Advice of Scholars - THE BASIS OF ÎMÂN

Rasûlullah “sallallahu alaihi wa sallam” said, “The basis and the most dependable symptom of îmân is to love Muslims and to dislike disbelievers. ” Allahu ta’âlâ declared to Hadrat Îsâ (Jesus [’alaihi’s-salâm]), “Even if you do acts of worship that equal those done by all creatures on the earth and in heavens, it will be of no value unless you love whom I love and unless you feel hostility towards My enemies.”

Every Muslim should dislike the enemies of Allahu ta’âlâ. He should love those who obey the Sharî’at. He should make it evident in his words and, if possible, in his actions. He should not be friends with those who are disobedient and sinful, and should utterly keep away from those who commit many sins. He should all the more avoid the cruel, and those who persecute muslims. Yet he should forgive those who only torment him and should endure their torments; this is very useful.

Some of our superiors used to treat sinners and the cruel very severely. And others used to show them only mercy and respect and used to advise them. That is, thinking that everything happens according to qadâ and qadar they felt pity for sinners and cruel. Their thought is great and valuable but idiots or those who are ignorant cannot understand it and they may get the wrong idea.

Those whose beliefs are weak and who are neglectful in following the sharî’a, think that they are contented with Allahu ta’âlâ’s qadâ and qadar. However, there is evidence and proof for this state of contentment. If they beat a person, snatch away his property and insult him and he still doesn’t get angry, forgives them and pities them, it is understood that he is content with qadâ. But if he, while getting angry during such times, pities those who disobey Allahu ta’âlâ and says that it is their qadar (fate), he is irresponsible, a munâfiq and religiously ignorant.

Thus, it is a symptom of not having strong îmân for those who do not know qadâ and qadar to pity and love sinners and disbelievers. It is fard to dislike and to be hostile towards those who stand against Islam or who are hostile towards Muslims. As well, it is fard to feel hostility towards those who do not accept to pay the jizya (taxes collected from non-muslims). Allahu ta’âlâ declares in the Qur’ân, in the last âyat of Sûrat-ul-Mujâdala: “Those who believe in Allahu ta’âlâ and the Day of Resurrection do not like the enemies of Allahu ta’âlâ. Even if those disbelievers and munâfiqs are the fathers, mothers, sons, brothers and other close relatives of Muslims; they do not like them. I will put such mu’mins into Paradise. ”