Allah's Words: (swt ) And Among the People Are Those Who Take [for Worship] Partners Besides Allah (swt )

Allah (swt ), says:

" And among the people are those who take [for worship] partners besides Allah; they love them as they should love Allah, but those of faith are greater in their love for Allah. If only the evil-doers could see. Behold! They would see the punishment: That to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the punishment" (Qur'an 2:165)

Allah (swt ), Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that some of the people set up partners with Allah (swt ), whom they love and glorify as they do Allah (swt ). Then Allah (swt ) makes it clear that the Believers love Allah (swt ) more, for their love is a pure unadulterated love, which is only for Allah (swt ), while the love of the polytheists is corrupted and spoiled by their equal love of the other deities whom they have taken as partners with Allah (swt ). Then Allah (swt ) warns that those polytheists, when they see the punishment that is theirs on the Day of Resurrection, will know that all power belongs to Allah (swt ) and that His punishment is condign.

1. That love of Allah is a form of worship.

2. The love of the polytheists for Allah does not benefit them at all because of their shirk.

3. That shirk invalidates one's deeds.

4. That pure love for Allah is sign of true faith.

5. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Power.

That it proves that whoever loves someone or something as much as Allah (swt ), has set up a partner with Allah (swt ) and this is an act of shirk.

In order that there should be no confusion in this matter, it is important to point out that love falls into two categories: (i) That which is pure, and that is worshipful love which necessitates humility, submissiveness, exaltation and complete obedience; none has the right to such love except Allah (swt ); (ii) The second kind of love is shared love: This includes natural love, such as the love of certain foods, certain aromas, etc., the love of family, such as that of a child for his parents and vice versa, and the love that a person may have for a friend. Such love may come and go, strengthen and weaken, unlike the first category, for it is incumbent upon us to love Allah (swt ) to the utmost of our ability.

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Allah (swt ), says:

" Say: "If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard, and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision - and Allah guides not the rebellious" (Qur'an 9:24)

In this verse, Allah (swt ), Most Glorified, Most High, commands His Prophet, Muhammad (saas ) to make plain to the people that whoever places his love of worldly things above his love of Allah (swt ), and His Prophet (saas ) and defence of his religion, verily, he will see what awaits him of chastisement from Allah (swt ), because Allah (swt ) does not grant success to those who do not submit themselves to Him Alone.

1. The forbiddance of placing one's love of worldly things above one's love of Allah (swt ).

2. The permissibility of love for such things as long as it does not interfere with one's love for Allah (swt ).

3. That love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) are both obligatory, and love of one without the other is not acceptable.

4. That the guidance of success comes only from Allah (swt ) and no other.

That it proves the prohibition of placing one's love of worldly things above that of Allah (swt ).

That it proves the obligation to love Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ); therefore, this kind of love is an act of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah (swt ) is shirk.

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On the authority of Anas (swt ), it is reported that Allah's Messenger (saas ) said:

"None of you truly believes until I am more beloved by him than his sons, his father and all of mankind." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)

Allah's Messenger (saas ) informs us in this Hadith that none has complete faith, nor can he achieve the necessary level of faith by which he may enter Paradise without punishment, unless and until he places his love of the Prophet (saas ) before his love of parents, children and all mankind. This is because love of the Messenger of Allah (saas ) means love of Allah (swt ), for the Messenger (saas ) is the one who brings to us Allah's Revelation and Guidance to His Religion and love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) is not true unless it leads to the implementation of all of Allah's Laws and abstinence from all that He has forbidden - and love of Allah's Messenger (saas ) is not demonstrated merely by singing his praises or by celebrating his birthday, which is a despicable innovation unknown to the Prophet (saas ) and his Companions.

1. That the negation of complete faith in this Hadith does not necessitate exclusion from the fold of Islam.

2. That deeds are a part of faith, for love is an action of the heart.

3. The obligation to place one's love of the Messenger (saas ) before love of parents, children and all of mankind.

That it proves the obligation of placing one's love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) before love of all others.

That it proves the obligation of placing one's love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) before that of all others; this proves that love is an act of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah (swt ) is an act of worship.

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Also reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Anas (ra ) is that he said: "Allah's Messenger (saas ) said:

"Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness of faith: (i) The one to whom Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) are more loved than anything else; (ii) the one who loves a person purely and solely for Allah's sake; and (iii) the one who hates to return to kufr after Allah (swt ) has saved him, as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire." and in another narration: "None of you will find the sweetness of faith until..."

Allah's Messenger (saas ) informs us in this Hadith that faith has a sweetness, and that this sweetness will not be experienced by any except him who places his love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) before that of all others and who does not love anyone except for Allah's sake and none other, and who hates disbelief and the idea of returning to it as much as he hates the Hell-fire and as much as he would hate to be thrown into it.

1. Confirmation of the sweetness of faith and that it is not achieved by every Believer.

2. The obligation of placing love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) above love of all others.

3. The permissibility of referring to Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) together.

4. That loving a person for Allah's sake is a part of faith.

5. The obligation to hate kufr and its adherents.

That the Hadith proves the obligation to love Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) more than all others.

That the Hadith proves that placing one's love of Allah (swt ) and His Messenger (saas ) before love of all others is an obligation which shows that love is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah (swt ) is shirk.

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It is reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (ra ) that he said: "Whoever loved for Allah's sake and hated for Allah's sake and befriended for Allah's sake and showed enmity for Allah's sake, will achieve by this Allah's friendship and the slave will not attain the real taste of eemaan (faith), even though he may pray much and fast much, until he does all these things. Today, most of the people maintain relationships and love only for some worldly reason, but this will not profit them anything (on the Day of Judgement)." (Narrated by Ibn Jareer At-Tabari)

That it shows that Ibn `Abbas (swt ) considered that love is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah (swt ) is shirk.

Ibn `Abbas (ra ) said, concerning Allah's Words:

" And all relations between them would be cut off" (Qur'an 2:166)

that it refers to relations of love.

That it shows that Ibn `Abbas (ra ) explained this verse as follows: That if love is not for Allah's sake, it will be wasted and a source of loss to the one who loved on the Day of Judgement for it is tantamount to shirk.