Al-Wadood:
Referring to our discussion regarding the beautiful and majestic Names of our Creator and of the Names that are mentioned in the Quran is the Name ‘Al-Wadood’. The Name ‘Al-Wadood’ comes from the verb ‘wadda’ and the verb ‘wadda’ means to love but it is not just any type of love. All of us know the main word for love in Arabic is ‘mahabba’ and ‘hubb’ but ‘Al-Wadood’ is not from this verb ‘habba’ and ‘yuhibbu’. It is from another verb ‘wadda’.
From the Names of Allah is a Name that deals with love but it is not the primary verb for love. So what is the difference between ‘mahabba’ and ‘wud’? What is the difference between the primary verbs of love in Arabic which is ‘mahabba’? Allah used this verb to derive his Name. Our scholars have mentioned that the Arabic word ‘hub’ or ‘mahabba’ can be used for any type of love. It is the most generic type of verb for love but ‘wud’ is that when you have this type of love, you would want to benefit the person whom you have this ‘wud’ for! It is nurturing love and that is why it’s very common to have this verb to describe the love that a mother has for her child.
One of the unique things the verb ‘wadda’ and ‘yawuddu’ and ‘yawadda’ never has a romantic or sensual connotation. Whereas the word ‘mahabba’ is very common to have a romantic connotation but the word ‘wadda’ has no romantic connotation, it is a noble love, and it is a love where you genuinely benefit the other.
Some of our linguists say that one of the characteristics of the word ‘mahabba’ is that you actually wanna be with the other person or you have a desire or yearning to be with that person, either in thought or in proximity.
Allah Azzaojal is ‘Al-Wadood’ and from the differences between the words ‘wud’ and ‘mahabba’ our scholars say that ‘mahabba’ means ‘what is in the heart’ and ‘wud’ means ‘what is shown in your actions of love. So Allah’s love is demonstrated and not just abstract! Whereas ‘mahabba’ could be in the heart but never demonstrated!
‘Wud’ or ‘Al-Wadood’ is a special type of love which means that Allah’s love is manifested in action, whereas ‘mahabba’ is not necessarily manifested in action. When it comes to the Name of Allah SWT the Name ‘Al-Wadood’ has two meanings:
1) The One who shows love.
2) The One upon whom love is shown or the One who is beloved.
So Allah SWT is ‘Al-Wadood’ who loves to the creation and Allah SWT is ‘Al-Wadood’ whom the creation or at least the righteous creation loves. This is an interesting Name because there is unfortunately a common misunderstanding amongst the non-Muslims that the Quranic God is not a God of love. This is false and incorrect allegation because of the 99 Names of Allah is the Name that translates itself as ‘the love’ or the One who loves and the One who is beloved.
‘Al-Wadood’- the One who shows love and ‘Al-Wadood’ – the One who is the most beloved:
So the first meaning for the One who shows love for His servants is that Allah SWT desires good for them. Ibn Al-Qayyim commented that it is not strange for the servant to love his master; it is not strange for any created being to love that which is taking care of it. This is because the servant is taken care of by the master or the animal is taken care of by his owner. The amazing fact is when ‘the creator’ who has no need of the creation, chooses to love the creation even though there is no benefit that the creation can give back to the creator.
This is the meaning of ‘Al-Wadood’ that Allah SWT loves the creation even though there’s no selfish reason for that love. We love because there’s always something coming back to us. We love money, we love comfort, we love water, we love food, we love our children, we love and love and love things that benefit us. There is a selfish element in each and every love but Allah’s love is unselfish because Allah SWT doesn’t need us, we need Him!
So, ‘Al-Wadood’ is the One who shows love and Allah SWT mentions in the Quran that He created us to show us this love and mercy. This is a Quranic concept which Allah SWT says in the Quran, “illa man Rahima rabbu wali zaalika khalaqa hum” which means “Except those whom Allah SWT has shown mercy to; and Allah has created the creation to show mercy”.
So Allah SWT created the creation, as the default way to show that Allah loves to show mercy to the creation. But some of the creation chose to reject that mercy. Some of the creation chose to reject Allah (Naoozubillah). Some of the creation chose to live sinful lives, which is their own business and they will be dealt with accordingly. But the default is “wali zaalika khalaqa hum” meaning “I created them for what? To show them Rahma, to show them My beneficence and My generosity”.
Allah Azzaojal is ‘Al-Wadood’ and every single facet of our creation demonstrates this. Our ‘khalq’ or ‘inter body’ is mentioned in the Quran by Allah SWT that, “He created you and He perfected you and He fashioned you and He fashioned you in the best of form”. “Sawwarakum fa ahsana suwarakum” – We are in the best fashions, the best mold. Allah SWT says in the Quran, “Don’t you look at yourselves? Didn’t We give you eyes?” “alam yaj Allahu ainain wa shaftain”.“And we gave you tongue to speak, we gave you this, we gave you that; we gave you intelligence”. Allah’s blessings are mentioned as a manifestation of His love.
Allah Azzaojal also mentioned in the Quran, “Didn’t We create for you the heavens and the Earth? Didn’t We alternate the night and the day for you? So that you can rest in the night and work in the day”. So every facet of creation is a manifestation of Allah’s love, so much so that Allah says in the Quran, “Waja ala lakum banina wa hafadah” meaning, “He gave you children and grand children”. Every parent knows that the greatest love in our hearts is the love of our children. So this demonstrates that the Name of Allah SWT ‘Al-Wadood’ as ‘the One who shows love’.
The second meaning of ‘Wadood’ was the One who is shown love by the creation i.e. the object of love i.e. the beloved. We know that loving Allah SWT is the primary element of worship, our love for Allah SWT is the most important manifestation of our belief in Him.
Allah SWT says in the Quran, “there are those who worship false Gods and they love them along with loving Allah”. In another verse Allah SWT says, “those who love Allah, they love Allah more than those people who love their false Gods”.
Loving Allah SWT is a primary concept of believing in Allah SWT. Ibn Taimiyyah mentions that the love of Allah SWT is a unique love because only Allah is loved for who He is!” every other object that you love has an element of selfishness involved. But Allah Azzaojal is loved for His perfection and love of Allah SWT will never hurt or harm us.
May Allah SWT have mercy on Ibn Tayimiah, who said:
There is no love that you have for any created object, except that, that very love will end up hurting you as well.
Just pause here, and think about it, this is so true! Ibn Taimiyyah was an amazing psychologist. Think about it! What hurts the most is what you dearly love, when it’s taken away or when it causes you pain.
The fact of the matter is that the worst problems come from within the family! Right? The most painful problems are spousal problems, children problems, and parental problems. Why? It is because you love them. Ibn Taimiyyah mentions, “There is no love that is a worldly love except that you will also be stung by that very love!” but there is one love that you will never be stung by! That is the love of Allah SWT.
Every love that you have is not linked with Allah’s love, it is going to cause you pain in the long run. Every love that exists must be linked with Allah’s love. You love your children, so link it with the love of Allah SWT. I am gonna be good to my children because that’s my responsibility. You love your parents, so link it with the love of Allah SWT. You love money, so link it to the love of Allah SWT. I will only earn halal money and spend it on that which Allah wants me to spend and I’ll be generous with my money and so on…….. To show love to Allah SWT means to obey commandments and to praise Him.
The Name ‘Al-Wadood’ occurs with two other Names in the Quran and it occurs only twice in the Quran. The first time it occurs with the Name ‘Raheem’ as ‘Raheem ul Wadood’. Allah is merciful or is ’Raheem’ and Allah is loving or ‘Al-Wadood’. The two obviously co-relate because the One who loves, shows mercy. The One who is merciful shows love.
The second pairing that occurs with the Name ‘Wadood’ is ‘Al-Ghafoor’. “Innahu huwa yubdioo wa yoeedu wahuwal ghafoorun wadoodu” here Allah Azzaojal links the Name ‘Wadood’ to the Name of ‘forgiveness or Ghafoor’. This demonstrates for us, as to when are we supposed to use the Name:
1) When we need some blessing from Allah SWT ‘Raheemun Wadood’. When we need a job or we are hungry or sick, we can use the Name ‘Ya Wadood’ in supplications; we need your help, you are the One who shows love.
2) When we raise our hands and we ask Allah ‘Ya Wadood ya Ghafoor’ forgive us. The manifestation of Allah’s ‘wud’ is that He has placed love in our hearts for other creatures. This ‘wud’ that we have comes from up there because Allah is the ‘Wadood’, so he places His ‘wud’ in my heart and your heart.
If Allah SWT was not ‘Al-Wadood’ we would not have love. Where does this love come from? It comes from ‘Al-Wadood’ and Allah mentions this in the Quran explicitly. For example, when it comes to spouses and the spousal love is a very special love. What does Allah SWT say of this His miracles? He says that He has created for you spouses from amongst yourselves and has placed between you two ‘mawaddatan wa Rahma’ meaning “Allah – the Wadood has placed that wadda in the hearts of the spouses. That’s the miracle of marriage. Otherwise marriage would never last. It would not last but Allah the Wadood of the two parties has placed the wud between each other.
The wud also exists between the family members in another version in the Quran for which some Ulama have interpreted ‘Mawaddatan fil quba’ as Allah is asking us to have wud for our family members. Of course the famous verse of Quran states that, “It is the miracle of Allah that those two parties became brothers together”. This is about something in the Seerah about the groups who were having a friction between them. So Allah SWT brought their hearts together.
Allah swt says:
If you were to spend all the money in the world! You would not have brought about that camaraderie between them but Allah SWT who is the One who that camaraderie and love between them.
Now the final point is, how do we get to love Allah SWT? How do we increase that love of Allah SWT?
1) By studying Allah’s names and attributes.
2) We increase our love for Allah SWT by loving His Rasool or Prophet ﷺ.
Prophet ﷺ says, “If you love Allah SWT then follow me, then Allah SWT will love you”. So by reading about the Prophet ﷺ and by loving the Prophet ﷺ and by following the Prophet ﷺ, we will increase our love for him.
3) A love of good deeds like reading Quran, by zikr, charity and sponsoring orphans leads to the love of Allah SWT. Those who believe and do good deeds, Allah will bless them with ‘wud’ or love.
What does it mean when Allah SWT will give them ‘wud’? Our scholars say that for those who believe and do good deeds, Allah SWT will love them and the angels will love them and mankind will love them.
The love that we have for particular people, especially the righteous comes from Allah SWT. We raise our hands up to Allah SWT and we ask Him as the Prophet ﷺ did!
Allahumma inni as aluka hubbak wa hubba man yuhibbuk wa hubba amalin yuqarribuna ila hubbik” which means “O Allah! I ask for your love and the love of all those who love you, I want their love and I want them to love me. And I want to love the deeds which bring me closer to your love.
What a beautiful dua! Let’s memorize it! May Allah Azzaojal grant us His love and may He place in our hearts the love for Him and the love for the Prophet ﷺ, Aameen.
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