The young man, Muslim, entered the mosque an hour before the Maghrib call to prayer, his face radiant with joy. He quickened his pace toward his venerable teacher, Shaykh Hadi, who was seated with his back resting against one of the mosque’s pillars. The gentle light of the late-afternoon sun streamed through the windows, adorned with intricate Islamic geometric patterns, casting shadows upon the floor beside the Shaykh as he read from his copy of the Qur’an. The light lent the place beauty upon beauty, adding to its serenity and splendor.
The Shaykh raised his eyes to his disciple with a smile. The brightness of Muslim’s face and the joy shining through it seemed to speak volumes before he had said a word. The Shaykh followed him with his gaze until he sat beside him, whereupon Muslim greeted him warmly:
“May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, my beloved Shaykh.”
The Shaykh replied with a smile:
“And upon you be the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah. How are you, my son?”
Muslim answered cheerfully:
“I am well, praise be to Allah. I have been immensely happy since last night.”
The Shaykh’s face grew brighter still.
“May Allah continue to bestow upon you His manifest and hidden blessings. This sounds like good news, by Allah’s permission. Tell me the glad tidings—may Allah bring you glad tidings of goodness.”
Muslim replied, serenity filling both his face and his words:
“During my private session of dhikr last night, I experienced an extraordinary sweetness in remembering Allah and communing with my Lord. I felt a love filling my heart and a longing for my Lord unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The feeling overwhelmed me until tears welled up in my eyes.
“I then remembered the words of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family) concerning the seven whom Allah will shade beneath His Shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His:
‘…and a man who remembers Allah in solitude, and his eyes overflow with tears.’
“I was filled with hope, and my heart was overcome with a happiness that has not left me since.”
The Shaykh replied in a tender voice, his gaze filled with even greater compassion:
“May Allah accept it from you, my son, and grant you benefit through His remembrance. May He sustain your happiness in both worlds through His perfect gentleness and well-being.”
Muslim asked eagerly:
“Does this mean, my Shaykh, that I have attained the station of those who love Allah? And should I now await Allah’s love for me in return?”
The Shaykh answered with kindness and gentleness, his face beaming:
“Why wait, my son, for what you seek when it has already come to you? Rejoice, my son, and understand the meaning of your Lord’s Name, al-Wadūd, the All-Loving.
“Seek Allah’s reward through the remembrance, humility, and intimate communion in worship that He has enabled you to experience. Savour this gift and give thanks to Him for it. And know this:
‘If your heart one day tastes the love of Allah, then rejoice; for you have loved Him only because He loved you. He, Glorified is He, loved you before you loved Him, for the servant can never precede his Lord.’
“Do you understand, my son?”
At first, Muslim was astonished by this insight. He had always thought that he worshipped his Lord and that his Lord then rewarded him for it. He had never paused to consider this meaning: that the servant can never precede his Lord; that worship itself is a grace bestowed by Allah upon His servant, enabling him to worship and granting him the success to do so, after which Allah rewards him through His sheer generosity.
Muslim continued, asking:
“Then, am I beloved to Allah?”
The Shaykh gently patted him on the shoulder and replied:
“We think well of Allah and hope that He does. And our love for Him, Glorified is He, is itself a hopeful sign; for if He did not love us, He would not have granted us love for Him.”
At this, Muslim asked his Shaykh:
“What must I do, my Shaykh, so that the love of Allah remains in my heart and grows ever stronger?”
The Shaykh replied with the reverence of one who had travelled the path before his disciple:
“Remember the One you love more often, my son. For ‘Whoever loves something speaks of it often.’
“And we have the finest guidance in the counsel of our beloved Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family). A man once came to him and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the prescribed duties of Islam have become too many for me. Tell me something I can hold fast to.’
“The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family) replied:
‘Let not your tongue cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah.’
Muslim nodded in agreement, accepting his Shaykh’s counsel. He fell silent for a moment. Then the Shaykh took his hand, gently patting it and leaning upon it as he rose from his seat, saying:
“And now, let us rise and prepare for the Maghrib prayer, for its time is drawing near. We shall continue our conversation after the prayer, Allah willing.”