In Islam, the Love is divided in to three types:
- Natural Love
- Love for the sake of Allah
- Loving other than Allah
Natural Love
It is permissible as long as it is not given priority to the love of Allah. Example: Loving one’s children and wife. The Prophet ﷺ has said: ” None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than their children, parents, and the rest of the people”.
Love for the sake of Allah
It is obligatory; rather, it is from the most important parts of Iman!
Allah has said: “Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. Those who are with him are firm with the disbelievers and merciful with one another…” (48:29).
It is specific to the following four:
- Places beloved to Allah; such as Makkah and the Prophet’s Madinah.
- Times beloved to Allah; such as the Night of Qadr and the third part of every night.
- The doer of those actions; such as the prophets, angels, companions, and every believer.
- The actions which Allah loves; everything legislated by Him such as Tawheed.
Loving other than Allah
It is Major Disbelief. As Allah says: “Still there are some who take others as Allah’s equal—they love them as they should love Allah” (2:165).
