Allah tells us that if He loves a person, He calls [angel] Gabriel saying:
“Allah loves so and so; O Gabriel, love him.” Gabriel would love him, and then Gabriel would make an announcement among the residents of Heaven, “Allah loves so-and-so, therefore, you should love him also.” So, all the residents of the Heavens would love him and then he is granted the pleasure of the people of the earth. (Bukhari)
Allah SWT has expressed love and favor for certain qualities, actions, and characteristics in the Quran and Hadith (sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad).Let’s overview some of them with me to strive towards the love of Allah SWT. Here is the first out of ten things that Allah likes:
1-Tawbah (Repentance)
Allah loves those who repent for their sins and turn back to Him. (Quran 2:222)
Allah loves those who return to Him. Think about how many times you’ve repented for the same sin – only to find His door of forgiveness and mercy still open for you.
2-Taqwa (Piety)
Allah loves those who are conscious of Him, avoid sin, and strive to live righteously. (Quran 3:76)
Our teacher used to teach us taqwa with a scenario. You are driving on a road and suddenly the speed limit changes from 80 km to 60 km, you hit a break without thinking for a second, thinking that there might be a cop or traffic light camera ahead. The Nafs of a muttaqi (a person with piety) is aware of every stop sign placed by Allah SWT. The laws could feel inconvenient sometimes but like a law abiding citizen, He/She puts the conscience, love and fear of Allah before everything.
3-Ehsaan
(3:134) وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
As we were going through some of the qualities, actions or attributes, Allah SWT has expressed love and favor for, here is the third out of the 10 things that Allah likes:
Ehsaan /Ihsan in the above verse, emphasizes the importance of going beyond just the basic requirements of Islam or being Muslim. It encourages us to put our best effort into every action and to always act with kindness, generosity, and sincerity, both towards others and in our relationship with Allah.
In practical terms, Ehsaan means:
- Performing your Salah and every act of worship with full attention, sincerity, and devotion.
- Treating others with compassion, patience, and fairness, even in challenging situations.
- Constantly striving to improve oneself morally and spiritually, seeking to do the best in all areas of life
4-Tawakkul
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ المُتَوَكِّلينَ
Surely, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him(3:159)
The Messenger of Allah -may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him -said:
“Seventy thousand men and women of my Ummah would enter Paradise without rendering account.” Then he clarified: “those who neither practice charm, nor take omens, nor do they cauterize, but they put their trust in their Lord (perform Tawakkul).”(Sahih Muslim 218b)
When there is absolutely no hope, the only thing which keeps us going is Tawakkul. Allah loves those that return to Him, and have faith in His plans.Even when absolutely nothing makes sense, one thing is for sure, Allah SWT is always on our side if we open our heart to Him.
Tawakkul is believing in “On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear” (Quran 2: 286).
Tawakkul is staying firm on the verse “And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.” (Quran 65:3)
Tawakkul is making every effort ( both worldly and spiritually) to achieve something, then believing in the fact that Allah knows everything, so He knows whether success in my task is good for me or not.
Tawakkul is being at peace with Allah’s will Whose treasures and powers are limitless
5-Justice
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الۡمُقۡسِطِيۡنَ
The concept of justice is rooted in Allah SWT ´s own nature. It states in Quran
Verily, God does not do even an atom’s weight of injustice” (Qur’an 4:40)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ quotes God as saying, “O My Servants, I have forbidden injustice upon myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not commit injustice.”
Our relationship with Allah much manifest in the way we deal with others in our lives. There is tremendous emphasis in Islam on upholding the rights of all creation—from one’s family, to one’s neighbors, to all human beings, to animals and the environment.
6-Purity & Cleanliness
وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ
Another attribute of a believer which Allah mentioned in the Quran which He holds dear is Purity and cleanliness. This implies to be of our body, keep ourselves clean and free of any najas as much as possible, and of our soul, to stay away from the acts of disobedience of Allah SWT as they cause our souls to become impure.
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
Surely, when the servant commits a sin, a black dot appears on his heart. If he repents from it, his heart is polished clean. However, if he increases in the sin, the blackness continues to increase.(Tirmidhi 3334)
Allah also explains this in Quran in the verse
كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم
‘No! But that which they used to commit has covered their hearts with rust. [ 83:14]
So when we take the cleanliness of our bodies as a serious matter, we should also make special efforts to keep our hearts and souls clean. These major and minor sins destroy our capacity to distinguish right from wrong.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ
7-Patience(Sabr)
وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
Sabr is commonly understood to mean patience but it is more than that. Patience is when we show restraint whilst dealing with a difficult situation. But sabr also contains the meaning of perseverance. Patience and perseverance are both needed for the heart to attain what it desires.
Moreover
Sabr is the ability to refrain from committing wrong-doings or indulging in prohibited behaviors.
Sabr is a set of individuals’ positive reactions to the command of Allah SWT.
Sabr is showing perseverance while dealing with difficulties, sufferings, and withstanding problems without giving up.
Sabr is controlling emotion when dealing with emotions in difficult situations.
Sabr is the ability to accept any life reality as fated by the will of Allah SWT.
8-Thankfulness & Gratitude (Shukr)
We (Muslims) spend all our lives to get the pleasure of Allah and gratitude is one way to do so not only in this life but also in the hereafter when we will express it to Him for His blessings. Shukr is the best means to attain the pleasure of Allah.
Scholars in Islamic adab and iman have explain the concept of thankfulness and gratitude in Islam on three levels:
Shukr bi’l-qalb – gratitude expressed by our inner feeling of what is in our heart
Shukr bi’l-lisan – gratitude expressed by tongue and what we say
Shukr bi’l-badan wa’l-arkan – gratitude expressed by body and limbs in our good deeds and actions.
So let’s start this habit of gratitude by making a promise to ourselves to always find khair in everything. Gratitude should not come only in good times but also in times of crisis and difficulties. According to the Quran, the Prophet Sulayman, peace be upon him, said:
“…This is by the grace of my Lord! – to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is free of all needs, Supreme in honor!”
(Surah an-Naml 27:40)
Then recite Alhamdulillah every day as much as possible to keep your tongue moist with the word of gratitude towards Allah as Prophet Mohammad SAW said
“Allah is pleased with His servant if when he eats something he thanks Allah for it, and when he drinks something he thanks Allah for it” (Muslim)
Finally try to indulge in good deeds to show gratitude with our bodily actions. If we show our gratitude Allah SWT give abundance in our blessings as it is written in Quran
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ “. (Quran 14:7)
Please take a moment now to remember all those things Allah has given us to be thankful for, consider Allah’s attributes of kindness, compassion, mercy, generosity, and love in the blessings He has bestowed upon you.
9-Humility.
The Messenger of Allah -may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him -said: Allah loves those who are humble in their behavior and do not act arrogantly. (Hadith)
Another attribute of a believer which Allah SWT holds dear is humbleness or humility .Humbleness is one of the attributes of the believers who do not behave with haughtiness or tyranny towards others; when they are abused by foolish people, they do not respond likewise; they forgive them instead, and say only that which is good to them. Allah said about this type of people: “The slaves of the All-Merciful are those who walk lightly on the earth and when the ignorant speak to them, they say, ‘Peace”. (Surah Furqaan, verse 63)
Pride and arrogance is one of the causes that lead to the Hellfire. Abdullah bin Masud (R.A) narrated that the Prophet (S.A) said: ‘Whoever has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise’. (Muslim)
May Allah make us from those who are always humble in their dealings. Ameen
10-Kindness and Gentleness
Allah loves those who are kind and gentle towards others, especially in their dealings. (Hadith)
We’ve been witnessing what our world will look like if there is no kindness or gentleness. The horrific act of brutality simply reflects the mindset without kindness. Simple acts of kindness and gentleness can make a big difference in someone’s day. Here are a few:
For Family & Friends:
Saying “I love you” or “I appreciate you” more often.(This goes specially for your kids, spouse and parents)
Making a loved one’s favorite meal.(we take turns in our house ‘who’s favorite meal everyone going to eat)
Helping without being asked.(My Mom used to say بول کے کیا تو کیا کیا)
Offering a listening ear without judgment.(There is a difference between gossiping and listening)
Giving a genuine compliment.(It could be anything big or small )
For Strangers:
Holding the door open for someone.(Simple)
Letting someone go ahead in a line.(Instead of cutting a line, as we call it street smartness back home)
Smiling at people you pass.(Its sunnah)
Paying for someone’s coffee or meal.(Charitable kind acts which are random can make lasting impact)
Offering your seat to someone in need.(Specifically to pregnant women and elderly)
For the Community:
Donating to a food bank or charity.( Paying zakat doesn’t count, as it’s Fardh, you have to pay zakat whether you are kind or not)
Volunteering your time for a cause.(It’s very rewarding, believe me!)
Picking up litter in your neighborhood.( we enjoy this as a whole community, remember the community clean up I share every year)
Checking on elderly or sick neighbors. (Mowing the lawn or shoveling their driveway without being asked)
Supporting small businesses.(Sharing the business you enjoy with others)
For Yourself:
Speaking kindly to yourself.( Yes you can speak to yourself)
Taking breaks when needed.( Exerting yourself decreases your efficiency, Eating nourishing food.( Make yourself a special breakfast every week as breakfast is the most important meal of the day)
Getting enough rest.(Take that nap which you were avoiding due to something VERY important)
Allowing yourself grace on tough days.(You cannot fix everything, somethings will remain crooked how much you try)
Kindness doesn’t have to be grand—small, consistent gestures create the biggest impact! What are your favorite acts of kindness?
These qualities are encouraged in Islam as they bring one closer to Allah SWT and reflect a true commitment to faith and righteousness.
