Love for the saints is a part of faith, indeed it is the essence of faith, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has taught:
أوثق عرى الإيمان الموالاة فى الله ، والمعاداة فى الله ، والحب فى الله ، والبغض فى الله
“The strongest link of faith is to befriend for the sake of Allah, and to be hostile for the sake of Allah; to love for the sake of Allah, and to be displeased for the sake of Allah.”
Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان ، يشد بعضه بعضا
“A believer is like a building, each part strengthening the other.”
Love and enmity for the sake of Allah means that a person loves those whom Allah loves and hates those whom Allah hates. In other words, a person loves Allah’s friends (Awliya Allah) and hates Allah’s enemies (Adaa Allah). One should only love those who live according to the teachings revealed by Allah. And hate those who disobey Allah day and night. When this condition arises in a person, then his faith and monotheism become complete.
In another hadith it is stated:
لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ، ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا
“You will not enter Paradise until you become believers, and you will not become believers until you love one another.”
Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) established a chapter on this hadith as follows:
باب بيان أنه لا يدخل الجنة إلا المؤمنون، وأن محبة المؤمنين من الايمان
This chapter explains that only the people of faith will enter Paradise, and love for the believers (Awliya Allah) is a part of faith. From the above noble hadith, it is understood that love and affection for the people of faith (Awliya Allah) is essential for entering Paradise. Allah, the Almighty, says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ
“O you who have believed! Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.”
At another place He says:
لَّا يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“It is not appropriate for the believers to take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers.”
Dr. Luqman Salafi (may Allah preserve him) writes:
Allah Almighty has forbidden the believers from taking disbelievers as friends instead of believers. This is because Allah is the guardian of the believers, and the believers are guardians and friends to one another. Several verses in the Holy Quran address this subject. Love for Allah and hatred for Allah’s enemies is one of the fundamental principles of faith. Therefore, Allah said that whoever takes disbelievers as friends, Allah is free from him, and he has no relation with Allah. However, if there is a threat from the disbelievers, it is permissible for a Muslim to temporarily express friendship verbally.
ويذكر عن أبى الدرداء إنا لنكشر فى وجوه أقوام وإن قلوبنا لنلعنهم
Imam Bukhari narrated from Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that they used to show a fake smile in front of some groups, while their hearts would curse them.
After this, Allah said that He is warning you with His sacred self, so do not anger Him by disobeying His commands and befriending His enemies. This is an extreme warning.
The Conduct of the Saints of Allah in Friendship and Enmity
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
”Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, you will not find them loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers or their sons, or their brothers or their relatives. Allah has firmly established faith in their hearts and supported them with His special help. Allah will admit them into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. Those are the party of Allah. Be aware that the party of Allah are the ones who will be successful.“
In the exegesis of this verse, Dr. Luqman Salafi, may Allah preserve him, writes:
After mentioning the enemies of Allah and His Messenger, now the mention is of those believers who under no circumstances befriend the enemies of Allah, because faith in Allah and His Messenger cannot coexist with love for the enemies of Allah and His Messenger in one heart. The purpose of this noble verse is to emphasize the prohibition of friendship with the enemies of Allah and His Messenger, meaning a believer should completely avoid sitting and mixing with disbelievers, and there should be no leniency in the believer’s heart regarding this matter. To impress this point to the extent of exaggeration, Allah Almighty said that even if those enemies of Allah are your father, son, brother, or other close relatives, because faith demands from the believer that no kind of relationship be maintained with the enemies of Allah.
Those who harbor enmity towards the friends of Allah are, in reality, declaring war against Allah Almighty. The Noble Messenger, peace be upon him, said:
من عادلي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب
”Whoever shows enmity to My friend, I declare war against him.“
Loving for the sake of Allah is a great deed, by whose blessing a person will be granted the shade of the Mighty Throne on the Day of Judgment.
عن ابي هريرة عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: سبعة يظلهم الله فى ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله ورجلان تحابا فى الله
Thus, Sayyiduna Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Noble Messenger, peace be upon him, said:
”Indeed, Allah Almighty will say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who loved each other for My glory? On this day, when there is no shade except My shade, I will give them a place under My shade.“
Due to love for the friends of Allah, a person can attain the delight of faith. The Noble Messenger, peace be upon him, said:
عن أنس بن مالك رضی الله عنہ، عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ثلاث من كن فيه وجد حلاوة الإيمان: أن يكون الله ورسوله أحب إليه مما سواهما ، ”وأن يحب المرء لا يحبه إلا لله ، وأن يكره أن يعود فى الكفر كما يكره أن يقذف فى النار
”Whoever has three qualities will taste the delight of faith: the first is that Allah and His Messenger are most beloved to him; the second is that he loves others solely for the sake of Allah’s pleasure; and the third is that he hates returning to disbelief as much as he hates being thrown into the fire.“
Because of this deed, the Prophets and martyrs will envy them on the Day of Judgment. Thus:
عن معاذ بن جبل قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول قال الله عز وجل المتحابون فى جلالى لهم منابر من نور يغبطهم النبيون والشهداء
”Sayyiduna Muadh, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates from the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, that Allah will have pulpits of light for them, and the Prophets and martyrs will envy them.“
The friends of Allah will have neither sorrow for the past nor fear for the future on the Day of Resurrection, and these are the very people who adopt piety. Allah Almighty says:
أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٦٢﴾ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ ﴿٦٣﴾ لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَىٰ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
”Be aware! Indeed, the friends of Allah will have no fear nor will they grieve, those who believed and feared Allah. For them is good news in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. There is no change in the words of Allah. That is the greatest success.“
Dr. Luqman Salafi, may Allah preserve him, writes:
Allah Almighty said that on the Day of Resurrection, His friends will have neither sorrow for the past nor fear for the future.
In verse (64), Allah Almighty said that He has given them glad tidings of His mercy, pleasure, and Paradise in both this world and the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and others have narrated from Abu Darda and Ubada bin Samit, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
عن رجل من أهل مصر سألت ابا الدرداء عن قوله الله تعالى ﴿لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَىٰ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾ (10-يونس:64) سألت رسول : فقال هي الرؤيا الصالحة يراها المسلم وترى له
”In worldly life, glad tidings mean a good dream that a Muslim sees.“
And it is also established from the Quran and Sunnah that angels give glad tidings of Paradise to Allah’s righteous servants before death. In the verse, the friends mean those sincere believers who become close to Allah due to His servitude and avoidance of sins. Here their characteristic is mentioned that they are believers and avoid sins. The meaning of “Wali” (friend) is that when a believer engages in faith and righteous deeds and stays away from shirk and other sins, he becomes close to Allah. Scholars have written that one sign of Wilaya (friendship with Allah) is that the Wali’s supplications are accepted, meaning Allah accepts his prayers. It is narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that a person asked, O Messenger of Allah! Who are the friends of Allah? You, peace be upon him, said:
إذا رؤو ذكر الله عزوجل
”Those who remind you of Allah when you see them.“
It is religiously forbidden for the believers to sever ties with the friends of Allah. It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha Siddiqah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لا يحل لمسلم أن يهجر أخاه فوق ثلاث ليال
”It is not permissible for a Muslim to sever ties with his brother for more than three (days and) nights.“
Where Islam commands Muslims to love the friends of Allah, it also forbids all matters that are unlawful and cause mutual hatred and enmity. In this regard, some hadiths are presented to the readers:
من لعن مؤمنا فهو كقتله
”To curse a Muslim is equivalent to killing him.“
عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ليس المؤمن بالطعان ، ولا لعان ، ولا الفاحش ولا البذي
”He is not a believer who curses, blames, insults, or uses foul language against others.“
May Allah grant us the ability to love the friends of Allah and adopt their qualities. Ameen.
