Is ‘Love For All Hatred For None’ Islamic?
December 20, 2021
by Missionary Sharjeel Ahmad
History of the Motto, ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’
In 1980, the third Caliph of the Promised Messiah(as), Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad(rh), visited many countries during his European tour. One of the countries that was fortunate to be blessed by his presence was Spain. This trip would prove a landmark visit as His Holiness(rh) laid the foundation stone to what would become not only the first mosque in Spain after more than seven centuries, but also the first mosque of the 14th Century of Islam (Hijra).
While laying the foundation stone for the mosque in Pedro Abad, Spain, on 9th October 1980, he stated:
“Erecting a mosque is a matter of great importance, and it is always built with the aim that Allah alone be worshipped there. The lesson that it imparts is that all human beings, in the eyes of Allah are One, whether they may be rich or poor; whether they may be learned or illiterate; whether they may be residents of Pedro Abad or come from a distance of 1,000 miles or more and may be residing in Pakistan; as human beings they are all equal. Islam teaches us to live with mutual love and affection and with humility. It teaches us no distinction between a Muslim or a non-Muslim. My message to everyone is that you must have ‘Love for all, Hatred for none!”
(“Love for All Hatred for None” – Historical Trip to Spain, Review of Religions).
This drew huge applause from the people of Pedro Abad. It was in this background that the spontaneous words uttered by the Third Caliph(rh) became the unique slogan of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
The True Motto: Kalima Shahada
To fully grasp and appreciate this motto, it should be understood within the context of the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Ahadith. Twisting its meanings to try and show that Ahmadis do not follow Islam is not only unjust but deceitful.
In his Friday Sermon delivered on 9th May 2014, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba), the Fifth Caliph of the Promised Messiah(as), stated:
“We also use this slogan (Love for All, Hatred for None) to make it clear to the world that Islam teaches love, peace and kindness and it is not correct to associate cruelty and viciousness with the faith of Islam. We employ this slogan to signify that we wish to live together by breaking down walls of hatred. When we serve humanity in any way at all or when we disseminate the message of Islam we do so because we have love for every person in the world and we wish to remove hatred from each heart and instead sow the seeds of love. We do so because this is what our master, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) taught us.”
Friday Sermon, 9th May 2014, Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba)
His Holiness(aba) went on to explain that the love the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) had for mankind was so strong that he wanted everyone to come under the canopy of God’s infinite grace, and in doing so, he called all people to worship and obey God.
Naturally, if someone loves something or someone, he or she seeks to benefit them as much as possible. As the love for God had penetrated his heart, despite facing utter rejection and oppression from the Quraish, the Holy Prophet(sa) had a deep desire that all people should experience this love of God for themselves.
Allah the Almighty has even stated this condition in the Holy Quran as follows:
“Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death because they believe not.”
Quran 22:4
His Holiness(aba) then stated:
“If Ahmadis are to have real insight of ‘love for all hatred for none’, (then) they should try and learn its ways from our master and benefactor, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and by gauging our level of understanding of the Unity of God.”
Friday Sermon, 9th May 2014, Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba)
As the Promised Messiah(as) has explained in his writings, the two main principles of Islam are to fulfil the rights of Allah the Almighty, who is the Creator, and on the other hand, to fulfil the rights of mankind i.e. the creation. One cannot flourish without the other.
The need for a motto of the Community arose at the time of the Second Caliphra of the Promised Messiahas. Some eminent scholars presented different verses from the Holy Quran, such as, “Vie, then, with one another in good works” (Quran 2:149) and sayings such as ‘I shall give precedence to faith over all worldly matter,’ inspired by the Quranic verses, such as: “But you prefer the life of this world, Whereas the Hereafter is better and more lasting.” (Quran 87:17-18).
His Holiness concluded that:
“To say that such and such verse of the Holy Quran should be made a motto and such and such verse should not is not correct. Every verse of the Holy Quran should be our motto, as indeed it is. Our motto is the entire Holy Quran, however, if another motto is required, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said God has appointed it through the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and it is:
لا الہ الا اللہ محمد رسول اللہ
(There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger)It should be remembered that all Quranic commandments are excellent and beneficial in their own right but لا الہ الا اللہ (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) is dominant over them all. This is the real motto which we need to keep in sight at all times, and we need to reflect over the need for the Unity of God and its establishment…
Thus, our motto which is appointed by God is لا الہ الا اللہ (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) the rest are all details which can be useful as advice…”
Friday Sermon, 9th May 2014, Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba)
Hadith: Love Means Sympathy
However the question may arise: how can we truly love those who do not believe in Allah or those who usurp the rights of mankind and steep low in their conduct? The answer to this question has also been answered by His Holiness(aba) in the same Friday Sermon. He states:
“We do not hate any individual, rather we hate satanic practices and we feel compassion for those who follow these practices and it is owing to this compassion that we wish to take them away from these foul practices and save them from Divine chastisement. Our love for worldly people is not borne of any worldly motive, we simply wish to eliminate their hatred and we do not seek anything from them and we do what we do to seek the love of God and to uphold Unity of God.”
Friday Sermon, 9th May 2014, Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba)
These sentiments have their roots in the statement of none other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). He advised his followers the following:
Narrated Anas: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 2444
Thus, the real meaning of “Love for All, Hatred for None” is that, in view of our sympathy for mankind, we should deliver to them and help them understand the true motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community: “There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad(sa) is His Messenger.”