Abi ‘Awf Abi al-Jihaf – Abu Hazim – Abu Hurayrah...

Abi ‘Awf Abi al-Jihaf – Abu Hazim – Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “Whosoever loves al-Hasan and al-Husayn has loved me, and whosoever hates them has hated me.”[^5] ‘Abd al-Baqi states: إسناده صحيح، رجاله ثقات. Its chain is sahih . Its narrators are trustworthy.

^6 ‘Allamah al-Albani also comments: حسن Hasan [^7] So, the Prophet, Amir al-Muminin, Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn, ‘alaihim al-salam , were, and are, all equal in terms of love and hatred from any others among the creation. Moreover, their love has been umbilically fused by Allah. Therefore, just as there can never be an excuse – including even ignorance or mistake - for hating the Prophet, there can be none either with regards to any other among them.

Their love is one indivisible entity, and so is their hatred. The significance of the above reports is better reflected in this hadith , copied by ‘Allamah al-Albani: من أحب عليا فقد أحبني ومن أحبني فقد أحب الله عز وجل ومن أبغض عليا فقد أبغضني ومن أبغضني فقد أبغض الله عز وجل. Whosoever loves ‘Ali has loved me. And whosoever loves me has loved Allah the Almighty. Moreover, whosoever hates ‘Ali has hated me**.

And whosoever hates me** has hated Allah the Almighty .[^8] The ‘Allamah comments: رواه المخلص في " الفوائد المنتقاة " (10 / 5 / 1) بسند صحيح Al-Mukhlis recorded it in al-Fawaid al-Muntaqat (10/5/1) with a sahih chain from Umm Salamah.[^9] In other words: Love of Muhammad is love of Allah, and hatred of Muhammad is hatred of Allah. Love of ‘Ali is love of Allah, and hatred of ‘Ali is hatred of Allah. Love of al-Hasan is love of Allah, and hatred of al-Hasan is hatred of Allah.

Love of al-Husayn is love of Allah, and hatred of al-Husayn is hatred of Allah. So, Amir al-Muminin, Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn are equal with the Messenger of Allah in terms of the love or hatred of any of them. Our focus at this point, of course, is only Amir al-Muminin. Another area of equality between the Prophet of Allah and Imam ‘Ali is indicated in this hadith documented by Imam Ahmad (d.

241 H): حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبى ثنا يحيى بن أبى بكير قال ثنا إسرائيل عن أبى إسحاق عن أبي عبد الله الجدلي قال دخلت على أم سلمة فقالت لي أيسب رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فيكم قلت معاذ الله أو سبحان الله أو كلمة نحوها قالت سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول من سب عليا فقد سبني ‘Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) – my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) – Yahya b.