Love the sinner, hate the sin in Islam

In Islam, we should love for all people to enjoy the same goodness we love for ourselves.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ أَوْ قَالَ لِجَارِهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ

None of you has faith until he loves for his brother or his neighbor what he loves for himself.

Source: Sahih Muslim 45, Grade: Sahih

الأولى أن يحمل ذلك على عموم الأخوة حتى يشمل الكافر والمسلم فيحب لأخيه الكافر ما يحب لنفسه من دخوله في الإسلام كما يحب لأخيه المسلم دوامه على الإسلام ولهذا كان الدعاء بالهداية للكافر مستحبا والمراد بالمحبة إرادة الخير والمنفعة ثم المراد المحبة الدينية لا المحبة البشرية

This is interpreted as brotherhood in general, such that it includes the disbeliever and the Muslim. So he should love for his brother, the disbeliever, what he loves for himself which is his entering Islam, just as he should love for his brother Muslim that he remains in Islam. For this reason, it is recommended to supplicate for the disbeliever to be guided. The meaning of love here is an intention for good and benefit, and this meaning is religious love, not human love.

Source: Sharh Arba'een An-Nawawi 13

الأولى أن يحمل قوله حتى يحب لأخيه على عموم الأخوة حتى يشمل الكافر و المسلم فيحب لأخيه الكافر ما يحب لنفسه من الدخول في الإسلام ولذلك ندب الدعاء له بالهداية وقد كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعو لكفار قريش بالخير و يحبه لهم و يقول اللهم اهد قومي فإنهم لا يعلمون ومما يؤكد أن المراد محبة الخير للناس جميعاً لا فرق بين مسلم وكافر قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفضل الإيمان أن تحب للناس ما تحب لنفسك و تكره لهم ما تكره لنفسك

The Prophet's saying to love for his brother what he loves for himself is interpreted as universal brotherhood, such that it includes the disbeliever and the Muslim, and he should love for his brother the disbelievers what he loves for himself which is his entering Islam. For this reason it is recommended to supplicate for their guidance. The Prophet invited the unbelievers of the Quraish to goodness and he loved good for them. He would say: O Allah, guide my people for they do not know. This confirms that the meaning is to love good for all people. There is no difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever in his saying that the best faith is to love for people what you love for yourself and to hate for people what you hate for yourself.

Source: Manar Al-Qari 1/91

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُزَحْزَحَ عَنْ النَّارِ وَيَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَلْتُدْرِكْهُ مَنِيَّتُهُ وَهُوَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْتِي إِلَى النَّاسِ مَا يُحِبُّ أَنْ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْهِ

Whoever would love to be delivered from the Hellfire and entered into Paradise, then let him die with faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat the people the way he would love to be treated.

Source: Sahih Muslim 1844, Grade: Sahih

وَانْظُرْ مَا تُحِبُّ لِلنَّاسِ أَنْ يَأْتُوهُ إِلَيْكَ فَافْعَلْهُ بِهِمْ وَمَا تَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَأْتُوهُ إِلَيْكَ فَذَرْهُمْ مِنْهُ

Look at however you would love for the people to treat you, then treat them that way. However you hate for the people to treat you, then do not treat them that way.

Source: Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer 15833, Grade: Sahih

كلما عملت بالناس اجعله كما ترضى لنفسك منهم لأنه لا يكمل إيمان العبد حتى يحب لسائر الناس ما يحب لنفسه

Every time you deal with people, treat them as you would be pleased to be treated by them, for the faith of a servant is not complete until he loves for all people what he loves for himself.

Source: Ayyuhal Walad 145

Abu Al-Mughirah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَتُحِبُّ لِلنَّاسِ مَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْكَ وَتَكْرَهُ لَهُمْ مَا تَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْكَ

Love for people what you would love for yourself, and hate for people what you would hate for yourself.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 15453, Grade: Hasan

وَمِنَ الْإِيمَانِ أَيْضًا أَنْ يُبْغِضَ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُبْغِضُ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنَ الشَّرِّ

It is also part of faith to hate for one's brother what he hates for himself.

Source: Fath ul-Bari 1/74

Allah said:

أُبَلِّغُكُمْ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّي وَأَنصَحُ لَكُمْ

Noah said: I convey to you the messages of my Lord and I sincerely advise you.

Surat Al-A'raf 7:62

وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ

The Messenger said: If you turn away, then indeed I fear for you the punishment of a great Day.

Surat Hud 11:3

Ibn Rajab writes:

قَالَ بَعْضُ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنَ السَّلَفِ أَهْلُ الْمَحَبَّةِ لِلَّهِ نَظَرُوا بِنُورِ اللَّهِ وَعَطَفُوا عَلَى أَهْلِ مَعَاصِي اللَّهِ مَقَتُوا أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَعَطَفُوا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيُزِيلُوهُمْ بِالْمَوَاعِظِ عَنْ فِعَالِهِمْ وَأَشْفَقُوا عَلَى أَبْدَانِهِمْ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَا يَكُونُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مُؤْمِنًا حَقًّا حَتَّى يَرْضَى لِلنَّاسِ مَا يَرْضَاهُ لِنَفْسِهِ

Some of the righteous predecessors said: The people who love Allah look by the light of Allah, and they are compassionate with those who disobey Allah. They hate their actions but show mercy to them so that through their admonitions they might leave their actions. They are afraid that the Hellfire will consume their bodies. The believer will not truly be a believer until he is pleased for people to have what he is pleased for himself.

Source: Jami' Ulum wal-Hikam 13

Allah said:

وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ

Rather, Allah has made the faith beloved to you and has made it pleasing in your hearts and He has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance, and disobedience. Those are the rightly guided.

Surat Al-Hujurat 49:7

Moreover, the prophet Lot, peace be upon him, was sent to his people as a trustworthy messenger and sincere advisor. Even so, Lot made clear to them that he hated their evil deeds.

Allah said:

قَالَ إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُم مِّنَ الْقَالِينَ

Lot said: Verily, I am among those who find your deeds reprehensible.

Surat Ash-Shu'ara 26:

What we must avoid is extremism in hatred to the point that we desire destruction, ruin, and the removal of blessings from others.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

لاَ يَكُنْ حُبُّكَ كَلَفًا وَلاَ بُغْضُكَ تَلَفًا

Let not your hatred be destruction.

وَإِذَا أَبْغَضْتَ أَحْبَبْتَ لِصَاحِبِكَ التَّلَف‏

When you hate someone, you would love to see your companion perish.

Source: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1322, Grade: Sahih

Az-Zubair ibn Awwam reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

دَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ دَاءُ الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَكُمْ الْحَسَدُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ هِيَ الْحَالِقَةُ حَالِقَةُ الدِّينِ لَا حَالِقَةُ الشَّعَرِ

There have come to you the diseases of the nations before you: envy and hatred, and hatred is the razor. It shaves the religion and it does not shave hair.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 1415, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَأَبْغِضْ بَغِيضَكَ هَوْنًا مَا عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ حَبِيبَكَ يَوْمًا مَا

Hate whom you hate mildly, for perhaps he will become your beloved someday.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1997, Grade: Sahih

We ask Allah to make us among the merciful, the compassionate, and the patient, and to purify us and protect us from the disease of malicious hatred.

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

( Reprinted from Faith in Allah )