for about 50 days to feed the tadpole. Meanwhile, father frogs stand guard to stop rivals finding their babies.5
Some animals are also capable of romantic love.6
Swans
Swans (Cygnus cygnus) have long symbolized love and romance. Swans mate for life and raise baby swans, known as cygnets, every year. If a swan loses his or her mate, the swan will spend a long time in mourning. Many choose to live alone rather than get a new mate. These animals in love share a beautiful courtship ritual that involves arching their necks and bringing their faces together. The motion seems to create a heart shape from their curved necks. It’s no wonder these elegant, romantic animals symbolize love and marriage.
Love birds
These small, colorful parrots get their name from their sweet nature and faithfulness. They form strong, life long bonds with their partners.
How loving and faithful are they?
Loneliness is the main cause of death for lovebirds. A lovebird without a mate will eventually stop eating and waste away. People who keep them as pets must keep them in pairs.
Take a few minutes to reflect, to appreciate what a blessing LOVE is.
Think about all the forms of love you’ve ever received from different people in your life (your parents, friends, siblings etc).
The Love a mother and father feel when they hold their baby for the very first time.
The Love you feel for your parents.
The Love you feel for your life partner.
They’re all blessings from Allah, an embodiment of His love. He put that love there. — SubhanAllah🥹
We could have all been created without affection for each other, all just striving to survive.
But No, He (SWT) blessed us with LOVE.
He created familial bond, bond between friends etc, as a mercy, a proof of His love for us.
I don’t think there’s any human being who has never experienced love before in his/her life.
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: When Allah loves a servant, He calls Jibreel and says: Verily, I love so and so; you should also love him/her, and then Jibreel begins to love him/her. Then he makes an announcement in the heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him/her, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the Angels) also begin to love him/her and then there is conferred honour upon him /her in the earth. [Bukhari & Muslim]
SubhanAllah just imagine Allah(SWT) telling His angels to love you because He loves you 🥹🥹.
It’s the way you can’t talk about Allah being Al wadud w/o talking about some of his other attributes like Ar Rahman, Al Ghaffur, Al waliyy, Al Afuww, Ar Ra’ūf, At Tawwāb, As Sitīr, Al Latīf, Al Karīm, Ar Rafīq, Al Hamīd, Al Jamīl, Al Khaliq & At Tayyib.
How can we not fall in love with al-Wadud, who showers us with His abundant affections daily?
So how does one reciprocate Allāh’s Love?
Knowing that Allah (SWA) loves us should encourage us to do more of the things that are beloved to Him.
Though we can’t reciprocate His Love with the same magnitude, we can try to please Him to the best of our ability.
"Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves."
This is an open invitation to EVERYONE. Some of us may feel so far - where do we even begin?7
Yet Allah says in a hadith, "If my servant comes closer to Me a hand span, I come closer to him or her an arms-length; and if he or she comes to Me walking, I come to him or her at speed." (Bukhari)
So just take that first step. Take advantage of this blessed month, Make the intention to do one new thing or to fix something you weren't doing so well.
Allah says, "O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness from Me. I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins near as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it." [Tirmidhi]
The characteristics that Allah loves in people:8
When you read the Quran your eye will fall on some specific characteristics that Allah loves in humans, and you will find them repeatedly.
Here are some of them:
Those who do good
Allah says, “And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw (yourselves) woith your (own) hands into destruction ( by refraining). And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.” Quran (2:195).
2. Those who repent
He says, “… Allah loves those who are constantly repentant…” Quran (2:222).
3. People who purify themselves
Allah says, “And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you… (Allah) loves those who purify themselves.” Quran (2:222).
4. The patient ones
“…And Allah loves the steadfast.” Quran (3:146).
5. God conscious people
“But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah – then indeed, Allah loves those who fear him.” Quran (3:76).
6. Those that put their trust in Allah
“… And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely (upon Him).” Quran (3:159).
7. The just ones
“(They are) avid listeners to falsehood, devourers of (what is) unlawful. So if they come to you, (O Muhammad), judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them – never will they harm you at all. And if you judge between them with justice. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” Quran (5:42).
8. One who when they fight (evil) in His way, they do so united
“Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are (single) structure joined firmly.” Quran (61:4).
Let us try and perfect these 8 characteristics in order to gain the pleasure of Allah.