Love for fellow sisters
The Prophet (saw) said that love
for a fellow Muslim is an important aspect of iman. it heps to
strengthen the ties in the Muslim ummah (community) and prevent
unnecessary division. To love a fellow sister for Allah's sake
also helps to perfect our own iman.
You will not enter the Garden
until you affirm your iman (in all those things that are
articles of iman) and you will not have iman until you love one
another. Should I not direct you a thing which, if you do,,
will foster love amongst you? (i.e.) Spread the [practice of
salutation to one another by saying] As-Salaamu Alaikum. (Abu
Hurairah (ra), Muslim, Vol.I, p44, No.54)
&
If anyone loves for Allah's
sake, hates for Allah's sake, gives for Allah's sake and
withholds for Allah's sake, he will have perfected iman.' (Abu
Umamah (ra), Abu Dawud, Vol.III,p1312,No.3664).
If Allah (swt) commands us to
love one another for His sake, our likes or dilikes should
never be merely for our own sake. Similarly we should not
display love and effection for any selfish motive or worldly
material gain, i.e. for what another Muslim woman can offer us
in return. We should love a fellow Muslim for her strengthof
iman and good character and her ability to enjooy what Allah (swt)
commands and refrain from what He has prohibited. If a Muslim
woman fails to obey Allah (swt), she will lose the love of
Allah (swt) and the love of her fellow sisters-in-Islam.
If we love a fellow sister we
should always let her know, as this causes mutual love to grow
and sincere friendship to develop.
When a man loves his brother, he
should tell him that he loves him. (al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib (ra),
Abu Dawud, Vol.III,p1419, No.5105)
&
A man was with the Prophet (saw)
and another man passed by and the [first man] said: "Messenger
of Allah! I love this man." The Prophet (saw) then asked: "Have
you told him?" He replied, "No." He said: "Tell him". He went
to him and said: "I love you for Allah's sake". He replied:
"May He for whose sake you love me love you." (Anas ibn Malik (ra),
Abu Dawud, Vol.III,p1419,No.5106).
Allah (swt) loves those who love
each other for His sake. He will also shelther them in His
shadow and elevate them upon pillars of light on the Day of
Judgment, as the following hadiths re-iterate:
There are three qualities for
which anyone who is characterised by them will relish the
sweetness of faith: he whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer
to him than any other thing: who loves a man for Allah's sake
alone, and who hates to return to kufr after Allah has rescued
him from it as he hates being cast into Fire. (Anas ibn Malik (ra),
al-Bukhari, Vol.p42,No.67. Muslim Vol,p36)