Supreme Devotion: Prioritizing Love for Allah Above All

At the heart of true faith lies unconditional love for the Almighty, a love that inspires continuous spiritual development and the overcoming of life’s trials. In this worldview, love for Allah occupies the foremost position, for only this kind of attachment can encompass the boundless perfection that no earthly or temporal relationship can attain. True devotion requires complete dedication of the heart, soul, and mind, transforming it from a mere feeling into an act of will aimed at following His laws.

This understanding and the prioritization of Divine love also affect every other aspect of life: if Allah resides at the center of a believer’s heart, then all earthly attachments—even the most natural and sincere—become auxiliary, subordinate to the highest value. Such an approach helps establish a correct system of relationships, where eternal spiritual values serve as the guide for choosing life’s priorities.

Ultimately, the command to love Allah above all not only forms the foundation of faith but also opens the path to emotional and spiritual strength, enabling one to confidently surmount any difficulties. It is a life stance directed toward the perfection of one’s inner world, through which a person can attain true happiness and peace, knowing that their heart is filled with the light and wisdom of the Most High.

Why is it prescribed to love the Almighty Allah above all, and how does this affect our perception of other forms of love?

Loving the Almighty Allah above all is prescribed because such love forms the cornerstone of true faith and is the only way that can direct a person toward perfect spiritual development. In this worldview, love for Allah takes precedence, as only this kind of love can encompass the infinite and the perfect—something no earthly or temporal attachment can achieve. Love for Allah demands the surrender of one’s entire heart, soul, and mind; it is this kind of love that empowers one to gain strength, joy, and the capacity to overcome life’s challenges.

This vision also influences our attitude toward other forms of love. By placing supreme importance on love for God, everything else in our life becomes secondary and subordinate. As stated in one source, “God and the Kingdom of Heaven will be attained, and trials shall be surmounted only by the one who loves God most—more than his own life, more than his mother and father, or than his children and grandchildren…” (source: link ). This underscores that even the warmest, most natural feelings for one’s loved ones should not eclipse the primary love for Allah.

It is further emphasized that true love for the Almighty must be “complete and constant, from the whole heart and with the whole soul. Such is our love when we find nothing and no one above God, neither in heaven nor on earth…” (source: link ). Thus, if Allah occupies the foremost place in the believer’s heart, other forms of love—whether for relatives or friends—become auxiliary and subordinate.

Moreover, some theologians explained this principle by stating that love for Allah is not merely a feeling but a volitional act aimed at submission to and adherence to His laws. Orthodox theologians, for instance, argued that “love is an act of will, and the ultimate will of man cannot have the infinite as its object… Therefore, perfect faith must be expressed in love for Allah’s law rather than for Him Himself” (source: link ). This indicates that genuine reverence and love for Allah should surpass any other attachments, as only it can lead to spiritual wholeness and salvation.

Thus, the mandate to love Allah above everything cements the priority of the relationship with Him over all earthly and temporal ties. This stance aids a person in placing spiritual perfection and eternal values first, which in turn reflects a more balanced assessment and proper structuring of all other forms of love in our lives.

Supporting citation(s):
“Even orthodox theologians condemned the idea of direct love for God, noting that ‘love is an act of will, and the ultimate will of a man cannot have the infinite as its object. Thus, the 13th-century theologian Ibn Taymiyyah asserted that love implies a proportion that cannot exist between the Creator and His creation. Therefore, perfect faith must be expressed in love for Allah’s law rather than for Him Himself’” (source: link ).

“God and the Kingdom of Heaven will be attained, and trials shall be surmounted only by the person who loves God most—more than his own life, more than his mother and father, or than his children and grandchildren. Whatever stands beside God, man always chooses God” (source: link ).

“A necessary quality of our love for God must be that we love Him above all else—with a complete and constant love, from the whole heart and with the whole soul. Such is our love when we find nothing and no one above God, neither in heaven nor on earth” (source: link ).