To the OP its interesting that positive freedom in Christianity ty is "love" which I have linked to "priya" (beloved) - the etymological root of the term freedom. But that's an aside. Ill look at some Islamic parallels.
In some sufi styled Islam a lover of Allah is called an Ashik (
The Language of the Future | Sufi Terminology and
Ishq - Wikipedia ) and a true lover is loved by Allah, because he keeps the commandments and avoids the sins.
This seems to be different from Christian love in that such seems to be an unconditional love of all (no law no rules only love?), whereas Allah's love is constructive and preserving in a structured manner. IIRC Allah does not love the sinners. They are under his punishment, in that virtue is rewarding and healthy etc.
Hello.
Concerning the notion that God’s love is ‘unconditional’:
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary ‘unconditional’ means: ‘Not limited in any way; complete and absolute; unqualified.’
Taking this definition, we would have to say that ‘unconditional love’ means that no matter what we do or don't do, we will continue to be loved in exactly the same way. Applying this expression to God means that whatever we do – good or evil – does not matter, and we can expect Him to love us just exactly as He always has. I’ve heard many Christians say (and I’ve said it myself, many times): ‘God loves you no matter what you’ve done, no matter what you do.’
This statement has a certain appeal to it. It sounds like it ought to be true. However, those who are versed in scripture know it is a misguidance; and quite unbiblical.
There are more than eight-hundred mentions of ‘love’ in the Bible; none of which states, or even implies, that the Exalted's love is unconditional.
We are agreed (I’m sure) that God is Love; that He is the epitome and definition of love. We are agreed (I’m sure) that His benevolence to humankind is a manifestation of His love. However, His love must work in unison with His other attributes, such as justice and mercy (undoubtedly we are agreed on this).
These are the reported words of Yeshua (radhiAllahu'anhu): ‘Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.’ (John 15: 9-10).
This is Yeshua speaking (allegedly) as ‘God’. You cannot fail to notice the conditional words in this declaration: ‘If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.’ Christians insist that only those who keep Yeshua’s commandments abide in his love; that those who fail to keep his commandments do not abide in his love, and are lost. What they are describing is conditional love, and there is no getting around that fact.
Exponents of the ‘uncondition love’ notion quote this verse in support of their claim: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son.’ (John 3: 16). However, they choose to omit (for their own reasons) the words that follow: ‘….so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ These words make it clear that only those who believe will be given eternal life; those who do not will perish. This is conditional love.
These are some of the people that God loves, according to Scripture:
The righteous (Psalm 146: 8); those who love Him (Daniel 9:4); those who pursue righteousness (Proverbs. 15:9); those of His servants who are faithful (1 Kings: 8: 23); those who trust in Him (Psalm 32: 10); those who keep His commandments (Daniel 9: 4); those (according to Christianity) who who show that their love for Yeshua is genuine by obeying His teachings (John 14: 21-23); cheerful givers (2 Cor 9: 7); those who love their brothers (1 John 3: 1,10).
If God’s love is unconditional why does the Bible not teach that He loves everyone, regardless of what they say or do? Why so many different qualifiers? The reason for the presence of these qualifiers is that He does not love everyone; and the reason He does not love them is because of what they say and do.
These are some of the people that God hates, again according to Scripture:
Those with haughty eyes; those with lying tongues; those who shed innocent blood; those who devise wicked schemes; whose feet that are quick to rush into evil; who bear false witnesses; who stir up dissensions (cf Proverbs 6: 16-19); the wicked person, and all who do evil (Psalm 5: 5); those who love violence (Psalm 11: 5); those who worship other gods (Jerimiah 44: 3-4); those who are wicked (Hebrews 1: 9); those who burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to gods (Deuteronomy 12: 31); one who plots evil against his neighbor, or who swears falsely (Zechariah 8:17).
As you can see, the ‘God of unconditional love’ hates certain people for many good reasons. Moreover, He is capable of loving certain people ‘today’ and ‘hating’ them ‘tomorrow’:
‘I have withdrawn my blessing, my love, and my pity from this people.’ (Jeremiah 16: 5; and again: ‘I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them.’ (Hosea 1: 6); and yet again: ‘Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.’ (Hosea 9: 15).
Like it or not, God says to us (today) what He has always said: ‘Here is what I expect of you, and in return, here is what I will give to you. If you fulfill your part of the contract between us I will fulfill Mine.’
This condition includes His mercy for us. He promises as much: ‘You shall, therefore, carefully observe the commandments, the statutes and the decrees which I enjoin on you today. As your reward for heeding these decrees and observing them carefully, the Lord, your God, will keep with you the merciful covenant which he promised on oath to your fathers.’ (Deuteronomy 7: 11-12).
We might wish to argue (following Paul) that nothing can separate us from God’s love: ‘What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8: 35, 37-39).
However, Paul also says this: ‘Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.’ (Romans 11: 22).
The same loving God who reveals Himself to those who believe in Him will show absolute severity to those who continue to live in sin and rebellion against Him. The words ‘if you continue’ are proof positive that there are conditions to His love, even for the Christian!
There is only one God. Both the Bible and the Qur’an make it abundantly clear – for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear – that His love is not unconditional. It is covenantal.
God’s love is covenantal. This means that if we want to continue to experience His love, we have to meet His conditions. His love is eternal, and it is constant; but He has made it crystal clear what He loves and what He hates; whom He loves and whom He hates.
Unconditional love is the relationship we must have toward God – not God toward us. We are His servants and He is our Master. He owes us nothing.
Very best regards.