Re: Love
Question:-
Did Muhammad ever preach "love your enemy", or "love your neighbor"? Did he preach peace and love? Someone please respond as I really would like to know.
Answer:-
The Quran tells us in no uncertain manner that Allah is the Compassionate and the Merciful, and it tells us to surrender to Allah and that His spirit is in us.
We are also told to do certain practical things such as do charity, control anger, forgive people, repay evil with good, make peace and so on.
Here are a few quotations which have the same meaning, but you must not expect exactly the same words.
"The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one that is better, then lo! he, between whom and you there was enmity will become as though he was a bosom friend. But none is granted it save those who are steadfast, and none is granted it save the owner of great happiness. And if a whisper from the devil reach thee then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, the Knower." 41:34-36
"The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardons and amends, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loves not wrongdoers. And whoso defends himself after he has suffered wrong - for such there is no blame against them. The blame is only against those who oppress mankind and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom. And verily whoso is patient and forgives - lo! that verily is the steadfast heart of things." 42:40-43
" Hold fast, all together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate (divide or part in sects); but remember the favours of Allah towards you, when ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts, and on the morrow ye became brothers, by His grace. Ye were on the edge of an abyss of fire, but He rescued you therefrom. Thus does Allah show to you His revelations, perchance ye may be guided;. And that there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and bid right conduct, and forbid what is wrong (or indecent); these are the successful." 3:103-104
"Keep to forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. And if a slander from the devil wound thee, then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower." 7:199-200
"And let not those amongst you who have plenty (dignity and ease and ample means) swear that they will not give aught to their kinsman and the needy and those who are fugitives from their homes in the cause of Allah, but let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah should forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." 24:22
"Many of the people of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief through envy on their own account after the truth has become manifest unto them. Forgive and be indulgent towards them until Allah gives command. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things." 2:109
"Lo! Those who believe and do good works, the Beneficent will appoint for them love." 19:96
"Certainly there is for you in them a good example, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day; and whoever turns back, then surely Allah is the Absolute (or Self-sufficient), the Praise-worthy. It may be that Allah will bring about friendship between you and those whom you now hold to be your enemies among them; and Allah is Powerful; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of your religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice. Allah only forbids you respecting those who made war upon you on account of your religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up others in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them, these are the unjust." 60:6-9
"Those who spend in charity of that which Allah has given them in ease and in adversity, those who control their anger and are forgiving towards mankind; Allah loves the good." 3:134
"A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement." 2:263
"Repel evil with that which is better." 23:96
"These will be given their reward twice over, because they are steadfast and repel evil with good, and spend of that wherewith We have provided them." 28:54
Critic:-
The Quran rarely uses the word love but speaks of killing. The Bible is full of love.
Comment:-
You are looking for words rather than their meanings. The word love is used constantly in the West as in "making love" when they might mean lust. In fact "love" should mean concern for the welfare of others. But it has lost its meaning.
The Quran defines love by using many different words for different aspects of it e.g. Compassion, Mercy, Benevolence, Charity, Brotherhood, Forgiveness and so on.
The Quran contains the teachings of Moses, Jesus and every other genuine religion brought by genuine Prophets. An attack on Islam is, therefore, an attack on all genuine religions. And defense of Islam is defense of all genuine religion.
(Note: Genuine religion means one which is not man-made but comes by revelation - i.e. through the higher mind of the founder. It does not refer to any subsequent corruption by lower minds)
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