A motive lies behind every deed, decision, and act of worship. Our motives are the engines behind our actions. They stem from our most fundamental feelings: love, hate, fear and desire. To get ourselves to do something, we have to be motivated. When we love, we will do anything to please our loved one and guard them from harm, even at great inconvenience to ourselves. Every day, we do things that are difficult or seemingly inefficient, because we are motivated by something greater than the action itself. Parents stay up at night when their children are sick out of love and fear for their well-being. We undergo uncomfortable medical procedures, and many of us exercise to the point of soreness. This is because we are motivated by our love for health and hate of sickness. Our actions as worshipers of God are much the same. When our worship arises from feelings of love and need, it takes on an entirely new spirit. Following our religion and observing worship is easier when our actions are motivated by the essential emotions of love and fear. God says in the Quran: وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡإِيمَٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُۥ فِي قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡكُفۡرَ وَٱلۡفُسُوقَ وَٱلۡعِصۡيَانَۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٰشِدُونَ فَضۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَنِعۡمَةٗۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ God has endeared faith to you and made it beautiful to your hearts; He has made disbelief, mischief, and disobedience hateful to you. It is people like this who are rightly guided through God’s favor and blessing: God is all knowing and all wise.(49:7-8) When our feelings of love and fear of God are undeveloped, worship and obeying Him can feel difficult. Faith is complete when we are motivated by our love for Him and our hate of displeasing Him. Our life becomes a living expression of what is pleasing to God, and the self-serving ego is suppressed. Abu Umamah related that the Prophetﷺsaid, 'WHOEVER LOVES for God’s sake, hates for God’s sake, gives for God’s sake and withholds for God’s sake, has completed faith.' (Excerpt from: Faith First - A MAS Publication)

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Sarah R5y ago

Amazing reminder jazakAllah khair

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