Categories of People Based on Their Right to Love or Hatred
There are three categories of people based on their right to friendship or enmity:
(1) Those who deserve pure love and friendship, such love and friendship in which no element of hostility or hatred is included.
(2) Those who deserve enmity, hostility, and hatred, such enmity and hatred in which no element of friendship or love is included.
(3) Those who, for certain reasons, deserve to be loved and for other reasons deserve hatred and enmity.
(1) Individuals Deserving Pure Love
The people whom pure love is obligatory upon, a love in which there is not even a trace of enmity or hatred, are the pure believers, among whom the foremost are the noble Prophets, then the truthful ones (Siddiqeen), then the martyrs and the righteous.
Among the noble Prophets, the most eminent and foremost is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Loving him صلى الله عليه وسلم is obligatory in such a way that it surpasses and dominates the love for oneself, one’s children, parents, and all other people.
Then comes the love for his purified wives, the Mothers of the Believers, and other members of the Ahl al-Bayt and the noble Companions رضوان الله عليهم أجمعين. Among the Companions, especially the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the ten who were given glad tidings (Ashra Mubashra), the Muhajireen and Ansar, the Companions of Badr, those who participated in the Pledge of Ridwan, and then all the other noble Companions are deserving of pure love.
Then the love for the noble Followers (Tabi‘in), then the Four Imams and so forth is noteworthy. Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
Translation: (And [also for] those who came after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”)
Whoever has faith in his heart will never harbor hatred or enmity towards the noble Companions or the righteous predecessors. To harbor enmity against this sacred group is the way of the crooked, hypocrites, and enemies of Islam, such as the Rawafid and Kharijites, etc. We ask Allah Almighty for safety.
(2) Only those who harbor enmity and hatred
These are the groups of disbelievers, polytheists, hypocrites, apostates, and atheists, whose types vary (but the common factor is that all these people deny the pure belief, the belief in monotheism).
Allah Almighty said:
﴿لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ﴾
Translation: (Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, you will not find them befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their parents, siblings, or relatives.)
At another place, Allah Almighty condemned the Children of Israel, saying:
تَرَىٰ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لَهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ أَن سَخِطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَفِي الْعَذَابِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ . وَلَوْ كَانُوا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالنَّبِيِّ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا اتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَلَٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ .
Translation: (You will see many of them befriending the disbelievers. What they have sent ahead for themselves is evil. (That is) that Allah is displeased with them, and they will remain in torment forever. And if they believed in Allah and the Messenger and the Book that was revealed to them, they would not have taken them as friends, but most of them are wicked.)
(3) Those individuals who deserve both love and enmity
This refers to those believers in whom, for some reason, certain disobediences are found (but the correct belief is present). These people are worthy of love due to their good belief and the wealth of faith, but they deserve displeasure because of committing some disobediences.
The condition is that their disobedience does not reach the level of disbelief or polytheism. (Because if their disobedience reaches the limits of disbelief or polytheism, then despite their claim of faith, they deserve complete hatred and enmity.)
The requirement of love for such people is that goodwill should be shown towards them and the disobediences they commit should be denied.
It is not permissible to remain silent about the disobediences of these people; rather, it is necessary to fully practice the great spirit of goodwill in enjoining good and forbidding evil with them.
And if their sin is such that it necessitates a legal punishment, then the enforcement of that punishment or disciplinary action until they desist from their sin and repent is also goodwill.
Complete hatred, displeasure, and enmity are not appropriate towards such people, as is the way of the Kharijites.
Rather, moderation should be maintained regarding them; thus, friendship and love should be shown based on good belief, and displeasure and hatred should be expressed due to the commission of sins, and this is the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah.
The legal guidance is that if there is love for someone, it should be for the sake of Allah Almighty, and if there is enmity, it should be for the sake of Allah Almighty. This belief is the strongest link of faith. Indeed, a hadith states: (On the Day of Resurrection, a person will be with whom he loved in this world.)
المرء مع من احب فى الدنيا
But nowadays, the circumstances have completely changed; generally, people’s friendships and enmities are based on worldly matters.
Friendship and love relationships are established with whoever has some worldly greed, desire, or interest, even if that person is an enemy of Allah Almighty, His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, and His religion.
Ibn Jarir narrated the statement of Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما:
من أحب فى الله وأبغض فى الله ووالىٰ فى الله وعادىٰ فى الله فإنما تنال ولاية الله بذٰلك، وقد صارت عامة مؤاخاة الناس علىٰ أمر الدنيا وذٰلك لا يجدي علىٰ أهله شيئا (Narrated by Ibn Jarir)
Translation: (Whoever loves for the sake of Allah and hates for the sake of Allah, befriends for the sake of Allah, and is hostile for the sake of Allah, then by this magnificent character, he will attain the friendship and closeness of Allah. But alas, today people’s friendships and brotherhood are based on worldly interests, which is a completely useless and ineffective way.)
وعن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن الله تعالى قال: من عادىٰ لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب
Translation: (It is narrated from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allah Almighty says: Whoever shows enmity to My friend, I declare war against him.)
The person who bears the greatest risk of this war is the one who harbors hatred and enmity towards the Companions of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, adopts a disrespectful attitude towards their status, and engages in futile efforts to belittle their honor.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
(Be fearful of Allah regarding My Companions, do not criticize them; whoever harms them has hurt Me, and whoever hurts Me has hurt Allah, and whoever hurts Allah, Allah will soon erase him from existence.) (Tirmidhi Sharif)
Alas, some misguided sects base their religion and belief on enmity towards the noble Companions رضي الله عليهم أجمعين. We seek refuge in Allah Almighty from His wrath and painful punishment and are supplicants for pardon and safety.
وصلى الله عليه وسلم وبارك على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم
