Loving and Hating for Allah (swt)

In Arabic, when we say, “I am satisfied” (radaiy‑tu) about a thing, it means it sufficed me and that I don’t need anything else besides it. The meaning then that the above hadith gives us is that iman is that state of a person who did not seek anything else besides Allah, who did not accept guidance from anything else but Islam, and who did not follow the ways of anyone else save of Muhammad. Qadi `Ayaad adds that the hadith also implicates that the man has a proper knowledge of the religion of Islam, without which he could not be satisfied with it.

Ibn Abbas (ra) says the Prophet asked Abu Dharr:  “What branch of faith is the strongest?” He said: “Allah and His Messenger know better.”  The Prophet said: “Friendship for the sake of Allah, loving for the sake of Allah and hating for the sake of Allah.” (Bayhaqi:  Sho ab al‑ Iman)

Hawwari of the original, rendered as Apostles, is applicable to the choice Companions of a Prophet, who purified themselves, and were fit to be his successors after him.

As for struggling against the evil followers, (the word in the original is jaahada), it must be noted that it has to be carried out to the extent of appearance of upheaval or turbulence (fasaad). That is, if it is felt that further pursuance of these people will lead to some sort of turbulence, then one may cease.

Obviously if a man is poor in his conduct, cannot deal with the people in a respectable way, or, one step worse, does them wrong, then his faith in Islam is nominal. It has not reached his heart and the recesses of his mind. He wears an outer shell of Islam. Behind that shell there is nothing but a rotten personality which has everything in itself that belies his pronouncements.

If a person is not satisfied with Allah, His Prophet, and His Religion, he will have to go to others of his kind for guidance.  But how can those who are as blind as he guide him?  The result will be that trying to live as they advise, he will fall into troubles of all sorts that will make his life bitter and miserable.  In contrast if he accepts Allah as his Lord, Islam as the religion revealed by Him and the Prophet as the model to follow, he will, by virtue of following the truth, be in harmony with the rest of the created world which is created on Truth.  This will bring him peace and happiness, and faith will prove to be a sweet thing.

Tabarani has recorded this hadith in his al-Kabir, and it is of hasan status.

Seeking renewal is to perform good deeds and then supplicate to Allah (swt) for their acceptance. It is the acceptance of good deeds that strengthens and renews one’s faith.