The love of God is not easy to attain for we cannot imagine Him; therefore Allah Almighty made the Prophets apostles of His Love.

Allah’s beloved, the Seal of Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was such a pure medium for the transmission of Love that the hearts of his companions were overwhelmed with his love, and were transported to the love of God.

He was the representative of Allah, who is the Absolute Truth;  therefore the Prophet declared:  “Who has seen me has seen the Absolute Truth.”

When a delegation of non-Muslims came to visit Medina they were amazed at the love and respect shown to the Prophet by his companions.  When they returned home they said to their leader “We have met many emperors, kings and tribal chiefs but never have we seen one whose subjects or courtiers treated him with such sincere love and devotion.  How can this be?”

 They were not able to comprehend the secret of this love because their egos caused them to deny Muhammad’s prophethood.

The love of the companions towards the Prophet was such that they used to say to him, “I am ready to sacrifice for you even my mother and father,” which to the Arabs is much stronger that saying ‘I would sacrifice myself for you.’   In reality many of them, underwent nearly unbearable hardships for the sake of their belief in the mission of the holy Prophet – exile, disinheritance, boycott, torture and death.

Who represented the Holy Prophet after his life on earth?  Those who evoke such love.  The Prophet himself said of them, “those who see them are reminded of God.”

 He who thirsts for Divine Love must seek out such people;  but in our time they are mostly hidden, and Islam has come to mean for many people only a set of rules of conduct and forms of worship – an empty shell.

Shortened talk from Rising Sun