Love & Hate

Extracted & edited from:
Love & Hate For The Sake of Allah, by Shaikh Saleem Al-Hilaalee.
Translated by Abu Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank. 1995 (Birmingham, UK)

It is easy to love for the sake of Allah, we love good things... that would be for the sake of Allah. We love our family, our friends... those are for the sake of Allah. But how about hating something for the sake of Allah? Islam is a religion of peace, how come it teaches muslims to hate somebody? And more important, how to hate for the sake of Allah? It is to hate something that Allah hates, and love something that Allah loves, those actions would be for the sake of Allah.
Reported by Ahmad (Hasan due to supproting narrations), from Al-Baraa ibn Aazib, Rasulullah said:Indeed the firmest handhold from Iman is that you love for Allah and hate for Allah.

FRIENDS AND FOES
Al-Anfal, 62-64: And if they intend to deceive you, then verily Allah is All-Suffeicient for you. He it is who has supported you with His help and with the believers. And He has united their (the believers' heart) hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise. O Prophet (Muhammad) Allah is sufficient for you and for the believers who follow you.
Al-Imran, 103: And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves, and remeber Allah's favour upon you, for you were enemies one to another, but He joined you hearts togetehr, so that, by His Grace, you become brothers, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Signs clear to you, that you may be saved.
Al-Zukhruf, 67: Friends that Day will be foes one to another except the pious who fear Allah (Al-Muttaqoon).
Al-Furqan, 27-29: And (remember) the day when the wrongdoer will bite his hands, he will say: Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhhamad). Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (the Quran) after it had come to me. And Syaitan is ever a deserter to main in the hour of need.

WAYS TO STRENGTHEN ONE'S LOVE FOR ALLAH'S SAKE
1. Informing the one whom you love that you love him for Allah's sake
Reported by Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawood & Al-Tirmizi, from Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dee Karib, Rasulullah said:If one of you loves his brother then let him tell him that he loves him.
Reported by Al-Bukhari, Rasulullah said:If one of you loves his brother for Allah's sake, then let him tell him since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly established love.
And his brother should reply: May the one for whose sake you have loved me, love you - based on a hadis reported by Abu Dawood, Ahmad & Al-Hakim (sahih):Anad ibn Malik said: A man passed by the prophet who was in the company of some people, so a man from those with him said, " Indeed I love that person for Allah's sake."So the Prophet said, "Have you infromed him?"He said, "No."Rasulullah said, "Go to him and inform him."So he went to him and informed him, so he replied, "May the One for whose sake you have loved me, love you."Then he returned nad the Prophet asked him and he told him what he had said. So the Prophet said, "You will be with the one whom you have loved and there will be for you the reward that you hoped for."
2. Spreading the greeting of Salaam
Reported by Muslim, from Abu Hurairah, Rasulullah said:You will not enter Paradise until you believe (have Iman), and you will not believe (have Iman) until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which you carry out you will love one another. Spread Al-Salam amongst yourselves.
3. Giving Gifts
Reported by Al-Bukhari & Al-Baihaqi, Rasulullah said:Give gifts and you will love one another.
4. Visiting
Reported by Al-Bazaar (sahih by Albani), Rasulullah said:Visit now and again - your love will increase.
5. Moderation in Love & Hatred
Reported by Al-Tirmizi (Sahih by Albani), Rasulullah said:Love the one whom you love in the moderation, perhaps one day he will be one whom you hate, and hate the one whom you hate in moderation perhaps one day he will be one whom you love.
6. Persisting in obidience and in desisting form sin
Surah Maryam, 96: Verily, those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficient (Allah) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the Believers).
7. Love his brother as he loves a good for himself
Reported by Bukhari & Muslim, & part in bracket reported by Abu Awaanah & Ahmad, from Anas ibn Malik, Rasulullah said:None of you will truly believe untiol he loves for his brother (the good) that he loves for himself.