Promoted post: We are all living in the Womb of God-the-Mother, 13.8 billion Years Pregnancy

Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

In the first year after the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, had migrated to Medina from Mecca, escaping their persecution and murder attempt, he and his followers were attacked by a thousand strong Meccan army.

The weak Muslim party of 313 were facing a deadly force. If they were to love them, they could not defend themselves or kill them, in self defense, when possible. “Love for All and Hatred for None,” is a suitable PR line but does not give us any deep understanding of any issue.

Here is an Urdu video by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the previous international leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community:

He is saying that this slogan is suggesting that an unprejudiced human heart does not hate anyone, out of bigotry or bias. But, he adds that a decent person cannot but help hating a pedophile or a child molester. This is simply demanded by the human conscience. He also goes onto say that we want to submit our love and hatred to the commandments of Allah, which I will pursue in a little while from the holy Quran.

Without going into the distinction of “Love the sinner but hate the sin,” most people will agree that we cannot love child molesters. In New York state, Level 1 (low risk of repeat offense) offenders must register for a period of 20 years. The state mandates that convicted sex offenders should register as a Sex Offender with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, so that everyone knows them as such, to prevent the innocent from becoming a victim. Level 2 and 3 offenders (moderate and high risk) must register for life.

So, we can reasonably conclude that human heart revolts against grave sins like murder, robbery, rape, child and domestic abuse.

But, submitting our love and hatred to the will of God requires further elaboration. Hindu nationalists in India invoke their God or gods for their Islamophobic agenda. Some of the Ultraorthodox Jews who think Israel is only for the Jews blame it on God as well. Church going Christians in the Western countries are more likely to live Islamophobia compared to their less religious neighbors. Likewise, the Muslims of different sects when they live and preach sectarianism, they always attribute their parochialism to God rather than their own myopic vision, one way or the other.

So, is God responsible for the tribal and interreligious and intrareligious hatred in humanity? Does Allah, Who according to the Islamic tradition loves all of His human creation more than a loving mother, also give a hateful message?

What does the Quran say about love and hate between different tribes or different religions? The Quranic verses that speak most directly to this issue are as below:

God may still bring about affection between you and your present enemies – God is all powerful, God is most forgiving and merciful.

He does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out of your homes: God loves the just.

But God forbids you to take as allies those who have fought against you for your faith, driven you out of your homes, and helped others to drive you out: any of you who take them as allies will truly be wrongdoers.  (Al Quran 60:7-9)

Rather than me trying to give you a commentary or trying to put a spin on the above verses, I will simply suggest that you read the above verses several times and if you are research minded, better find 50 different translations of these verses: More than Fifty different simultaneous translations of the Holy Quran in English.

I will merely conclude, by suggesting that when sectarian Muslims dwell on their parochial agenda they never focus on the above verses that are fundamental to the issue, rather they pick up some metaphorical messages from the Quran or Hadith to grind their axe. Finally, I am a devout believer in, “Love for all and hatred for none,” except those who are trying to literally kill us or make us literally homeless, in line with the message of the above verses.

Love and peace!

Suggested additional reading for living in the image of the Loving and the Most Merciful God:

Thirty Plus Quotes from the Poet of Love

We are all living in the Womb of God-the-Mother, 13.8 billion Years Pregnancy

Two Hundred Verses about Compassionate Living in the Quran

A Message of Compassion and Love from the Holy Bible

True Fasting: A Message of Compassion and Love from the Old Testament

Abou Ben Adhem, A Compassionate Man

‘Love Hormone,’ How it works in Hospitality?

‘Love Hormone’ Oxytocin May Enhance Feelings Of Spirituality

I am a Jew, a Catholic, a Christian and a Muslim; I am Zia H Shah

Abdul Sattar Edhi: No religion is higher than humanity