He is Allah
(48) The Most LOVING
(AL-WADOUD)
The word wadoud is derived from waddahu which means to love a person. Allah says, “On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will God Most Gracious bestow Love.”(MARYAM, 96), where the love mentioned in this verseis His Love to them and their love to Him. He also says, “Thou willnot find any people who believe in God and the Last Day, loving those whoresist God and His Apostle even though they were their fathers or their sons,or their brothers or their kindred.” (MUJADILA, 22), “And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Full of loving-kindness.”(BURUJ, 14).
The Love of Allah to His creatures is great; He bestowsHis Love on His creatures by making them know Him, His love to the sinners is mantled in forgiveness, and His Love to all the creatures is by thedonation of their sustenance; He loves the believers who love Him and Heis pleased with those who work deeds of righteousness so He praises themfor their deeds.
The name AL-WADOUD, The Most LOVING, is near in meaning to Al-Raheem, the Most Merciful, yet mercy is the bestowing of goodness and blessings to the one Allah has mercy on. The Divine Acts ofthe Most Merciful are directed and granted to the feeble and the necessitous; on the other hand, the Divine Acts of the Most LOVING do not suggest that; what Allah, Glory be to Him, bestows and donates is the resultof His Love. He says, “..soon will God produce a people whom He willlove as they will love Him.” (MA’IDA, 57).
Allah, the Most LOVING, loves them first, then He grants them the ability to love Him. “When Allah loves one of His creatures, He calls Gabriel and says, “O Gabriel! I do love this person, so love him!” so Gabriel loves that person, then he says to the Exalted Assembly, “Behold! Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, loves this person, so do love that person!” So the Exalted Assembly loves him, then his love will enter the heart of everybody on earth” (HADITH). Allah, Glory be to Him, says, “..for my Lord is indeed full of mercy andloving-kindness.” (HUD, 90). Glory be to theMost LOVING, Whose grants are lavish and great, Praise and Glory be toHim, He is Allah.