# Does God not love non-believers?

*'Allah loves not the disbelievers': is God's love selective?*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/xznxiyp0b5s/s/22/
- Date: 2020-07-03 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Prof. Dr Khalil Andani | The Oral Text & the Ontology of The Quran | Mindtrap with Mufti #28 (1:38:38–1:40:08)
- Status: a view quoted in order to be discussed, not a position held
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xznXIYp0B5s&t=5918s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/xznxiyp0b5s/

**Topics:** Contested verses; God and the divine attributes

**Question as asked:** The Quran says Allah loves not the disbeliever. Are there any quick words on that?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The guest reads the verse as saying that certain deeds block God's love from reaching a person, not that God's love is selective.

## Longer summary

A chat question raises the verse saying Allah does not love the disbeliever. The guest says a literalistic reading would make God preferential in his love, but since the Quran calls God al-Rahman and says his mercy embraces all things, a more holistic reading is that those activities block the love of God from reaching a person, as a way of saying 'do not do those things'. Mufti Abu Layth adds that many Ash'aris and Sunnis have explained it in that way.

## Sources and names cited

- Dr Khalil Andani (guest)
- Quran 3:32 [?] (Allah does not love the disbelievers) (reference uncertain; possibly https://quran.com/3/32)
- rahmah

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:38:38–1:40:08)

[1:38:37] Like it doesn't make any sense cuz a tablet is a bodily thing. All right. So, a quick question here and we'll start to wrap up. Somebody says The Quran says Allah loves not the disbeliever. Mhm. Right. Uh Is I know that can go into a huge topic right there. I don't know if there's any quick words on that. So, so, so, look, a very literalistic reading is you could take all the groups that Allah does not love and you could literally say, "Okay, Allah is very preferential in his loving." You could say that if you wanted.

[1:39:11] But given the fact that like the Quran talks about Allah as Ar-Rahman multiple times and that the mercy the compassion Rahma like embraces all things. Love is is part of that. I think a more holistic interpretation of that is that the Quran is using this expression Allah does not love so and so to really mean that when you do those activities you block you you impede the love of Allah from coming to you.

[1:39:40] As a as a kind of expression to say don't do those things. Right. Yeah, it's just a So that's a lot of the Ash'ari and the Sunnis have explained it as that. Professor, right? I know you're really pressed for time. If people want to reach out to you if they want to connect with you, uh what are all your platforms? Where are you to be found? Apart from rocking the academic arena. [laughter] Well, you could And doing for and making follow-ups for friends.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment xznXIYp0B5s/s/22. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/xznxiyp0b5s/s/22/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.