I do not agree with your view that it is not valid to hate the kuffaar.

Answer

Your conception of hatred (bughdh) is incorrect. Dislike for the kuffaar is hatred for their kufr. It is not necessarily an emotional hatred which constrains active display of bad conduct and malice, and conniving ways for harming them. If that was so, then marriage to the women of Ahl-e-Kitaab would not have been valid and allowed. How is it possible to live with a kaafirah as a wife when the heart is filled with hatred for her? On the contrary, the husband loves his kaafirah wife despite her kufr which he hates and abhors.

Love for the kuffaar in general is undoubtedly haraam. Such love tolerates the interfaith activities of the NNB Jamiat's molvies. It permits making dua for kuffaar political leaders. It permits praying with kuffaar priests in kuffaar churches under a dozen crosses. It permits performing janaazah namaaz for atheists and murtads. Obviously such love is haraam and tantamount to kufr. But the 'love' which a husband has for his kaafirah (Kitaabi) wife is not haraam despite his hatred for her kufr. In such cases, both hatred and kufr co-exist in the same heart.

Despite Abu Talib's kufr, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) dearly loved him so much that he cried profusely on the death of Abu Talib who had died without Imaan. Nabi Ibraaheem (alayhis salaam) loved his kaafir father dearly. It was only by the command of Allah Ta'ala that he broke ties. On the Day of Qiyaamah, his father will be portrayed in a hideous form to eliminate the love from Nabi Ibraaheem's heart.

You will not find anyone in this country who criticize the kuffaar so stridently as The Majlis. The term kuffaar is a prominent epithet which we use profusely. We condemn those who participate in interfaith movements and we brand as kaafir those who take part in interfaith prayers. Despite there being no hatred for these kuffaar in our hearts, we condemn vehemently their kufr whilst those, like yourself, who propagate hatred for the kuffaar, are silent about their kufr and Muslim participation in kuffaar activities. Hatred for kuffaar must be displayed in practical life for all things and attributes of the kuffaar. But, Muslims love all institutions of the kuffaar whilst talking drivel about hating the kuffaar. Just look at the Madrasah where you are studying. They have a kuffaar sportsfield for which you have no hatred, but you speak of hating the kuffaar. What exactly do you mean by hatred for the kuffaar?

You speak about hating the kuffaar, but will you speak against those carrion halaalizers who promote the business empires of the kuffaar thereby feeding Muslims rotten, diseased, haraam carrion? For the sake of money, they submit to the kuffaar and collude with them against Muslims who uphold the Deen.

The problem with some people and students in this time is that shaitaan has succeeded in detracting them from realities and priorities such as Amr Bil Ma'roof and cast them into futilities such as this futile exercise in which you have wasted your time. Only a Munaafiq loves the kuffaar, and this is among the shi-aar (salient features) of some NNB Jamiat molvies. I think that you should send a copy of your kuffaar-hating article to Reverend Abraham Bham. It will serve a beneficial purpose to him. It may prove salubrious to him.

Love and hatred for kuffaar are from different angles. From the perspective of their kufr, we hate them. From the perspective of them being Allah's Makhlooq we love them, hence Da'wat is directed to them in the endeavour to save Allah's Makhlooq from Jahannum. When we meet them in the battlefield, we shall slay them despite the love perspective which will not prevent the execution of Allah's command. Regardless of the hatred a Muslim has for the kuffaar, it does not eliminate emotional love such as the love which a Muslim father has for his kaafir child, and the love a Wali h a s f o r the Makhlooq (creation) of Allah Ta'ala. If you look intently at a non-Muslim and reflect momentarily on his origin, will you not see the wonderful Hand of Allah Azza Wa Jal? Who created him?

When the punishment overtook the kaafir son of Hadhrat Nooh (alayhis salaam), this great Nabi cried and pleaded with Allah Ta'ala to save his kaafir son. Emotional love had momentarily overshadowed the intelligence. It was only Allah's sharp reprimand which restored the equilibrium of Hadhrat Nooh (alayhis salaam). So, despite the virulent kufr of his, son, Nabi Nooh (alayhis salaam) still cherished love in his heart for him.

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah's mother was an implaccable enemy of Islam. She openly and violently insulted Islam and upbraided her son for having accepted Islam. But he dearly loved her and cried much out of concern for her despite her incorrigible kufr. But such love for his kaafirah mother did not constrain an iota of change in his Imaan and Deeni obligations.

Islam's concept of hatred for the kuffaar is an intellectual state which could be manipulated at will by the individual. It is a condition which does not give rise to ill conduct, injustice and brutality. On the contrary, the hatred you are propagating is an emotional state which breeds an evil conduct which turns people away from Islam. It is the type of hatred which the juhhaal, takfeeri Salafis display. It is a type of barbaric hatred which eliminates justice, kindness and good moral conduct which has to be shown to all people, even non-Muslims.

The logical consequence of your kind of hatred is to despise non-Muslims. And this attitude is the effect of takabbur (pride) which can destroy a man's Imaan. Neither can you claim that a non-Muslim will die with kufr nor can you guarantee that you will die with Imaan. A couple of episodes for your edification appear in these pages. From these episodes you should be able to understand the error of your concept of hatred.

Whilst you have quoted many Qur'aanic aayat pertaining to the topic of hatred for kuffaar, you have failed to understand the purport and objective of Allah's commands. For the meaning of these verses, study the life episodes of the Sahaabah and Auliya. Do not subject the Qur'aan to your understanding and opinion. The product of such unbridled reasoning is deviation.

Your article is misguided. As your intellect matures with Taqwa, you will see and understand things in a different light. May Allah Ta'ala guide you. May He increase you in baseerat (spiritual far-sightedness). Islam spread and was disseminated by the Sahaabah and the Auliya with their love for Allah's Makhlooq and with the display of their sterling attributes of moral excellence which won the hearts of the kuffaar constraining whole nations to happily enter the fold of Islam.