A Heart That Loves Not, Guides Not: The True Essence of Faith, Mercy, and Coexistence

“Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who follow him are harsh towards the disbelievers and compassionate towards each other. You see them kneeling and prostrating, seeking God’s bounty and His good pleasure…” [Al-Fath: 29].

This verse is not meant to establish that believing in the Muhammadan message requires repulsion towards those who do not share our religious convictions, nor does it imply harboring hatred against them. Rather, faith—as highlighted in numerous other verses—means living with a sense of responsibility toward them. It is the sincere desire that they may attain the same goodness we have been blessed with, and letting our hearts be filled with an innate, human love that enables us to coexist with them in a natural, spontaneous manner.

The School of Ahl al-Bayt and Benevolence Towards the Diverse Other

Al-Kulayni narrated from Musadif, who said: “I was with Abu Abdullah [Imam al-Sadiq] (AS) on the road between Mecca and Medina when we passed by a man lying at the base of a tree. The Imam said, ‘Lead us to this man, for I fear he may be suffering from thirst.’ We approached him and found he was a Christian man with long hair. The Imam asked him, ‘Are you thirsty?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ The Imam then said to me, ‘Dismount, O Musadif, and give him water.’ I dismounted and gave him water. Then we mounted and continued our journey. I asked, ‘He is a Christian, yet you give charity to a Christian?’ The Imam replied, ‘Yes, when they are in such a condition.'”

This is how the Prophet (PBUH&F) was previously able to guide polytheists and others to Islam. Had he been harsh and hard-hearted, what was achieved would never have come to pass. If he had not possessed magnificent character in his dealings with all people, he could not have guided them. God Almighty says: “It was only as a mercy that We sent you [Prophet] to all people” [Al-Anbiya: 107]—He did not restrict this mercy only to the believers. As for His saying, “harsh towards the disbelievers,” it strictly describes the nature of the believers’ relationship with combatant disbelievers amidst warfare, conspiracies, and conflict, not in the context of peaceful coexistence.

The Peril of Emotional Zeal and the Deviation Towards Takfir

However, some individuals may become entirely consumed by their religiosity. Driven by spiritual zeal, their emotions overpower their intellect. They begin to view anyone on the opposing side of their faith as a devil to be guarded against, or an enemy to be fought, imagining this to be a form of profound sincerity to God and absolute devotion to the creed. They might eventually translate this flawed ideology into violent behavior, harming themselves, their religion, and others. Typically, this extremist mindset does not stop there; it transgresses boundaries to target differences within the very same religion and sect, leading to internal hostility and radicalism.

I once reviewed a list of justifications for excommunication (Takfir) held by a certain Islamic sect. Among their rules was that if a person joined their group but claimed his deceased parents died as Muslims, he would be asked to repent. If he refused, he would be executed and his wealth confiscated as spoils for the Muslims. Consequently, during their raids, some pilgrims journeying to the Sacred House of God had to falsely claim they were disbelievers who wished to embrace Islam at the hands of this group, just to spare their own blood and continue their journey to perform the Hajj rituals.

Imam al-Sadiq’s (AS) Stance Against Internal Extremism

This extremist model of thought and attitude can be found in every era and under every guise. In Al-Kafi, it is narrated from Hashim, the courier, that he and two others were debating the status of non-Shia Muslims. They were divided: one was an extremist, another slightly less so, and the third moderate. During the Hajj season, they met Imam al-Sadiq (AS) and asked him to judge their dispute.

The Imam asked, “What do you say about your servants, your women, and your families? Do they not testify that there is no deity but God?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they not testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God (PBUH&F)?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they not pray, fast, and perform Hajj?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they recognize the truth [of the Imamate] that you are upon?” I replied, “No.” He asked, “So, what are they to you?” The extremist among us answered, “Whoever does not recognize this matter is a disbeliever.”

The Imam exclaimed, “Glory be to God! Have you not seen the people of the streets and the people at the watering places?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they not pray, fast, and perform Hajj? Do they not testify that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they recognize what you are upon?” I replied, “No.” He asked, “So what are they to you?” The extremist replied, “Whoever does not recognize this matter is a disbeliever.”

The Imam exclaimed, “Glory be to God! Have you not seen the Kaaba, the circumambulation, the people of Yemen, and their clinging to the curtains of the Kaaba?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they not testify that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and do they not pray, fast, and perform Hajj?” I replied, “Yes.” He asked, “Do they recognize what you are upon?” I replied, “No.” He asked, “So what do you say of them?” The extremist replied, “Whoever does not recognize it is a disbeliever.”

The Imam said, “Glory be to God! This is the saying of the Kharijites.” Then the Imam added, “If you wish, I will inform you [of the truth].” Notice the response of this extremist who claimed to be a follower of al-Sadiq: “I said: ‘No.'” He did not want to hear the correct stance because it contradicted his dogma, radicalism, and fanaticism. The Imam then warned, “It is a great evil for you to declare something you have not heard from us.”

The Structural Dangers of Spiritual and Behavioral Violence

There are several grave dangers that arise from such spiritual violence and behavioral extremism. In the sociopolitical sphere, it is readily exploited by opportunists who turn these zealous followers into fuel for destructive conflicts. On an intellectual level, it drives the extremist to manipulate Islamic principles by taking words out of context and misinterpreting sacred texts to suit an emotional, reactive state, operating under the dangerous premise that the end justifies illegitimate means. Furthermore, in the cultural arena, it deliberately fixates on specific, conflict-ridden events in historical heritage, constantly replaying them to nourish accumulated resentment and grant sectarian animosity a false aura of sanctity.

The Divine Law of Differences and the Methodology of Wisdom

God Almighty sent His Prophet (PBUH&F) as a mercy to the worlds, and made human differences a natural law of life, stating: “If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single community…” [Hud: 118]. Our responsibility amidst these innate differences is to invite others through the best approach, exactly as He commands: “[Prophet], call [people] to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching. Argue with them in the most courteous way, for your Lord knows best who has strayed from His way and who is rightly guided.” [An-Nahl: 125].

The ultimate judgment, reward, and punishment belong solely to God, for He is most knowing of people’s conditions and what their chests conceal: “People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware.” [Al-Hujurat: 13].

Let us always remember that a heart that does not love, and does not wish goodness for others, can never guide them.