When it comes to love it is more than just an emotion it needs to be manifested practically. We read in Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 33:
"قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
This evidences that the relationship of love between a believer and the Creator is a reciprocal one, if one wishes to attain the love of Allah (swt) one needs to prove their love towards Allah (swt) – these are the true servants of Allah (swt) that have attained His pleasure as the true lovers of the Deen.
The name of Amir-ul-Momineen Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) is at the forefront of such individuals in the list of such lovers of Islam. We read in Sahih al Bukhari :
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمٌ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ كَانَ عَلِيٌّ قَدْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي خَيْبَرَ وَكَانَ بِهِ رَمَدٌ فَقَالَ أَنَا أَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَخَرَجَ عَلِيٌّ فَلَحِقَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَلَمَّا كَانَ مَسَاءُ اللَّيْلَةِ الَّتِي فَتَحَهَا اللَّهُ فِي صَبَاحِهَا، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ ـ أَوْ لَيَأْخُذَنَّ الرَّايَةَ ـ غَدًا رَجُلاً يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ـ أَوْ قَالَ يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ـ يَفْتَحُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ". فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِعَلِيٍّ وَمَا نَرْجُوهُ، فَقَالُوا هَذَا عَلِيٌّ. فَأَعْطَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَفَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ.
Narrated Salama:
`Ali remained behind the Prophet (ﷺ) during the Ghazwa of Khaibar as he was suffering from eye trouble. He then said, "(How can) I remain behind the Prophet (ﷺ) ," and followed him. So when he slept on the night of the conquest of Khaibar, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I will give the flag tomorrow, or tomorrow the flag will be taken by a man who is loved by Allah and His Apostle , and (Khaibar) will be conquered through him, (with Allah's help)" While every one of us was hopeful to have the flag, it was said, "Here is `Ali" and the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him the flag and Khaibar was conquered through him (with Allah's Help).
(Source Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith number 4209)
Once love becomes reciprocal, the servant will not be deprived from the grace and mercy of Allah (swt). In this regards we read in Sahih al Bukhari :
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنِي شَرِيكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي نَمِرٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ عَبْدِي بِشَىْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَىَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطُشُ بِهَا وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."
(Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith number 6502)
Ultimately the believer needs to form a connection with Allah (swt), and he seeks out those that have attained the pleasure of Allah (swt), loving that which Allah (swt) loves
We read in Sahih al Bukhari :
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ح وَحَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ".
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind."
(Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith number 15)
Likewise, there exists an obligation on the believers to love his Ahulbayt (as) as commanded by Allah (swt) in Surah Ash-Shuraa l:
قُل لا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى
[O Prophet,] say, "I do not ask you for a reward for this [message] except for showing affection to my close relatives."
Allah (swt) has made it incumbent upon al Muslims to love the close relatives of Rasulullah (s) and the Sunni scholars are in agreement that the verse refers to loving Imam ‘Ali (as), Sayyida Fatima (as) and their children. As evidence we shall cite the following esteemed Sunni works:
Tafsir Gharaib al Qur’an Part 25 the verse of Muwaddat pg. 28 comments on the verse as follows:
Saeed bin Jabayr narrates after the descent of this verse Rasulullah (s) was asked ‘who are your kinfolk, who are these close relatives whose love had been made compulsory?’ Rasulullah said they are ‘Ali, Fatima, and their sons’. The commentator then added ‘Verily there is no doubt that this verse descended with regards to the Ahlul Bayt (as) as a matter of pride and superior rank.’
We read in Diwan of Imam Shafi’i pg. 89:
"O Ahlulbayt of the Prophet of Allah! Love for you has been made obligatory for us by Allah, as revealed in the Holy Qur'an (referring to the above verse). It is sufficient for your dignity that if one does not send salutations to you in the ritual prayers, his prayers will not be accepted."
We read in Sawaiq al Muhriqah Vol 1, pg. 387:
Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrated ‘When this verse descended the people asked who are these close relatives whose love had been made compulsory?’ Rasulullah said they are ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn’. One narrator in this chain was an extremist [Ghali] Shi’a yet he is very truthful. Hadhrat ‘Ali said a verse in Surah Shuara descended in our honor and every believer is required to act upon it, he then recited the verse ‘Say: “No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin.”
And for those who may bring the excuse of the incident being ‘weak’ let us provide the testimony of Imam Hassan (as) that the verse 42:23 was revealed for His (as) blessed family. As recorded in Majma Al-Zawa'id, Vol 9, pg 142-143, H 14798 Imam al-Hasan Ibn Ali (AS) said the following in a discourse which he delivered on the martyrdom of Imam Ali:
“… I am among Ahlul-Bayt whom Allah has made their love obligatory for any Muslim when He revealed to His Prophet (s): “Say: I don’t ask you any wage except to love my near kin. And if anyone earns any good We shall give Him an increase of good.” Thus earn the good deed through loving us Ahlul-Bayt.”
Ibn Hajar Makki al-Haythami states about this tradition:
“Narrated al-Bazar and al-Tabarani from al-Hassan may Allah be pleased with him through various chains of narration some of them are ‘Hasan’.”
Let us now read a testimony of Imam Zain al-Abdeen (as) from Tafsir Durre Manthur that is also in Tafsir Ruh al Ma’ani, Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir Tabari that after the murder of al-Husain (as) when his family were taken prisoners and were moved to Damascus, a man in the city (who among others was looking at the passing of prisoners in the city) said to Zain al-Abideen (Imam Ali Ibn al-Husain) that “Praise be to Allah who destroyed you and made you helpless and cut the root of sedition.” On that, Zain al-Abideen said:
“Didn’t you read ‘Tell I don’t ask you any wage except to love my near kin’?” The man answered: “Are you those?” He (Zain al-Abideen) said: “Yes.”
Allah (swt) had made love of Sayyida Fatima, Imam ‘Ali (as) and their children compulsory in the Holy Qur’an, hence anyone that bears enmity towards them has rejected the Qur’an. Hence we read in Hasakani Al Hanafi’s Tafsir Shawahed al-Tanzeel, Vol 2 pg. 140-142:
Umamah al-Baheli reported that the messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘Allah has created the prophets from different trees but He created me and Ali from one tree, I am the root Ali is the branch, al-Hassan and al-Hussain are the fruit and our Shia are the leaves, whoever holds a branch amongst its branches will survive and whoever turns away will go astray, if a slave worshiped Allah between al-safa and al-marwa for thousand year then another thousand year then another thousand year without possessing love of us Ahlulbayt, Allah will throw him in the hell’. Then (the messenger of Allah) recited: ‘No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin. [042.023]‘
Also:
Ibn Asakir also recorded it in Tarikh Dimashq, Vol. 41 pg. 335 and in Tarikh Dimashq Vol. 42 pg. 65 and pg. 66
A recently discovered stone engraving near Medina also gives us this idea about this which says :
حب علي ابن ابي طالب حق علينا ومن الواجب
Love of Ali is a right that is obligatory upon us
The Sunni hadith scholar Imam Abu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nishapuri records:
روى عن عوف بن أبي عثمان النهدي قال : قال رجل لسلمان ما أشد حبك لعلي ! قال : سمعت رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) يقول : (من أحب علياً فقد أحبني ومن أبغض علياً فقد أبغضني) (المستدرك على الصحيحين /كتاب معرفة الصحابة 141:3))
Hadhrath Awf bin Uthman narrates that he entered witnessed a man approach Salman Farsi (ra) who asked him "why do you have such unreserved love for 'Ali? Salman (ra) replied "because Rasulullah (s) said whoever loves 'Ali, loves me, whoever hates 'Ali hates me"
(Al-Mustadrak `alâ al-Sahîhayn Volume 3 page 141)
The Ahl’ulbayt were left as guides for the Ummah, in this regards we read as is Narrated by Imam Ahamd bin Hanbal:
حدثنا عبد الله قال حدثني أبي حدثنا اسود بن عامر نا شريك عن الركين عن القاسم بن حسان عن زيد بن ثابت قال قال رسول الله إني تارك فيكم خليفتين كتاب الله حبل ممدود ما بين السماء والأرض أو ما بين السماء والأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي وانهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض
Zaid bin Thabit said :
Prophet [s] left for us two Caliphs. One is Book of Allah [swt] a rope between Earth and Skies or vice versa and Another are my AhluBayt my Progeny. These two will not seperate from eachother untill they will meet me at Pond [of Kawthar].
Investigator of this book Allamah Shouib Al-Arna’ut says : This Hadith is Authentic along with its supportive Narrations.
(Source: Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Volume 35 page 456, publisher Al Rislama Ilmiyya, Damascus)
Imam Ahmad has also quoted this in his other work via his own chain.
Investigator of this book Shaykh Wasiullah Abbas Madani commented ” Chain of Narration is Hasan via other Reasons “
Imam Ibn Abi Asim has narrated this via his own chain.
The investigator of the book [ Nasirudeen Albani ] says : ” Chain of Narration is Good [Hasan] “
We read in Sahih Muslim :
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ زِرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ إِنَّهُ لَعَهْدُ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَىَّ أَنْ لاَ يُحِبَّنِي إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يُبْغِضَنِي إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ .
Zirr reported:
'Ali said : By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, the Apostle (may peace and blessings be upon him) gave me a promise that no one but a believer would love me, and none but a hypocrite would nurse grudge against me.
(Source: Sahih Muslim Hadith number 78)
Also the Prophet (s) has clearly identified his Ahlulbayt as a source of his (s) love and hate
صبيح مولى أم سلمة ، عن زيد بن أرقم : أن النبي (ص) ، قال لفاطمة والحسن والحسين (ع) : أنا حرب لمن حاربكم وسلم لمن سالمكم.
Zaid bin Thabit said :
Messenger of Allah (s) said to Fatima, Hasan and Hussain: I am at war with the person who is at war with you & I am at peace with the person who is at peace with you.
(Note: In the footnote Shaykh Nasirudeen Albaani says that the Prophet (saw) said this thing to Fatima, Hasan and Husain. He skipped the name of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) while in all it's chains except that of Ibn Hibban there is clear wording that the Prophet (saw) said this to Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. Ibn Hibban skipped the name of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) and Shaykh Albani followed the same without any research.)
The life of Prophet Muhammad (s) and his family was a perfect and ideal one and is why one loves them unconditionally – once a believer enters that state it is in essence the state of Al-Walla/Tawalla, wherein one loves the Prophet (s) and the Ahlulbayt for the sake of Allah (swt). It is natural that alongside the practice of Tawalla one needs to express Al-Baraa/Tabarra تَبَرَّأَتُ, disassociation from the enemies of the Prophet (s) & his Ahlulbayt (as) for the sake of Allah (swt) as has indeed mentioned in the aforementioned Hadith. This is perfectly normal and logical, you cannot profess love towards Prophet Muhammad (s) and his immaculate household (as) and then also have cordial relations with those that subjected them to untold suffering, pain and anguish.
As per Shia doctrine these two acts Al-Walla and Al-Baraa are the pillars upon which our devotion to Allah (swt) id based. In this regards we read in Usul Al-Kafi :
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَأَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَسَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ لله وَأَبْغَضَ لله وَأَعْطَى لله فَهُوَ مِمَّنْ كَمَلَ إِيمَانُهُ.
Abu ‘Ubaydah Al-Hadhdha’ :
Abu ‘Abd Allah (as) has said, ‘Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah and gives for the sake of Allah, he is of the person whose belief is complete.’”
Shaykh Asif Muhsani graded the narration authentic.
