LOVE

- for

  - enemies,

    - do not love them, al-Mumtahanah 60:1
    The concept of loving one's enemy is quite hard for a Muslim to understand. In Muslim teaching, loving an infidel (kafir) is seen as going against God since God does not love the infidel.

    > "[Jesus said:] But I tell you : Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'' (Matthew 5:44-48)

  - other Muslims is necessary for faith, Sahih Bukhari 2.6

- God is love,

  > Bible:
  > And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)

  > No comparable statement is found in the Qur'an, see the further reading recommendations.

- of God,

  - and the believers,

    - Allah loves those who are spiritual pure and clean al-Baqarah 2:222

    - Allah loves those who do good al-Baqarah 2:195; Âl 'Imran 3:134

    - Allah loves those who keep faith and act rightly Âl 'Imran 3:76
    In all the examples above, the love of God is conditional upon the believer being good or clean. If the believer should turn back from God, Allah does not love him any more (Âl 'Imran 3:32). see also LOVE of God, and the unbelievers.

  - and the choosing of Israel, Israel is chosen not because they are cleverer or better, but because of God's love.

    > Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.

    > The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithfu9Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. ( Deuteronomy 4:36-37, 7:7-9)

  - and the sending of Jesus Christ,

    > "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

    > This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

    > We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:10, 19)

  - and unbelievers

    - Allah does not love those who reject Faith, Âl 'Imran 3:32

      - Allah will give his love to someone else if reject faith, 4:54

    - Allah does not love the arrogant, the vainglorious, an-Nisa' 4:36

    - Allah does not love the ungrateful or wicked, al-Baqarah 2:276

    - Allah does not love transgressors, al-Baqarah 2:190

    - Allah does not love wrongdoers, Âl 'Imran 3:57,140

    - God loves and does not want sinners to perish,

      > "But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us....For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Romans 5:8-10)

      > The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

    It appears that no where in the Qur'an does it say that Allah loves the unbeliever. This contrast sharply with the Bible which teaches that God loves the believer and unbeliever :

    > "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ." (Ephesians 2:3-5)

    > Then the Lord said to me, 'God again and love Gomer, who is loved by her husband [Hosea], yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods...." (Hosea 3:1)

    see also LOVE of God, and believers

Further reading:

- "Love" in the Qur'an
- The Love of God in the Qur'an and the Bible
- The Character of God in Bible and Qur'an

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