(A) Real Love Of God:
The holyprophets weredeeplydevotedto God, andwhyshouldthey
nothavebeen?They,whowiththeirsensesandprofoundinsightknew
Godbetterthananyone,whounderstoodHisGreatness,Splendourand
Majestytobeaboveallthings,whodeemHimaloneworthyoflove,de-
votion and obedience, who had nothingexcept His Pleasure in view,
whogavetheirheartstononebutHim,whodideverythingwithdevo-
tion to Him, and who knew Who they were worshipping.
Itwasforthisveryreasonthattheprophetswelcomeddifficultiesand
formidablesituations,andalsopaidattentiontoGodwithsmiling,open
faceseven whenthey werein the mostcritical circumstances.Andso,
when,intheirbeloved,trueway,theymetwithdifficulties,theybecame
overflowing with joy.
Historyhasrecordedtheendeavoursoftheseheavenly,torch-bearing
menofguidance,asalsothecondemnablebehaviourofpeopletowards
them.Couldsteadfastnessinthesedifficultieshavehadanothermotiva-
tion apart from love of God and the performance of His command?
Surely not.
Howcan itbeimaginedthat thosewho arecompletelyengrossedin
theirbelovedway,andwhoutternothingexceptaccordingtoHiswish,
andinwhoseheart,soul,spiritandthoughtsnotonecornerisemptyof
remembrance of Him,can disobey Hiscommands? Or can give them-
selvesuptosin?Rather,theyfollowedthepathofobediencetoHimand
were devoted to Him.
SomeoneaskedtheProphetofIslam,whyhehimselfindulgedinwor-
shipofGod tosuchan extentthathewould physicallysuffersince he
waspurifiedandhadnosins.Hisanswerwasthatwhyshouldhenotbe
agratefulandthankfulslaveofGod?[3]Soitwasnotoutoffearofpun-
ishmentthattheProphetusedtoworshipGodtosuchanextent,itwas
out of a sense of gratitude.
Thuswe can understandthat the perfectknowledgeof the prophets
andthedeepandtruelovewhichtheyhadforGodresultedininfallibil-
ityandabsolutepurity,sothat,inadditiontoprecludingsinfromtheir
will and thinking, they withheld themselves from sin.