Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/396)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It is well known that the polytheists love their deities intensely, as Allah Most High says:

“Their hearts were imbued with love for the calf because of their disbelief.”

[Surah al-Baqara: 93]

Although it may be said [that this is] (1) due to their belief that these deities benefit them, there is no doubt that a thing may be loved for both reasons. Yet when it is believed to possess attributes of perfection, love for it (2) is stronger, quite apart from any benefit it provides.

The hadith that is narrated states:

“Love Allah for the blessings with which He nourishes you; love me because of your love for Allah; and love my household because of your love for me.”

Its chain of transmission is weak (3), for Allah loves to be loved for His own sake, even though loving Him is also obligatory because of His beneficence.

The assertion, “Love on account of beneficence is the love of ordinary people, while that other love is the love of the elect,” is baseless. Rather, every believer loves Allah for His own sake, even if he verbally denies it. Whoever does not love Allah and His Messenger more than all else is not a believer.

If someone says, “I do not find (4) this love in my heart for Allah and His Messenger,” one of two things must be true: either he is truthful in this statement, in which case he is not a believer—for Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab

(1) The phrase “that this is” is omitted from manuscripts *nūn* and *mīm*. (2) Manuscripts *nūn* and *mīm* read: “the love.” (3) The hadith is narrated from Ibn Abbās, may Allah be pleased with them both, in *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 3/329 (Book of Virtues, chapter on the virtues of the Prophet’s household, peace and blessings be upon him). Al-Tirmidhī said: “This is a *hasan gharīb* hadith; we know it only through this chain.” It is also found in *al-Mustadrak*, 3/149–150 (Book of Knowledge of the Companions, chapter on the virtues of the household of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Al-Hākim said: “This hadith has a sound chain of transmission, although neither al-Bukhārī nor Muslim included it.” Al-Dhahabī said: “It is sound.” Al-Albānī graded the hadith weak in *Da'īf al-Jāmi' al-Saghīr wa Ziyādatih*, 1/98. (4) Manuscript *nūn* reads: “I certainly find,” which is an error. Manuscript *rāʾ* reads: “I then do not find.”

وَمِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يُحِبُّونَ آلِهَتَهُمْ مَحَبَّةً قَوِيَّةً، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ} [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ٩٣] ، وَهَذَا وَإِنْ كَانَ يُقَالُ: [إِنَّهُ] (١) لِمَا يَظُنُّونَهُ فِيهِمْ مِنْ أَنَّهَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ، فَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ الشَّيْءَ يُحَبُّ لِهَذَا وَلِهَذَا، وَلَكِنْ إِذَا ظُنَّ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ مُتَّصِفٌ بِصِفَاتِ الْكَمَالِ كَانَتْ مَحَبَّتُهُ (٢) أَشَدَّ، مَعَ قَطْعِ النَّظَرِ عَنْ نَفْعِهِ. وَالْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي يُرْوَى: " «أَحِبُّوا اللَّهَ لِمَا يَغْذُوكُمْ بِهِ مِنْ نِعَمِهِ، وَأَحِبُّونِي بِحُبِّ اللَّهِ، وَأَحِبُّوا أَهْلَ بَيْتِي بِحُبِّي» " إِسْنَادُهُ ضَعِيفٌ (٣) ; فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يُحَبَّ لِذَاتِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مَحَبَّتُهُ وَاجِبَةً لِإِحْسَانِهِ. وَقَوْلُ الْقَائِلِ: الْمَحَبَّةُ لِلْإِحْسَانِ مَحَبَّةُ الْعَامَّةِ، وَتِلْكَ مَحَبَّةُ الْخَاصَّةِ - لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ، بَلْ كُلُّ مُؤْمِنٍ فَإِنَّهُ يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ لِذَاتِهِ، وَلَوْ أَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ بِلِسَانِهِ. وَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مُؤْمِنًا. وَمَنْ قَالَ: إِنِّي لَا أَجِدُ (٤) هَذِهِ الْمَحَبَّةَ فِي قَلْبِي لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَأَحَدُ الْأَمْرَيْنِ لَازِمٌ: إِمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ صَادِقًا فِي هَذَا الْخَبَرِ، فَلَا يَكُونُ مُؤْمِنًا، فَإِنَّ أَبَا جَهْلٍ وَأَبَا لَهَبٍ

(١) إِنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن، م: الْمَحَبَّةُ. (٣) الْحَدِيثُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٣/٣٢٩ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ بَابُ مَنَاقِبِ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: " هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ إِنَّمَا نَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ". وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي: الْمُسْتَدْرَكِ ٣/١٤٩ - ١٥٠ (كِتَابُ مَعْرِفَةِ الصَّحَابَةِ، بَابُ وَمِنْ مَنَاقِبِ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ) وَقَالَ الْحَاكِمُ: " هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ، وَلَمْ يُخْرِجَاهُ "، وَقَالَ الذَّهَبِيُّ: " صَحِيحٌ ". وَضَعَّفَ الْأَلْبَانِيُّ الْحَدِيثَ فِي " ضَعِيفِ الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ وَزِيَادَتِهِ " ١/٩٨ (٤) ن: لَأَجِدُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ، ر: لَا ثُمَّ أَجِدُ.