Regarding Those Who Say Hatred is Not From Islam (Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Muhyiud-Deen)

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Ever Merciful…

Question: A well-known preacher in the West says: Islaam does not require anyone to hate any of the people. He also says: I do not want a religion that requires me to hate some people. This understanding has spread, and some of the Muslims have adopted it. What is your advice to the one who said this and to those Muslims who have followed him?

Answer by Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Muhyiud-Deen, Former Professor at the Islamic University of al-Madeenah and Mufti at the Prophet’s Masjid (may Allaah preserve him):

This poor, misguided person does not know about Islaam. Someone who says that Islam does not include any hatred, and (this includes) that it does not include love either, since love and hatred [are inseparable]… This is Liberalist philosophy. The Shaytaan (Devil) has spoken upon this person’s tongue when he said there is no hatred, since there would be no love either, as a logical result. Impossible. You must hate disbelief and its people. You detest disbelief and its people. Could you watch the cross being worshipped and say: Be happy, there’s nothing (wrong) with that, or it’s nothing?! He would either be happy, or say there is nothing wrong. There is absolutely something wrong here, why is that? Because everything that is worshipped besides Allah is an enemy to Allaah! All of mankind are required to worship Allaah, ( O Mankind! ) What? [Students reply, ( Worship your Lord ).] [2:21]

It is a must to love Allaah: ( You do not find any people who believe in Allaah and the Last Day having mutual love for those who have opposed Allaah [and His Messenger] ) [58:22]

( There are some people who take (things) less than Allaah… ) As what? ( As partners, loving them as they love Allaah. However, the people who believe have stronger [love for Allaah] ) [2:165]

Love and hatred are found in the heart, however they appear outwardly, just as eemaan (faith) is found in the heart and appears on the limbs as well. Eemaan is in the heart, love is in the heart, and hatred is in the heart. They (all) become manifest on the limbs, as Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, has said. This is similar to how a tree contains water, right? When a tree receives enough water it becomes green. When it receives less water, it turns yellow. When the water is scarce, what happens? It dies! Similar to this is eemaan – when it is alive in the heart, it has righteous deeds that extend and increase it, since it may increase or decrease. How? By righteous actions. It increases with good deeds and decreases with bad deeds.

It is not possible for the tree of eemaan to be green in such a bankrupt person’s heart. Rather it is dead! He does not hate disbelief and its people?! Think about the idols, huh? What did Ibraaheem do to them? What did he do to them? Maa shaa’ Allaah, playing games… Relics (of art or ancient civilizations)! Leave them as relics, what do you think? Their idols! What did Ibraaheem do? ( He then broke them into pieces, except for a large one they had ) [21:58] He challenged their faith! Allaah made Ibraaheem a patron ally! Did he hate for Allaah’s sake or not? Did he break their idols or not?

Ah, the Messenger, what did he do with the idols of Quraysh when he came to Makkah? Did he leave them (as relics)? Huh? Did he leave them – O people! – or what did he do? He broke them, how many of them? ( The truth has come… ) [17:81], and what? ( And falsehood has perished ) … Did he break them or not? Allaahu akbar.

As for him saying, “There is no hatred (in Islam),” why is there no hatred? How is there no hatred? This poor person does not know about Islaam! He is astray, leading others astray, he and those who follow him!

[Someone reminds the shaykh of a hadeeth…]

Well done! He has reminded us with (the hadeeth): “The strongest handhold of eemaan is to love for Allaah’s sake and to hate for Allaah’s sake.” [Ahmad, 4/286, authentic]

[End of the shaykh’s answer (may Allaah preserve him).]

Source: The shaykh’s recorded answer given after the Jumu’ah prayer on the 16th of Jumaadaa al-Aakhirah, 1434, in Jeddah. (Corresponding to: April 26, 2013 on the Christians’ calendar) [Arabic audio recording]

Translated by: Moosaa Richardson

Free PDF of this content with additional commentary and resources

28 thoughts on “Regarding Those Who Say Hatred is Not From Islam (Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Muhyiud-Deen)

  1. Assalamu ‘alaiykum wa rahmatullah akhi. JazakAllah khair for the beneficial article. Can I please upload the audio of the shakyh along with the translation to my YT account so the Muslims in my country can benefit from it. We have a lot of of individuals who are looked at as being from those who possess ‘ilm spreading this type of foolish kalaam. Allahu musta’aan. BaarikAllahu feek.

  2. Can you give more information about Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahman Muhyiud-Deen, please? Also, who were his teachers?

    • Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Saalih al-Makhdoomee (Muhyiud-Deen is kind of a family name) began teaching in the Islamic University of al-Madeenah in 1396 (38 years ago). After teaching for almost 30 years, he retired in 1425 (9 years ago). Some of his teachers that influenced him the most were:

      Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz
      Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shinqeetee (author of Adhwaa’ al-Bayaan)
      Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Muhammad Fallaataah
      Shaykh Hammaad al-Ansaaree
      Shaykh Muhammad Amaan al-Jaamee

      May Allaah have Mercy on all of them, and preserve our shaykh, who is now 69 years old.

  3. …The verse says you should not be chummy (Yoawdoon from Mawada) with those who defy God and the prophet. It doesn’t say you should hate anyone, nor do I think it’s referring to all non-Muslims (which is what I gather this Saudi scholar is preaching)… [message truncated by admin]

    • The “Islam doesn’t teach us to hate anyone” opinion is a rejection of the Quran, quite simply. Read about how Allaah made Ibraaheem and his people an example for us to follow, when they said to their people (what means): “Hatred and animosity lies between us and you until you believe in Allaah alone.” [60:4] This is our role model put forth to us by our Lord and Creator, and not a “Saudi scholar’s” opinion. The authentic hadeeth mentioned in the article clarifies that loving and hating is the strongest handhold of a person’s faith. So its basically the Quran and Sunnah vs. the opinion that we shouldn’t hate anyone. Choose your religion: Islam or some people’s opinions.

    • Thanks for the response… I can understand hating evil being a requirement of Islam. e.g. Hating murders and rapists… Is this scholar indirectly or directly saying the Quran asks Muslims to hate non-Muslims today? That to me isn’t what 58:22 is saying, taking into account all the other Quranic verses that talking about non-Muslims and how well they should be treated. I don’t see how running around saying something like “hating people is the core of Islam” is beneficial to anyone… [message truncated by admin]

    • 1) If you understand hating rapists and murderers, because of their worldly corruption, then take the hatred to the next logical step and understand the obligation of hating people who corrupt the religion, those who spread shirk or encourage people to disbelieve, essentially corrupting what is far more important – the people’s Hereafter!

      2) Think beyond that one Verse, as the Religion is complete through all the texts of Revelation. Nothing has been left out. We have not been forbidden from responding to people’s kindness with kindness. This does not entail love or religious loyalty. Also, loving and hating has been made an integral part of our faith.

      3) “Running around” saying hating people is the core… Well, if you wish to demonize people who quote the finest of creation, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and his words of guidance, then the burden of that is upon you. Those who love and cherish his guidance refrain from such behavior. And Allaah knows best.

  4. Assalaamu’alaykum

    Respected Ustaadh.

    In what manner is a Muslim living in a non-Muslim society required to show hatred towards non-Muslims?

    • Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. A few: In his deep-rooted religious loyalty and brotherhood, something that does not include non-Muslims. He may mention his hatred within his invitation to Islam, with wisdom, when that helps clarify matters of the Hereafter, as the Prophets had done. (See: 60:4) He does not admire their beliefs or manners, and thus does not try to resemble them. NOTE: He does not enact his hatred for them through acts of deception, treachery, injustice, or transgression, as believers love and hate while observing Allaah’s Limits. And Allaah knows best.

  5. Assalamu alaykum Ustaadh Moosaa

    I do not understand what the Shaykh meant when he said at the beginning of his speech that love and hatred are inseparable? How can this be? Cannot one love something without having any hatred towards it?

    Baarakallahu feek

    • Wa ‘alayk as-salaam wa rahmatullaah. Meaning: You cannot love something truly until you hate what fundamentally stands against it. We cannot claim we love some people and things, but we do not hate anyone or anything. That’s a Christian concept, logically flawed at its core, like many of their beliefs.

  6. Assalaamu’alaykum

    How does one combine hatred towards the disbeliever with da’wah, since da’wah requires concern and wanting good for the disbeliever and hatred could be seen as the opposite of that?

    • Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Your question is important, as it has a connection to a recent deviation currently being promoted by modernists who wish to earn the love and attention of the non-Muslims, or at least twist some of the teachings of Islam until they are acceptable to them.

      Your love and hatred is for the sake of Allaah, as a Muslim. You can love to save them from Hell by the Permission of Allaah. You can love the reward for guiding a person by the Permission of Allaah. You can prepare to love them if they deserve your love, by thanking their Creator and fulfilling their role as His Worshippers and our brothers in Islam. But as ingrates who refuse to thank the Most Benevolent and Generous Provider and Creator, why would you love them?

      There are people promoting the concept that hatred requires us NOT to want good for people nor have concern for them! Rather, our love and hatred is an act of worship, and our da’wah is based on concern and compassion for humanity, not love. We are not Christians who claim to love everyone as a religious duty. We have a different religion, and we cannot allow them to influence the basic tenets of our Religion and dictate to us what a religious person can or cannot love or hate. And Allaah knows best.

  7. As Salam o Alaikum Respected Ustaadh and brother

    We were recently having this discussion in our class. Specifically pondering over how Ibraheem alyahi as salam exactly showed his hatred when he said I am free from you and there is hatred between us and you. While certainly we hate shirk and its people, but does that mean you walk up to them and say those words. I assume there is a level of wisdom required in choosing the words perhaps as a lot of brothers work with non muslims and you show hatred by not taking part in their celebrations and in other acts of disobedience and while rejecting these invitations you take the opportunity to invite them or talk to them about islam.

    Assume walking in to the office and standing in the corner and saying out loud that I am free from you and there is hate and animosity between us.. etc. is not the way to show hatred.

    • Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. Announcing your stance on someone (or not) is done in accordance to the wisdom needed for a specific situation. For the details of how one interacts in all types of different situations, we have the vast body of narrations from the last Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), and we study his Sunnah and methodology in calling to Allaah. But keep in mind, to be clear: Choosing not to announce your hatred does not mean that you must announce love for them, or that you have love in your heart for them. Keep the balance, and Allaah knows best.

    • I believe it is necessary that this balance is further clarified in this manner across all lessons and articles about love and hatred for the sake of Allah, as it is apparent most people’s definition of love and hatred are different to the shar’i definitions of love and hatred (i.e. the hatred and enmity mentioned in the Qur’an does not necessitate violence, unrestricted harsh treatment or oppression; and similarly compassion, kindness and natural love does not necessitate love for Allah’s sake) and thus most people (especially non-Muslims and westernised Muslims who are accustomed to apologetic modernist interpretations of the Qur’an and Sunnah promoted by the likes of Nouman Ali Khan, Yasir Qadhi and ‘Mufti’ Menk) who see this may take it the wrong way and be turned away from the true Islam without this clarification of hikmah and properly reconciling all passages.

  8. Assalaamu ‘aleikum ya Ustaath Moosa. May Allah preserve you.

    Do you mind if we cut and paste the thoughts above?

    Jazakallahu khaira

  9. Few years back, a student of knowledge tweeted saying “Nice to hear Barack Obama and Cameron wish muslims a pleasant ramadan. They praised islam and called people to better understanding” . isn’t this a prasie of enemies of islam and therefore something haram? The brother later on deleted the tweet however didn’t make an open repentance or clarification to it. Isn’t he required to do so for if he wants to do proper repentance and coming back from this mistake?… [Comment abridged by admin]

    • I don’t see anything wrong with this statement. Perhaps you could explain to me how saying a kind word in response to non-Muslims’ kind words is “praising the enemies of Islam”? The person you are referring to is a good man known for decades of great service to the Sunnah and Salafiyyah in the West. He is well known for sound creed and commendable efforts. (This is how I see him, and Allah is his Reckoner, and I do not claim this is his true reality with Allah.) He did not say, “Fulaan is a great leader,” or anything of the likes. To recognize and thank non-Muslims for something good they have done or said is fairness in Islam, and it enters into the generality of the hadeeth:

      ومن أتى إليكم معروفا فكافئوه
      “…Whoever does something nice for you, recompense him with something of its like…”

      It was collected by Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, and others. See: as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (no.254).

      There are two general wordings in the phrase: “Whoever” means: Old, young, male, female, Muslim, non-Muslim, etc. And a “ma’roof” (something nice) includes words, deeds, gifts, etc. And recompensing it with something of its like is also general. So when non-Muslims speak well of Islam, we can thank them by showing appreciation and thanking them, words for words, actions for actions.

      And “deleting the tweet” is only a proof against him in some people’s creative (and oppressive) over-analysis. Ahlus-Sunnah have clear, evidence-based criticism, which is guiding and beneficial by the Permission of Allah, not creative over-analysis of people’s statements, turning apparently harmless statements into proofs of evil. Nor do Ahlus-Sunnah delve beyond the words into people’s intentions about why they deleted or updated something. If we were to resort to criticism like this, we would be disgracing our own selves (not those we criticize). There is a lot of clear, obvious falsehood which needs clarified with clear refutations from the clear texts of the Book and the Sunnah, so fear Allah, and seek His assistance in combatting falsehood, and be with the people of Sunnah, think well of them, be dutiful to them, advise them and communicate with them, and don’t be from those who fish in murky waters, as they only ruin themselves, and Allah knows best.

  10. As salaamu alikum wa rahmantuillah wa barakatu shaykh moosa hope all is well with you and your family …. I have a question regarding washing the deceased, when washing the deceased before shrouding we usually put oil on the 7 bones of prostration but recently we tried to find proof on doing so but were unable to find any ayat or hadith on putting oil fragrances on the 7 bones of prostration we did find something on mixing fragrances and camphor water together for the finally wash but nothing on doing the 7 bones of prostration, inshallah ta ala you are able to give me some insight , may Allah bless you give you much tawfeeq ameen

    • Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. This is something reported from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him), and some of the scholars have mentioned in their books of Fiqh. In fact, al-Muzani (from the Shaafi’ee school) and Aboo Yoosuf (from the Hanafee school) have cited consensus over that being established, as cited in a great Maalikee book, al-Istithkaar (v.3, p.25), by Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr. And Allah knows best.

  11. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh Ustadth. I pray you and your family are well.
    If the father no longer wishes to partake in the activities that involve being a wali, such as sitting through meetings, can he appoint his son to be the wali? Or can he just give permission for the son to sit through meetings and still maintain the statues of his daughters wali? Jazak’Allaah kheirun, BarakAllaah feek

    • Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. Either of those two courses of action is fine, wal-hamdu lillaah.

  12. It is also important to address a common misconception that many Muslims erroneously take as a foundation, influenced by speakers like Zakir Naik (may Allah guide us and him) who are known to spread such a principle for many years. That is the idea that while the Muslims are our Brothers (and Sisters) in Faith, then the non-Muslims are our “Brothers (and Sisters) in Humanity”, intending a lesser type of brotherhood based on the fact we all share the same lineage (i.e. we are all descendants of Adam and Nuh, peace be upon them). Some may say that “Brothers in Humanity” has some truth to it as a kind of ‘lesser brotherhood’, while knowing calling them “Brothers in Faith” is clearly wrong as that is exclusive to Muslims.

    The simple response to this is to ask oneself: Did the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions refer to any non-Muslims (outside of their immediate family) as ‘brothers’ (based on specific authentic narrations, NOT mere emotional assumptions over generalities) in ANY sense BEFORE those non-Muslims accepted Islam? Is there actually any basis in the authentically established Sunnah for a ‘human fraternity’, even if intending a lesser brotherhood than ‘Brothers in Faith’? When you look into it, the reality is that this concept of ‘human fraternity’ actually originated from the angle of Freemasonry and various other philosophies outside of Islam, which some of the Ikhwaanis and Modernists imported into Islam, dressing it up as if it is a principle in our religion. However, there is NO evidence from the Qur’an or Sunnah, at least when you look at it the way the first three generations of this Ummah understood it. Rather, the Qur’an only ever specified ‘brotherhood’ for the believers, without mentioning anything beyond that.

    From this, we realise the importance of being careful WHO we take our knowledge from. Any common Muslim who doesn’t know better (other than mere generalities, which can easily be moulded to fit any ideology) will be impressed by a public speaker who can quote any verse from the Qur’an (not realising that Zakir Naik relies on the erroneous Yusuf Ali translation in the first place) or hadith from Bukhari or Muslim precise to the exact reference. Once that happens, they will end up taking most things they hear from that speaker, assuming that must be his understanding of all that Qur’an and Sunnah he memorised, as the layman cannot distinguish between what actually has basis of the religion and what is actually influenced by external opinions. Without knowledge of the ACTUAL principles of the religion (and the fact its completeness necessitates there being NO room for external philosophies or opinions), one will subconsciously take the opinions of anyone who speaks on behalf of the religion as principles of the religion. For the layman, the only criteria to judge what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ to take or leave will be their desires or popular opinions on what they want the religion to be, may Allah guide us all.

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