The Price of the
Love of God

To be held deserving of God’s choicest blessings it is desired of man that he love God most (2:165). One who loves God most can never allow feelings of hatred to enter his heart.

Chapter 33 of the Quran describes a law of nature in these words: “God has not placed two hearts in any man’s body.” (33:4)

It is the result of this law of nature that both hatred and love cannot come together in the heart of a man. If hatred finds a place in a man’s heart, the feeling of love will go out of it. Similarly in the case of one who loves everyone, the feeling of hatred for others will find no room in his heart. This is something serious and worth paying attention to.

It is desired of man that he love God most (2:165). Without this, no one can be held deserving of God’s choicest blessings. But this love of God necessarily has a price. The price is that in no circumstances should man allow feelings of hatred to enter his heart. He should forgive and forget all the wrongs done to him, he should remain patient about any harm done to him and he should avoid reacting to anything unpleasant meted out to him. In short, he should be willing to pay any price to save himself from hatred. This is the price of love of God. One who does not pay this price, will remain deprived of the blessings of the love of God.

People generally find one or the other excuse for hatred. They think their hatred is justified for one reason or another. But the truth is that all such excuses are false. When it comes to the love of God, no excuse is justifiable. If one resorts to any such excuse, the cost to him will be the love of God.