Love of Allah is the ultimate goal

Love of Allah is the ultimate goal

Wallazina ‘amanu ‘ashadu hubal-lillah:
“Those who believe are overflowing in their love for Allah.”
(The Qur’an 2.165)

“Love of the Supreme Lord is the ultimate goal of life”, Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued.

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.194)

Here Mahaprabhu points out that love of God is the ultimate goal of human life.

When a spirit soul forgets this supreme goal of life he begins developing love for material objects, because no one can be without loving relationships. Our constitutional position is to love God. But when we neglect God we begin to develop so-called love for temporary material objects. Such an illusory love and affection are unnatural for us. Hence our dissatisfaction and frustration. We invent different goals of life to achieve satisfaction; but what we are really looking for, what is in the innermost recesses of our heart is the sublime spiritual desire to love God and thereby derive the greatest and most fulfilling satisfaction. Material goals achieved are bound to give us only incomplete and short-lived satisfaction which in turn is transformed into frustration; conversely, spiritual satisfaction is complete and endless. Thus, the only goal, the achievement of which can award us complete satisfaction and happiness, is love of God. This is made possible only through unmotivated and uninterrupted devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

So in the Holy Qur’an we find the following ayats:

Qul ‘in-kuntum tuhibu-nallaha fatabi-’uni yuhbib-kumullahu wa yagfir lakum zunubakum / wallahu Gafurur-Rahim: “Say (O Muhammad): If you do love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. For Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (3.31)

Innalazina ‘amanu wa ‘amilus-salihati sayaj-’alu lahumur-Rahmanu wuda: “On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Beneficent will bestow love.” (19.96)

anyatakhizu min-dunillahi ‘andadan-yuhibunahum ka-hubillah / wallazina ‘amanu ‘ashadu hubal-lillah: “Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as equal (with Allah). They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are overflowing in their love for Allah.” (2.165)

There is a very significant verse in the sura “Al-Ma’ida”, or “The Table Spread”:

Ya-’ayu-halazina ‘amanu man-yar-tada min-kum ‘an-dinihi fa-sawfa ya’-tillahu bi-qawmin-yu-hibbu-hum wa yuhib-bunahuu ‘azillatin ‘alal-mu’minina ‘a-’izzatin ‘alal-Kafirina yujaa-hiduuna fii Sabiilil-laahi wa laa yakhaa-fuuna law-mata laaa’im / Zaalika Fazlul-laahi yu’-tiihi many-yashaaa’ / Wallaahu Waasi-’un ‘Alim: “O you who believe! If any from among you turn back from his faith, soon Allah will bring a people whom He will love as they will love Him, - humble toward believers, mighty toward unbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the blame of any blamer. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleases. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” (5.54)

Thus here is a warning to the Muslim community that they should not become so self-satisfied or arrogant as to depart from the spirit of God’s teachings. If they do, the loss will be theirs. God’s bounty is not confined to one group or section of humanity. God can, as and when he pleases, bring people who are staunch followers of the true spirit of Eternal Religion. That true spirit is defined in two ways:

1) They love God and God loves them;

2) Amongst them, their attitude will be one of humility.

They will be uncompromising towards unbelievers; they will always strive and fight for truth and right, they will know no fear.

Actually in this verse there is a great prediction that soon God will bring people whom He will love and vise versa. These people will follow the principles of Eternal Religion which means Love of God. By cultivating this love, a soul is purified from all material desires and attachments, becomes able to transcend the limits of material existence and enter into the realm of spiritual existence which is the highest perfection of life.

It is stated in the sura “An-Najm”, or “The Star”:

Wa ‘anna ‘ila Rabbikal-muntaha: “That your Lord, He is the final goal.” (53.42)

Real love is love to God and it is the ultimate goal of life. In the Holy Qur’an the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) explained that instead of so-called love for the world, people should cultivate real love for Allah. It is the goal of human life. All loving relationships in the material world are just perverted reflections of real love of God. Because we have forgotten our loving relationships with God, we try to develop the so-called love for the different objects of this material world. Thus, we try to be happy, but there is always failure and anxiety, for real eternal unconditional love and happiness exists only in the spiritual world. Just like water does not exist in the desert, similarly love and happiness do not exist in the material world. This material love we are struggling to enjoy in this material world is compared to trying to enjoy and satisfy ourselves with a mirrored reflection of a delicious meal but we are frustrated at every attempt. Real love for God is laying dormant within our hearts. If we want to awaken this love we need to reestablish our forgotten relationship with the Supreme. Attached to love of wife, child, home, money, country and friend we attain only superficial love but when we engage ourselves in the devotional service to the Supreme Lord, we attain the ocean of pleasure, the reservoir of love, the origin of love. That is why we should engage ourselves in the devotional service to the Supreme Lord. This is the only way to awaken our dormant love of God and go back to the spiritual world. It is the ultimate goal of human life.

All God are same !