In an age where the human heart is continuously pulled towards the fleeting attractions of the world, the teachings of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), serve as a divine compass, redirecting the soul toward its true Creator.
To be inclined to Allah is the very purpose of human existence. Through his revelations, writings and practical example, the Promised Messiah (as) illuminated the path that transforms a believer from a ritualistic worshipper into a true lover of God.
The reality of inclination: A heart drawn to its Beloved
Defining the essence of divine love, the Promised Messiah (as) dispelled the notion that love for God is a mere pretence or a compilation of ritualistic acts. In his book The Light of the Holy Quran, he explained:
“It should be understood that love is not something you do with artificiality and pretension; rather, it is one of the human strengths. The essence of love is that the heart is drawn towards something out of admiration for it. And just as the true features of anything are fully appreciated at its climax, so is it true of love that its true wonders become clearly apparent when it reaches its zenith and perfection.” (The Light of the Holy Quran – Number Two, p. 130)
This natural drawing of the heart is a universal human faculty. The Quran itself testifies to the intensity of this faculty, even when misdirected, stating: “And their hearts were permeated with [the love of] the calf.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.94) When this immense faculty is rightly directed towards the Creator, the Promised Messiah (as) explained, a person is naturally drawn to the qualities of his Beloved, ultimately becoming a reflection of Divine light. He writes:
“The fact is that when someone is in the utmost love with another, it is as if he has imbibed or assimilated the beloved and thereby he takes on the qualities and character of the beloved. The greater the love, the greater is the natural attraction to the qualities of the beloved, so much so that he becomes the mirror image of his beloved.
“This is the explanation why the one who loves God, obtains, to the best of his potential, the Light innate in the Being of God. And those who love Satan, obtain the darkness that is innate in Satan.” (The Light of the Holy Quran – Number Two, p. 131)
Drawn to divine beauty
The Promised Messiah (as) often emphasised that the soul is inherently wired to seek beauty and that the ultimate beauty is the beauty of God. He argued that the heart is naturally drawn to beauty and that observing it generates love. God’s beauty, he clarified, is His Unity, His Greatness and His Majesty. (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, p. 162)
This inclination was a hallmark of the Promised Messiah’s (as) own life. He was naturally drawn towards God – a state he achieved as a result of God’s favour and his complete obedience to the Holy Prophet (sa). His life was a living testament that when the heart recognises the true Beauty of the Divine, it cannot help but incline towards Him.
The journey from duty to devotion
How does a believer nurture this inclination? The Promised Messiah (as) outlined three distinct stages of a believer’s journey towards God, providing a profound commentary on the Quranic verse: “Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred.” (Surah an-Nahl, Ch.16: V.91)
The first stage is ‘adl (fairness/justice), which means to obey God Almighty with fairness and justice because He has created you, has nurtured you and continues to do so at all times. It is His right that you too should obey Him. And if you have greater insight, then do not merely obey Him owing to His right to be obeyed.
The second stage is ihsan (doing good to others). God is the Benefactor Whose favours are unlimited. Constant reflection and pondering over the concept of ihsan keeps the countenance and qualities of the Benefactor ever in view. The definition of ihsan includes to worship God as if God is watching.
The final stage is ita’i dhil-qurba (giving like kindred). Its particulars are that when a person appreciates Divine favours and worships God, understanding Him to be present and as the direct Benefactor, this concept and perception ultimately result in personal love of God being instilled in him.
Now he not only sees God at the time of worship but also derives pleasure like one who truly adores. All selfish desires are exterminated and are taken over by personal love of God. The Promised Messiah (as) emphasised that it is at this third stage that the believer’s inclination to Allah becomes unbreakable. He or she no longer worships merely out of a sense of duty or even gratitude, but because God and His pleasure have become the ultimate object of desire. (The Light of the Holy Quran – Number Two, pp. 139-143)
The pain of estrangement and the shield of istighfar
A defining characteristic of true love is the dread of separation. The Promised Messiah (as) taught that when a soul is genuinely inclined to Allah, even the slightest estrangement is unbearable.
“One of the signs of true love is that the lover dreads the very thought of being estranged from his beloved. He thinks himself doomed at his smallest fault, and sees the beloved’s displeasure as a deadly poison. He is also beset by a great longing to meet his beloved, and absence and separation takes the very life out of him. That is why he does not only regard as sinful, actions which are regarded as such by the common man – e.g., murder, adultery, theft and bearing false witness – rather, he considers even the slightest estrangement from God, and the slightest inclination towards anything other than Him, as a grave sin. He, therefore, constantly seeks forgiveness (istighfar) from his Eternal Beloved. Since he can never bring himself to accept separation from Him at any time, the slightest neglect – which he might commit due to his human weakness – appears to him like a mountain of sin.” (Fountain of Christianity, p. 57)
This profound insight redefines istighfar. For the true lover of God, istighfar is not merely seeking forgiveness for major transgressions; it is a continuous, protective prayer to be shielded from the spiritual weakness that could cause even a momentary distance from the Beloved.
The tree of faith: Rooted or uprooted?
To illustrate the devastating effects of a heart that is not inclined to Allah, the Promised Messiah (as) employed a striking botanical metaphor. He wrote:
“The fact is that sin is a poison that is born when man does not obey God, does not love Him fervently and does not remember Him with love. A person whose heart has become estranged from God’s love is like a tree which, having been uprooted from the soil and, therefore, being unable to absorb water, withers with each passing day and soon loses all its verdure. Sin devastates man just as dryness kills a tree.” (Four Questions by a Christian and their Answers, pp. 2-3)
Conversely, he explained that just as a tree with deep roots easily absorbs water and expels harmful substances, a heart nourished by the water of Divine love is able to rid itself of the poison of sin. The solution to spiritual aridity, therefore, is not mere willpower, but the re-establishment of a firm, loving relationship with God.
Drawing the world to Allah
The inclination of the Promised Messiah’s (as) own heart towards Allah was not a solitary journey; it became the magnetic force that drew thousands towards God. Declaring the very purpose of his advent, he wrote:
“God has sent me into the world so that through gentleness, love and kindness, I should draw towards God and His holy guidance people who have gone astray, and should enable them to tread the right path with the divine light that has been bestowed upon me.” (Tiryaq-ul-Qulub, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, p. 143)
In his book Noah’s Ark, he passionately called out to a world steeped in materialism:
“How unfortunate is the man, who even now, is unaware that there is a God who has power over all things. Our paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one’s life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. O ye, who are deprived! Hasten to this fountain as it will satiate you. It is this fountain of life that will save you. What am I to do? How shall I impress the hearts with this good news? What sort of a drum am I to beat in the streets in order to make the announcement that this is your God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?” (Noah’s Ark, p. 35)
The sayings of the Promised Messiah (as) regarding inclination to Allah awaken the slumbering soul. They teach us that true faith is not a lifeless ritual, but a vibrant, living romance with the Creator. It requires us to part with our egos, to constantly seek His forgiveness, and to let our hearts be so consumed by His love that we reflect His attributes in our daily lives. As Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa) continually prays, may Allah enable us to turn to Him with sincerity, achieve His love and be admitted to the Gardens of His pleasure.