Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam

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Obeying God’s command without sincerity or love leads to an emptiness, while saying you love God but refuse to follow what He asks of you is a sign of inner conflict and hypocrisy.” (p120-121) God does not love you just because of who you are; He loves you because love is who He is. So never stop praying. Even when the pain is too much to bear, even when you have broken a thousand promises, even if all that comes out is a silent whisper that only God can hear. No matter what storms you are facing, no matter how bad you mess up, no matter how painful life becomes, the door to prayer is always open for you. After all, as Imam Ali said, “When the world pushes you to your knees, you’re in the perfect position to pray.” The more you take time to express gratitude the more you will notice the abundant blessings God has given to you. Just as clouds cannot affect the presence and power of the sun’s light, but can alter our experience of the intensity of the light, sin can veil our perception of our inner goodness, but it cannot change it".

We are called to pray like rain, to pour our spirits into the soil of humility as we plant our heads in prostration upon the ground of faith. In prayer, we water the earth of our existence with the cleansing, pure water of God’s own words.” Secrets of Divine Love was written for the longing heart, for the one who is searching for something they have not been able to find. For the one who sometimes spirals into hopelessness and cannot help but feel too imperfect for a perfect God to love. This book is for the one who is at the edge of their faith, who has experienced religion as a harsh winter instead of the life-bearing spring it was sent to be by God.This book speaks to our very fears and insecurities, it offers a reassuring hug and wills us to keep going, to unveil the layers shielding our eyes from Allah’s love and mercy: “We must be honest with how we feel, because we cannot receive God’s deep healing if we continuously avoid facing our pain.” In exploring the depths of fasting she writes: “When we are asked to restrain the ego, our addictions reveal themselves, giving us the awareness we need to break free from them. When we can no longer dull the pain of our emptiness with outer forms, we are forces to search for the root of our longing.” The author also delightfully describes the Quran as “a lullaby for the spirit and an alarm for the ego.” This is because “it interrupts the negative patterns of our worldly conditioning by shedding light on the places where we resist divine union with God…parts of the Quran will trigger you, because this revelation is like a pure mirror.” This is simply a wonderful book, written with care and precision, weaving us into God’s beautiful tapestry.”— DR. NAZITA LAJEVARDI, Author of Outsiders at Home: The Politics of American Islamophobia In my early twenties, I was traveling through a small town in Turkey called Cappadocia, when the divine spark of faith reignited within me like lightning. All it took was my eyes to fall upon a woman who was drowned in her worship of God. I watched her pray in an old seventeenth-century animal barn, as if nothing in the world existed but her divine Lover. She did not robotically repeat words of prayer like a formula; rather, every word she uttered came with a silent “I love you, my beloved Lord.” Her words were like synchronized dancers swimming in unison in the ocean of love that poured out of her. She was the first person I had ever seen in my life that not only prayed but she herself became the prayer.” The book is studded with deep, thought-provoking, and carefully chosen quotes from scholars, mystics, and poets of all faiths. For example: “Enlightenment is when a wave realises it is the ocean”, says Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist master.

Secrets of Divine Love ini, seperti reminder kepada apa yang kita dah sedia maklum dengan pendekatan yang lebih meluas, meraikan dan lebih terperinci, tentang syahadah, zakat, puasa di bulan Ramadan, solat, haji, kematian, syurga dan neraka dan lain-lain. Kalau sebelum ini, kita rasa berat nak buat sesuatu mengikut apa yang dianjurkan Islam, tetapi lepas dah baca, aku rasa ramai pembaca yang akan bersetuju, kita akan lebih bersemangat untuk melaksanakan. Kita akan lebih faham kenapa sesuatu itu diperintahkan dan impak-impak positifnya dalam kehidupan seharian kita. Selain gaya penyampaian penulis, pada aku yang membuatkan buku ini lagi seronok dibaca sebab ada bahagian reflection dan tips yang dikongsikan oleh penulis. There are a few potentially contentious points I was made aware of both prior to and during my initial read of SoDL. These include theological statements (expressions and wording), inaccuracy/misassignment of quotes, sectarianism, conduction of independent exegesis and an alleged rejection of the finality of prophethood.The author's work has a special way of speaking to the heart. This reading offers exceptional spiritual nuances on the core of Islamic belief and practices. More than ever, we are in need of content like this that shines a luminous light on a faith that is frequently misunderstood.”— SEYED MAHDI AL-QASWINI, Educator at Islamic Educational Center of Orange County Simply put: this is my favourite Islamic book I have ever read so far. Truly inspiring, compassionate, heartwarming, sentimental, and eye-opening. A. Helwa delicately discusses the many aspects of Islam including the question of God, who we are, the ‘mysterious’ world of the Qur’an, the spiritual dimension of Islam, repentance, the shahadah, salat (prayer), zakat, Ramadan, Hajj, death, and the mysteries of Heaven and Hell. Most of the things discussed are things we already know, but in my opinion A. Helwa’s writing has the power to make me sit down, internalise and reflect the practices of Islam that I have taken for granted. It also helps me put my life: the good and the bad in perspective. GET THE NEW JOURNAL! Connect more deeply and authentically with Allah through the power of Journaling Islam begins as an external surrendering of the body to the clearly stated prohibitions and commands of God.” (p116) Secrets of Divine Love remedies my deepest existential dread by reminding me of my inherent worth as a being that is unconditionally loved. It pulls from common as well as less known sources, providing evidence to quell the mind and soothe the heart. The carefully curated content strikes deep emotional chords. I find myself irresistibly falling in love with God and Islam.”

Remarkably, the consistent affectionate tone does not take away from the factual, dogmatic statements regarding Islamic doctrine and the Islamic worldview. The writing is refreshing, eloquent and comprehensible for a wide readership. Secrets of Divine Lovewas written for the longing heart, for the one who is searching for something they have not been able to find. For the one who sometimes spirals into hopelessness and cannot help but feel too imperfect for a perfect God to love. This book is for the one who is at the edge of their faith, who has experienced religion as a harsh winter instead of the life-bearing spring it was sent to be by God. DR. NAZITA LAJEVARDI, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University and author of Outsiders at Home: The Politics of American IslamophobiaEach topic has the writer's personal views supported by Quranic verses and mystical quotes which makes it a profound read.