Al-Wadud

The Most Loving, the Most Beloved — the One who loves, who wills good for all creation and bestows upon them; who loves good deeds and His righteous servants; who brings them to His mercy and pleasure; who places love among His creation; who is worthy of being loved and who instils feelings of love and peace within society. Allah Almighty says: "And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Loving." (Hud, 90) "And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate." (Al-Buruj, 14) In the Noble Qur'an, Allah Most High identifies Himself as Al-Wadud in two places. The word Al-Wadud carries two meanings. He is the One who loves His servants in accordance with His blessings, for He loves whoever repents and turns to Him. And He is also the One who is loved. When the servant loves his Lord through Allah's own enabling, Allah rewards him with the love of another. This is in truth complete beneficence, for He is both the cause and the effect. What is meant here is not mutual love between equals; it is only Allah's loving those of His servants who are grateful, on account of their gratitude. All of this is for the servant's welfare and good. Blessed indeed is Allah Most High, who creates love and places it in the hearts of the believers. He then brings this love in the hearts of His friends to such a point that all other loves become small and worthless, and they are freed from their bonds. Trials and afflictions become light for them, the hardships of worship and obedience become a delight, and in the end they attain, of the various graces they desire, the love of Allah — the highest of all loves — along with Allah's pleasure and nearness to Him. Every Muslim who knows Allah's name Al-Wadud should build relationships with people based on love and affection, and should strive to earn Allah's love through obedience and worship. A reminder: Among the servants, the one worthy of this name and quality is he who always wills good for Allah's creation. He desires for them what he desires for himself — indeed, he prefers their interests over his own. This lofty feeling emerges only in difficult moments, in situations where one meets people's rancour and anger. Their evil does not prevent him from wishing good for them.

The noble name Al-Wadud is recited 20 times as "Ya Wadud, jalla jalaluhu" for affection, for loving and being loved, and for binding someone's heart to oneself. Whoever recites the noble name Al-Wadud a thousand times over some food, saying "Ya Wadud, jalla jalaluhu", and eats that food together with his wife, the love between them increases. Whoever recites the noble name Al-Wadud more than four hundred times after the obligatory prayers, saying "Ya Wadud, jalla jalaluhu", becomes the most beloved of people.