Love in the Gospel

Lovelessness Is a Spiritual Disaster and The Sedition of End Times

Jesus left the Temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains… At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other… Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew, 24:1-13)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James, 4:1-4)

Woe to you... because you give a tenth of your mint, rue, all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. (Luke, 11:42)

Approaching People with Love While Establishing and Protecting the Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God [God's beloved servants]. (Matthew, 5:9)

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans, 12:17-18)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy… See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God…. (Hebrews, 12:14 -15)

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way... (Matthew, 5:23 -25)

... Be at peace with each other! (Mark, 9:50)

… God has called us to live in peace. (1 Corinthians, 7:15)

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. (1 Thessalonians, 5:12-13)

But the wisdom that comes from Heaven [from the Sight of God] is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James, 3:17-18)

So then, dear friends... make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him [in the Sight of God]. (2 Peter, 3:14)

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed… (2 Timothy, 2:24 -25)

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. (Titus, 3:1-2)

... I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians, 4:1-2)

[Jesus:] "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke, 6:27-28)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. (Matthew, 5:38-41)

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as... God forgave you. (Ephesians, 4:31-32)

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His [God's] commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love. (2 John, 1:6)

Verses about Love from the Qur'an

True love stems from faith

As for those who believe and do right actions, the All-Merciful (God) will bestow His love on them. (Surah Maryam, 96)

God instills love in people's hearts

We gave him… and tenderness and purity from Us – he had piety. (Surah Maryam, 12-13)

"Place him into the box and throw it into the sea and the sea will wash it up on the shore, where an enemy of Mine and his will pick it up." I showered you with love from Me so that you would be brought up under My supervision. (Surah Ta Ha, 39)

It may well be that God will restore the love between you and those of them who are now your enemies. God is All-Powerful. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Mumtahana, 7)

Love entails self-giving

They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives. (Surat al-Insan, 8)

It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in God and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who perform prayers and pay alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who have piety. (Surat al-Baqara, 177)

Expecting only love in return for good deeds in seeking God's pleasure

That is the good news, which God gives to His servants who believe and do right actions. Say: 'I do not ask you for any wage for this –except for you to love your near of kin. If anyone does a good action, We will increase the good of it for him. God is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful.' (Surat ash-Shura, 23)

Love should be for God

Some people set up equals to God, loving them as they should love God. But those who believe have greater love for God. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to God, and that God is severe in punishment. (Surat al-Baqara, 165)

You who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends, showing love for them when they have rejected the truth that has come to you, driving out the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in God your Lord. If you go out to struggle in My Way and seeking My pleasure, keeping secret the love you have for them, know best what you conceal and what you make known. Any of you who do that have strayed from the right way. (Surat al-Mumtahana, 1)

You will not find people who believe in God and the Last Day having love for anyone who opposes God and His Messenger, though they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers or their clan. God has inscribed faith upon such people's hearts and will reinforce them with a Spirit from Him and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Such people are the party of God. Truly it is the party of God who are successful (in their hopes and find salvation). (Surat al-Mujadala, 22)

And he (the Prophet Solomon) said: "Truly do I love the love of good with a view to the glory of my Lord." (Surah Sad, 32)

Idolatry in love

Some city women said, 'The governor's wife solicited her slave. He's fired her heart with love. We see that she's the one to blame.' (Surah Yusuf, 30)

He (the Prophet Abraham) said, 'You have adopted idols apart from God as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But then on the Day of Resurrection you will reject one another and curse one another. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers.' (Surat al-Ankabut, 25)

Marriages should be founded upon love and the approval of God

Among His signs is that He created spouses for you of your own kind so that you might find tranquility in them. And He has placed affection and compassion between you. There are certainly signs in that for people who reflect. (Surat ar-Rum, 21)

We have brought maidens into being and made them purest virgins, devoted, passionate, of like age. (Surat al-Waqia, 35-37)

Idolatry in love renders the soul fierce

Truly he is fierce in his love of wealth. (Surat al-'Adiyat, 8)

They said, 'Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'
(Qur'an, 2:32)