Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Love and Hate for Allah's Sake

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Love and hate are opposites and two most intense emotions intimately linked.

Since it is logically impossible to truly love something without hating what stands against it, Muslims both love and hate for the sake of Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) guided us to this balance and moderation in our emotions when he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

إِنَّ أَوْثَقَ عُرَى الإِيْمَانِ أَنْ تُحِبَّ فِي اللهِ وَتُبْغِضَ فِي اللهِ

Verily the strongest handhold of faith is that you love for the sake of Allah and that you hate for the sake of Allah. [Ahmad 4/286, authentic]

In the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), there is a tremendous example.
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٢٨

There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful. (128)
[Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:128]

Scholar said about loving and hating for Allah's sake:

Loving for Allah is when you love (someone) for Allah’s sake, the Blessed and Exalted, because you believe him to be a person of taqwa (mindfulness of Allah’s orders) and Iman (upright beliefs, statements, and actions). Because of these things you love such a person for the sake of Allah.

You also hate for the sake of Allah when you see a disobedient disbeliever. You hate such a person for the sake of Allah.

You also hate a disobedient person, even if he is a Muslim, based on the degree of his disobedience.

This is how a believer is – He allows his heart to react to both types of people, loving some of them for the sake of Allah. He loves the people of Iman and Taqwa for the sake of Allah, while he hates the people of disbelief, evil, and disobedience for Allah’s sake, allowing his heart to interact with both kinds.

In the case when there is good and bad in a person, like a disobedient Muslim, then he loves him for his Islam and hates him for his disobedience, combining both emotions of love and hatred for one person.

As for the people of Iman and the people of upright Islamic practice, then he (a true believer) loves them wholeheartedly. Similarly, he hates the people of disbelief wholeheartedly.

But regarding someone who has both things (good and bad traits), a disobedient Muslim, he loves him based on the level of his Iman and Islam, while he hates him according to the level of his disobedience and violations (of Islamic beliefs and practices).

With these necessary emotions, Muslims are required to maintain an important balance, and they are not allowed to transgress against the rights of those they hate. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ للهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالقِسْطِ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَئَانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلَّا تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُواْ اللهَ إِنَّ اللهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to taqwa. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. [Qur'an, al-Ma'idah 5:8]

There is an immense virtue to love one another for the sake of Allah.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and send him peace) said that Allah Almighty says, “Those who love one another for the sake of My majesty shall [on the Day of Judgment] be seated on thrones made of light, [such that even] prophets and martyrs would be jealous of them.” [Tirmidhi, well-authenticated]

That is to say, if prophets and martyrs had jealousy for anyone [which they do not], they would be jealous of such people. [Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and send him peace) said that Allah Almighty says, “My love is incumbent upon those who love one another for My sake; who sit together for My sake; who spend on one another for My sake; and who visit one another for My sake.” [Musnad Ahmed; Tabarani. With a sound chain of narration]

May Allah make us among those He loves and love one another for His sake. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.

Wassalaam

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