There is no doubt that love for the noble Ahl al-Bayt (the purified family of the Prophet ﷺ) is a part of faith, and harboring hatred toward them is a sign of hypocrisy. This is an established truth within Islamic belief. However, an important question arises: Is love for only the Ahl al-Bayt a sign of faith, and hatred for only them a sign of hypocrisy?
In both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, there are at least two clear narrations in which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explicitly states that love for the Ansar (the Helpers of Madinah) is a mark of faith, while hatred for them is a sign of hypocrisy.1 This sheds light on a broader understanding—that love for other noble groups among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ is also integrally linked to faith.
Moreover, there is consensus among Muslims that the Muhajirun (the Emigrants who left Makkah for Madinah for the sake of Islam) hold a rank even higher than that of the Ansar. If love for the Ansar is considered a sign of faith, then, by greater reason, love for the Muhajirun must also be a sign of faith, and harboring hatred towards them must be a sign of hypocrisy.
That’s why Imam al-Tahawi, explains this belief of Ahl al-Sunnah:
“Love for all the Companions is part of religion, faith, and excellence (ihsan), and hatred towards any of them is disbelief, hypocrisy, and rebellion.”
Therefore, every Muslim should firmly hold the belief that love for the entire Ahl al-Bayt and all the noble Companions of the Prophet ﷺ is a sign of true faith. Conversely, harboring enmity toward any of them constitutes disbelief, hypocrisy, and arrogance.
And success comes only from Allah.
- [Sahih Muslim 74a] ↩︎
