Loving for the sake of Allaah is an obligation

2-11-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

salam alaikum Love and Sake for Allah is best....... but can it be said that it is """"OBLIGATORY""""" to love for the sake of Allah..... for there are many who love people for friendship...... I wanted a cnfrmaion whether it is OBLIGATORY OR RECOMMENDED(mustahab)" and how authentic is this narration that martyrs will envy people because of the position that will be achieved by people who love for the sake of Allah please answer both jazakallah and salam alaikum!!!!!!!!!
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Love for the sake of Allaah – as well as hate for the sake of Allaah – are one of the strongest bonds of faith; since this is the case, it is an obligation to achieve it. Indeed, the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them stated that love for the sake of Allaah is obligatory. Ibn Battaal may Allaah have mercy upon him in his commentary on 'Saheeh Al-Bukhari', said: “If someone says: …Tell us about love for the sake of Allaah or hate for the sake of Allaah, is it an obligation or a recommended act?” It would be said: “Rather, it is an obligation; and this is the view of Imaam Maalik as well”. If it is said “what is the evidence for this?”, it would be said: “What Al-‘Aa’mash narrated from Abu Saalih from Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with him who said: the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “I swear by Him in Whose Hands my soul is, you will not enter Paradise unless you have faith, and you will not have faith unless you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something if you do it you will love one another? Spread the Salaam amongst yourselves.” [Muslim, At-Tirmithi, Abu Daawood and Ibn Maajah] What the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) ordered them to do, they should act according to it. Don’t you see that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) swore (by Allaah) with his utmost sincerity that the people would not have faith until they love one another, and they will not enter Paradise until they have faith. Therefore, every wise person should be sincere in his affection and love to the believers…”

Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him said in 'Fat'h Al-Baari': “Maalik said that loving and hating for the sake of Allaah are among the obligations.” Moreover, Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah may Allaah have mercy upon him said in ‘Minhaaj As-Sunnah’: “Love for the sake of Allaah and hate for the sake of Allaah are an obligation and it is one of the strongest bonds of faith.” Indeed, there are many texts of the scholars about this.

On the other hand, the Hadeeth to which you pointed in the question is a Saheeh [authentic] Hadeeth reported by Ahmad and At-Tirmithi may Allaah have mercy upon them from Mu’ath Ibn Jabal may Allaah be pleased with him who said: “I heard the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) saying: “Allaah said: “Those who love one another for My sake, will have pulpits of light, and the Prophets and martyrs will envy them (i.e. wish that they have the same)."

Besides, At-Tabaraani may Allaah have mercy upon him reported the same Hadeeth from Abu Maalik Al-Ash’ari may Allaah be pleased with him who said: “The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "There are slaves of Allaah who will have pulpits of light on the Day of Judgment, and they are neither Prophets nor martyrs, but the Prophets and martyrs will envy them (i.e. wish that they have the same)." They (the Companions) asked: “Who are they?” He [Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )] said: “They are those who love one another for the sake of Allaah." [At-Tabaraani]

At-Tabaraani may Allaah have mercy upon him also reported the same Hadeeth with the wording: “I knew some people who are neither Prophets nor martyrs but the martyrs and Prophets will envy them (i.e. wish that they have the same) because of their status with Allaah. They are people from different tribes who love one another for the sake of Allaah.”

As regards your statement that some people love other people for friendship, then this does not contradict what is mentioned above, the human being loves his friend, neighbor and his relative a natural love, and this is permissible and it is not dispraised unless it prevents one from the mention of Allaah or diverts him from loving Allaah. Ibn Al-Qayyim may Allaah have mercy upon him said: “There is a fifth category of love that is not a part of what we have mentioned here, it is the natural love, which is that a person tends to what suits his nature, like the love of the thirsty person for water, and the love of the hungry person for food, and loving sleep, and loving the wife and the children, and these are not dispraised unless they prevent one from the mention of Allaah or divert him from loving Allaah.”

Allaah Knows best.

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