—namely, that they died as hypocrites and had apostatized after the Prophet’s death. We ask Allah for safety.

For this reason Imām Mālik declared that they deserve no share of the fayʾ, because they do not say, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith.” Instead, they confine mercy and the plea for forgiveness to those whom they believe did not apostatize—only a small number from the Prophet’s Household and two, three, or perhaps ten individuals outside of it.

The operative phrase in the verse is: “they love those who migrated to them.” That is, they love the believing Emigrants for Allah’s sake. The Helpers from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj had no family ties with the Emigrants; they were not from Quraysh. Yet the bond of faith is the strongest tie of all, and the firmest link of faith is to love for Allah’s sake and to hate for Allah’s sake.

The author then quoted the hadith of Anas ibn Mālik—may Allah be pleased with him—in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “Three qualities, whoever possesses them will taste the sweetness of faith.” “Whoever possesses them” means whoever is characterized by these traits; “will taste through them” means by virtue of them. “The sweetness of faith” is not the sweetness of sugar or honey; it is a sweetness surpassing every sweetness. It is a delight the believer feels in his heart—a tremendous joy unequalled by anything else. His breast is opened wide, he yearns for good, and he loves the people of virtue. Only the one who experiences it after once being deprived of it truly knows this sweetness.

The first of these qualities is “that Allah and His Messenger be dearer to him than anything else.” Note that he said, “Allah and His Messenger be dearer to him than anything else,” and did not say, “and then His Messenger,” because one’s love for the Messenger ﷺ in this context is derivative of, and springs from, one’s love for Allah, the Exalted.