This excerpt is taken from the book "Awliya Allah Ki Pehchan" authored by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi.
«أوثق عرى الإيمان الموالاة فى الله، والمعاداة فى الله، والحب فى الله، والبغض فى الله»
— Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabīr of Ṭabarānī, Hadith 11537; Musnad Aḥmad 4/286; Mustadrak al-Ḥākim 2/480; Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah, Hadith 1728
"The strongest bond of faith is to have loyalty for the sake of Allah, hostility for the sake of Allah, love for the sake of Allah, and hatred for the sake of Allah."
«المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان، يشد بعضه بعضا»
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Virtue and Joining of Ties, Hadith 2585
"The believer to another believer is like a building, each part strengthening the other."
Loving those whom Allah loves and disassociating from those whom He hates is a hallmark of true Tawḥīd and a sign of strong īmān.
«لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا، ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا»
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 54
"You will not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love one another."
Imām Nawawī titled a chapter:
“Only Believers Will Enter Paradise, and Loving the Believers is Part of Faith.”
This hadith clearly indicates that loving the believers—especially the Awliya of Allah—is crucial for attaining Paradise.
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ [9: التوبة: 119]
"O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful."
And:
﴿لَّا يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ [3: آل عمران: 28]
"Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers."
Dr. Luqmān Salafī notes that these verses emphasize that true believers must maintain loyalty and affection exclusively for fellow believers, not the disbelievers—even if they are close relatives.
"You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger—even if they were their fathers, sons, brothers, or kin..."
Dr. Luqmān Salafī explains: True faith cannot coexist with love for the enemies of Allah. A believer should not entertain any emotional loyalty or association with them.
«من عادلي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب»
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Softening the Heart, Hadith 6502
"Whoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I declare war against him."
"Where are those who loved each other for My glory? Today, I will shade them under My shade..."
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 1031
Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) also narrated the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Three qualities will lead one to taste the sweetness of faith..."
One of them being:
"To love a person only for the sake of Allah."
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith 16; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 143
"Those who love one another for My glory will be on pulpits of light; the Prophets and martyrs will envy them."
— Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Book of Zuhd, Hadith 390 – Authenticated by Al-Albānī
﴿أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾
﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ﴾
﴿لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَىٰ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ﴾
— Yūnus 10:62–64
"Indeed, the friends of Allah will have no fear, nor will they grieve. They are those who believed and were conscious of Allah. For them are glad tidings in this world and the Hereafter..."
«إذا رؤو ذكر الله عزوجل»
— Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Hadiths 2270, 2273, 2275; al-Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Nasā’ī, Hadith 11235
"Those who, when seen, remind one of Allah."
«لا يحل لمسلم أن يهجر أخاه فوق ثلاث ليال»
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Manners, Hadith 6073
"It is not permissible for a Muslim to sever ties with his brother for more than three nights."
Islam emphasizes the importance of love, unity, and avoidance of all actions—like cursing and slandering—that breed hatred among the believers.
❀ Loving the Awliya of Allah is an Essential Element of Faith
Loving the Awliya’ Allah—the pious friends of Allah—is not only part of faith, it is indeed the very essence of it. The Prophet ﷺ taught:«أوثق عرى الإيمان الموالاة فى الله، والمعاداة فى الله، والحب فى الله، والبغض فى الله»
— Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabīr of Ṭabarānī, Hadith 11537; Musnad Aḥmad 4/286; Mustadrak al-Ḥākim 2/480; Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah, Hadith 1728
"The strongest bond of faith is to have loyalty for the sake of Allah, hostility for the sake of Allah, love for the sake of Allah, and hatred for the sake of Allah."
❀ Believers Strengthen One Another
The Prophet ﷺ also said:«المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان، يشد بعضه بعضا»
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Virtue and Joining of Ties, Hadith 2585
"The believer to another believer is like a building, each part strengthening the other."
Loving those whom Allah loves and disassociating from those whom He hates is a hallmark of true Tawḥīd and a sign of strong īmān.
❖ Loving One Another for the Sake of Allah Leads to Paradise
The Prophet ﷺ said:«لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا، ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا»
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 54
"You will not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love one another."
Imām Nawawī titled a chapter:
“Only Believers Will Enter Paradise, and Loving the Believers is Part of Faith.”
This hadith clearly indicates that loving the believers—especially the Awliya of Allah—is crucial for attaining Paradise.
❖ Aligning with the Righteous and Disassociating from Disbelievers
Allah ﷻ commands:﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ [9: التوبة: 119]
"O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful."
And:
﴿لَّا يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ [3: آل عمران: 28]
"Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers."
Dr. Luqmān Salafī notes that these verses emphasize that true believers must maintain loyalty and affection exclusively for fellow believers, not the disbelievers—even if they are close relatives.
❖ True Believers Avoid Alliance with the Enemies of Allah
﴿لَا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ...﴾ [58: المجادلة: 22]"You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger—even if they were their fathers, sons, brothers, or kin..."
Dr. Luqmān Salafī explains: True faith cannot coexist with love for the enemies of Allah. A believer should not entertain any emotional loyalty or association with them.
❖ Enmity with the Awliya is a Declaration of War Against Allah
The Prophet ﷺ reported from Allah:«من عادلي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب»
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Softening the Heart, Hadith 6502
"Whoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I declare war against him."
❖ Special Rewards for Loving Each Other for Allah’s Sake
Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:"Where are those who loved each other for My glory? Today, I will shade them under My shade..."
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 1031
Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) also narrated the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Three qualities will lead one to taste the sweetness of faith..."
One of them being:
"To love a person only for the sake of Allah."
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith 16; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 143
❖ The Awliya Will Be Envied by Prophets and Martyrs
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) narrated the Prophet ﷺ said:"Those who love one another for My glory will be on pulpits of light; the Prophets and martyrs will envy them."
— Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Book of Zuhd, Hadith 390 – Authenticated by Al-Albānī
❖ Glad Tidings for the Awliya in Both Worlds
Allah ﷻ says:﴿أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾
﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ﴾
﴿لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَىٰ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ﴾
— Yūnus 10:62–64
"Indeed, the friends of Allah will have no fear, nor will they grieve. They are those who believed and were conscious of Allah. For them are glad tidings in this world and the Hereafter..."
❖ Recognizing the Awliya of Allah
When asked about the identity of the Awliya, the Prophet ﷺ said:«إذا رؤو ذكر الله عزوجل»
— Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Hadiths 2270, 2273, 2275; al-Sunan al-Kubrā of al-Nasā’ī, Hadith 11235
"Those who, when seen, remind one of Allah."
❖ Prohibition of Cutting Ties with Believers
The Prophet ﷺ said:«لا يحل لمسلم أن يهجر أخاه فوق ثلاث ليال»
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Manners, Hadith 6073
"It is not permissible for a Muslim to sever ties with his brother for more than three nights."
Islam emphasizes the importance of love, unity, and avoidance of all actions—like cursing and slandering—that breed hatred among the believers.
