Zeal and Enthusiasm Described in the Qur'an: Love and Friendship

A majority of people complain about not being able to find true love and companionship throughout their lives and are thoroughly convinced that it is impossible to experience them. In a sense this is true for the people in ignorant societies who never attain true love and companionship since the affection they have for one another is often advantage-ridden. As soon as they no longer find benefits to reap, the intimacy they consider to be love or friendship also ends.

The people who best experience love and friendship and live them in their truest sense are believers. The main reason, as expressed earlier in this guide, is that they love one another not for benefit but only because those they love are conscientious and sincere believers. What makes a person lovable and desired as a friend is the fear of Allah and piety which makes a person live by the values of the Qur’an in the most meticulous way. One who lives by the values of the Qur’an also knows what characteristics he must possess to be worthy of friendship, and he adopts these characteristics in the most perfect way. Similarly, he can appreciate characteristics worthy of admiration in another person and can love in a true sense.

As long as this understanding persists and values of the Qur’an pervade, the excitement derived from love and friendship never abates. Furthermore, as people display more and more good morals, the pleasure and excitement they receive from love and friendship continuously increases. As they notice attributes peculiar to believers, signs of faith and conscience, sincerity, fear of Allah and piety in one another, their enthusiasm grows. They find it inspiring to be surrounded by people who are worthy of Allah’s acceptance and love and are likely to attain an admirable rank in the hereafter. Hence, they feel pleasure in making friends with people to whom Allah has granted His own companionship.

Since their love is based on an understanding of companionship which will last for all eternity, it never lessens and does not end with death. On the contrary, it extends into eternity in a more perfect form. From this aspect believers’ understanding of love differs from that of the society of ignorance. The love and friendship of people of ignorance are not based on the intention of being together for all eternity, so they fail to truly practice the concepts of loyalty, faithfulness and trust. If two people who claim to be friends select a particular circumstance for their association, then it means they can put an end to their friendship at any time. Both parties’ awareness of this possibility makes them conduct themselves cautiously towards one another and feel uncomfortable. Caution impairs sincerity, which is a requisite of love and friendship. In worldly relationships people always consider the possibility of the termination of their friendship and thus avoid displaying the kind of sincere attitude which could embarrass them when cordiality comes to an end.

Sincere believers, on the other hand, never conduct themselves dishonestly. A person who intends to be with another for all eternity is someone who is committed to show unceasing loyalty, love and friendship. This distinctive characteristic of believers’ love and friendship, that is, willingness to be together for all eternity, lets them derive great pleasure from the affection they experience and the excitement of expecting to be with their loved ones in paradise. There is also the pleasure of certainty that they will be loyal to their loved ones forever.