Advice of Scholars - TWO REQUIREMENTS OF LOVE

Hadrat Muhammad Ma’thûm says in the 29th letter of the first volume of his Maktûbât:

Love necessitates that you love the friends of your darling and be at odds with the enemies of the darling. This love and this enmity are not within the power of faithful lovers; they cannot help themselves. This happens by itself without striving, without taking pains. The friend’s friends seem beautiful, and His enemies seem ugly and evil. Also, the love that occurs within those who are seized by the pretty appearance of the world requires this same process. Unless the person who says that he loves keeps away from the enemies of his darling, he is not regarded as a man of his word. He is called a hypocrite, that is, a liar.

Shaikh-ul-Islam Abdullah Ansârî ‘quddisa sirruh’ says, “One day Abul Huseyn bin Sam’ûn offended my teacher Husrî. Since that day my heart has been feeling unfriendly towards him.” It will be appropriate here to mention a famous saying of the great, “If you are not offended by the one who offends your master, a dog is better than you are.” These two principles of love are declared in the Qur’ân and hadîths. As it is understood from these âyat-i-kerîmas, it causes a man to be away from Allahu ta’âlâ if he loves the enemies of Allahu ta’âlâ. Unless there is enmity, there will be no love. But this enmity should not cause one to deviate into the way of disliking the Ashâb-i kirâm, as some people do. Enmity is to be felt towards the enemies. Hostility felt towards friends, as in the example of Râfidîs and Shiites, is rejected. Because all of the Ashâb-ı kirâm were honoured with attaining our Prophet’s presence and company and his blessed looks, which were nourishment for the heart and soul, they loved one another and felt hostility towards disbelievers. They all were darlings of the Messenger of Allah. Can it ever be a principle of love for Rasûlullah to feel hostile even towards one of them! Don’t those who say so betray their enmity instead of showing their love?