This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahi Fazail-e-Amaal.
After prohibiting friendship with Jews and Christians in Surah Al-Ma'idah of the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty describes the condition of those who apostatize from Islam in every era, stating that they will not harm Allah in any way. Allah, by His absolute power, will bring forth in every era people who will support His religion and enforce Islamic law. Their distinguished characteristic will be that Allah will love them, and they will love Allah; they will be humble towards the believers and severe towards the disbelievers; they will strive in the way of Allah and will not fear the blame of any critic. Allah Almighty says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾
"O you who have believed, whoever among you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him, [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing."
Reference: (5-Al-Ma'idah:54)
By following the Messenger ﷺ, a person's sins are forgiven, and he becomes beloved to Allah Almighty. Furthermore, the way to love Allah is to follow the Hashimi Messenger, the benefactor of humanity, the master of the universe, Muhammad ﷺ.
Allah Almighty has said:
﴿قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
"Say, [O Muhammad], 'If you should love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.'"
Reference: (3-Aal Imran:31)
Many reasons and occasions of revelation have been reported for this verse. One reason for revelation is:
The chief of the Jews, Ka'b ibn Ashraf, claimed that نحن أشد حبا لله۔۔۔ "We are very strict in the love of Allah. Therefore, we are beloved to Allah." ”نحن أحباء الله“ So Allah Almighty revealed these verses, stating that their claims and self-made ways cannot attain Allah's love and pleasure; there is only one way, which is to follow My Prophet.
For details see:
Reference: Al-I'jab fi Bayan al-Asbab: 677/2.
This verse has provided a criterion and standard for all claimants that if a seeker of divine love wants to achieve this goal through following Muhammad ﷺ, then surely he is successful and truthful in his claim; otherwise, he is a liar and will fail in achieving this goal. Because the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, attained the highest degree of success and were so successful in attaining Allah's pleasure that they were given the glad tidings of رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه. What was the reason? The reason was that they followed the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in all their deeds and actions.
The rights of the Noble Prophet ﷺ upon us,
Reference: p. 30
, by Hafiz Hamid Mahmood Al-KhazriTrue love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ demands that this love be placed above the love of everything else. Whether it is a father, son, brother, wife, or any family member, or wealth and property acquired through one's own effort, or various commercial goods, or lofty mansions, none of these have any status in the heart of a believer compared to Allah and His Messenger. Whoever loves these things more than Allah, His Messenger, and striving in the way of Allah will be a disobedient (fasiq). Allah Almighty says:
﴿قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ﴾
"Say, [O Muhammad], 'If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.'"
Reference: (9-At-Tawbah:24)
Those who associate partners with Allah worship others instead of Allah and love their false deities as they should love Allah. But the true believers, due to their correct knowledge of the Oneness of Allah, do not associate anyone with Allah, worship only Him, rely only on Him, seek refuge only in Him in all matters of life, and love only Him. They do not share His love with anyone else. Allah, the Lord of Glory, says:
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ .إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ. وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوا مِنَّا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَمَا هُم بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِ.﴾
"And [yet] among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment. And when the leaders [of the disbelievers] see the punishment, they will be certain that Allah is the Truth, and they will be seized by that which they used to ridicule. And they will [enter to] burn in Hellfire on their faces. Those are the worst in position and farthest astray in [their] way. And you will see many of them hastening into sin and aggression and the devouring of [what is] unlawful. How wretched is what they have been doing. Why do the rabbis and religious scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and devouring what is unlawful? How wretched is what they have been practicing."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:165 to 167)
When a servant loves Allah Almighty, Allah also loves the servant. As the Noble Prophet ﷺ said:
إن الله تبارك وتعالى إذا أحب عبدا نادى جبريل: إن الله قد أحب فلانا فأحبه فيحبه جبريل ، ثم ينادى جبريل فى السماء : إن الله قد أحب فلانا فأحبوه ، فيحبه أهل السماء ، ويوضع له القبول فى الأرض
"When Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: 'Indeed, I love so-and-so; love him.' So Gabriel loves him. Then Gabriel announces in the heavens: 'Indeed, Allah loves so-and-so; love him.' Thus, the inhabitants of the heavens also love him, and he becomes the reference of the creatures on the earth."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, No: 7458.
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
A Bedouin companion asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "When will the Day of Judgment occur?" The Prophet ﷺ asked, "What preparation have you made for it?" He replied, "My preparation is the love of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ in my heart." The Prophet ﷺ said, "You will be with those whom you love on the Day of Judgment."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Virtue and Maintaining Ties, No: 6711.
Sayyiduna Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me an action that if I do it, Allah will make me beloved to Him, and people will also love me." The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Be indifferent and disinterested in the world; Allah will keep you beloved, and be indifferent to what people have; people will also love and like you."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Asceticism, No: 4102. Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, No: 475.
