and his followers, as well as those who agreed with them among the followers of Ahmad, Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and others.

Most people, however, say: Rather, when a person is a disbeliever, he is an enemy of Allah; then, if he believes and becomes mindful of Allah, he becomes a friend of Allah. Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, making overtures to them”—down to His words: “Perhaps Allah will bring about affection between you and those of them whom you have treated as enemies. Allah is All-Powerful, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

This is indeed what happened. These were the people of Mecca who had opposed Allah and His Messenger before the conquest. Most of them believed and became friends of Allah and His Messenger.

Ibn Kullāb and his followers based their position on the premise that friendship is an eternal attribute inherent in Allah’s Essence, namely His will, love, pleasure, and the like. It therefore means His will to reward a person after death. This, in turn, follows Allah’s knowledge: anyone whom He knows will die a believer has always been a friend of Allah, because Allah has always willed to admit him to Paradise. The same applies to enmity.

The majority, however, say: Although friendship and enmity involve Allah’s love and pleasure, hatred and displeasure, He, glorified be He, is pleased with a person and loves him after he believes and does righteous deeds. He only becomes displeased and angry with him after he disbelieves, as Allah Most High says:

“That is because they followed what angered Allah and hated His good pleasure.”

He thus states that their deeds angered Him. Likewise, He says:

“When they provoked Our wrath, We took vengeance upon them.”

The commentators explain this as: “They angered Us.” Allah Most High also says:

“If you are grateful, He is pleased with that for you.”

In the authentic hadith recorded in al-Bukhārī, Abū Hurayrah reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Allah Most High says: ‘Whoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine has openly challenged Me to war. My servant draws near to Me by nothing equal to fulfilling what I have made obligatory upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts of worship until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which