The Necessity of showing Hatred Towards God’s Enemies

It is among the muslims’ duties to disconnect with God’s enemies, who are at the same time the enemies to the Prophet(s.a.w), to the Holy Qur’an and to the believers, in general. The objectives of these enemies include the putting out the light of God, suppressing the Prophet’s culture, and the plundering of the resources of the muslim nations. Connecting with these foes of Islam is considered as a major sin towards Allah, towards the Prophets, towards the Imams, and towards the believers.

If the Islamic nations after the Prophet’s demise had observed this Quranic principle against the foes, the muslim nations would not have suffered the domination of the Banu Umayyah, which is referred to in the Holy Qur’an as “a cursed pedigree”; neither, had they been oppressed by Banu Abbas and other tyrant dynasties.

And if in the modern times, all the muslim nations and those governments which pretend to care for Islam had observed the principle of showing hatred towards the foes of Islam, the muslim nations would not have suffered such calamities that they are facing now and their natural resources, such as mines, and their cultural resources would have not been plundered and their dignity would have remanined intact.

Out of the muslim nations of our time, only Iran, under the wise leadership of the Honorable Imam Khomeini, observed this Quranic principle and through the martyrdom of several thousand brave young men he could stand firm against the modern colonialism and could achieve independence and prosperity and could make life miserable for the international aggressors.

Showing enmity towards God’s foes, that are infidels, adulterers, viscious and treacherous, will lead to the stability of Islam.

Loving God and the Prophets, on the other hand, would prepare the advancement of talents and would set the stage for prosperity and would make the foes wretched and mean.

لَا يَتَّخِذْ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنْ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا أَنْ تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمْ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ [1]

“Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of the guardianship of Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of retribution from Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.”

This sacred verse is a significant political and social instruction to the muslims not to select the foreigners as their intimate friends or companions and not to be misled by their friendly manners. This is because history has shown that muslims have suffered a great deal through this reliance over the strangers.

If you carefully look at the history of colonialism, you might see that the exploiters have always entered the community dressed in sympathy and pretending they would like to carry out constructive plans. When settled firmly in a community, then they would mercilessly plunder what people possess. It is for this reason that a threat is used in the verse to the effect that if anybody did not carry out this principle, he would have severed his connection with Allah.

This sentence مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ emphasizes the fact that every person has got to have friends in his social life, but the believers should select their companions from among the believers.[2]

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتْ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمْ الْآيَاتِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ، هَا أَنْتُمْ أُوْلَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ كُلِّهِ وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوا عَلَيْكُمْ الْأَنَامِلَ مِنْ الغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ [3]

“O you who believe! Do not take for intimate friends from among others than your own people; they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed We have made the communications clear to you, if you will understand.”

“Lo! You are they who will love them while they do not love you, and you believe in the Book in the whole of it, and when they meet you they say: We believe, and when they are alone, they bite the ends of their fingers in rage against you. Say: Die in your rage; surely Allah Knows what is in the breasts.”

الَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِنْدَهُمْ الْعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا [4]

“Those who take the unbelievers for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honor from them? Then surely all honor is for Allah.”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا مُبِينًا [5]

“O you who believe! Do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ [6]

“O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you who takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِنْ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ [7]

“O you who believe! Do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of your duty to Allah if you are believers.”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا آبَاءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَانَكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ إِنْ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْكُفْرَ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الظَّالِمُونَ [8]

“O you who believe! Do not take your fathers and brothers for guardians if they love unbelief more than belief; and whoever of you who takes them for a guardian, these it is that are the unjust.”

قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ [9]

“Say: if your fathers and your sons and your brethren and your mates and your kinsfolk and property which you have acquired and the slackness of trade which you fear and dwellings which you like, are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and striving in His way, then wait till Allah brings about His command; and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.”

لَا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ أُوْلَئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ أُوْلَئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ [10]

“You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the later day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Apostle, even though they were their own fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; these are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with and inspiration from Him: and He will cause them to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; Allah is well – pleased with them and they are well – pleased with Him; these are Allah’s party: now surely the party of Allah are the successful ones.”

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ... [11]

Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves.”

The Holy Qur’an, in the first three verses of the Surah Muntahanah states: “O you who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends: would you offer them love while they deny what has come to you of the truth, driving out the Apostle and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord? If you go forth struggling hard in My path and seeking My pleasure, would you manifest love to them? And I know what you conceal and what you manifest; and whoever of you does this, he indeed has gone astray from the straight path.

If they find you, they will be your enemies, and will stretch forth towards you their hands and their tongues with evil, and they ardently desire that you may disbelieve.

Your relationship would not profit you, nor your children, on the day of resurrection; He will decide between you; and Allah sees what you do.”

In the same way that it is compulsory to show enmity towards the enemies of God, it is necessary, as well, to show affection towards God’s friends. This entry into love with God’s friends is the entry into God’s Benevolence.

All the spiritual beauties are with God’s Friends. Accepting their guardianship is compulsory. One gets prosperity both Here and Hereafter through their guardianship.

Here we will present some of the spiritual beauties of the Prophet and of the Imam(a.s):

1. They are connected with Allah with all of their souls;

2. They are unique in their faith;

3. They are aware of the divine, human and natural realities;

4. Their wisdom excels all others;

5. Generosity is in their nature;

6. They are unique in bravery;

7. They are a boundless sea of chastity;

8. They are resolute;

9. They are compassionate towards the believers;

10. They are patient;

11. They are unique in sacrificing;