They Love Them as They Should Love Allah
“They Love Them as They Should Love Allah”: A Conceptual Analysis of Shirk, Love, and Following through Surah al-Baqara 165–167
In the Qur’an, shirk is not merely about worshipping stone idols—it is a multi-layered deviation. Surah al-Baqara verses 165–167 powerfully show that this deviation has an emotional dimension, especially highlighting how turning one’s love away from Allah toward others constitutes a form of shirk.
1. Shirk through Love: “They Love Them as They Love Allah”
“They love them as they should love Allah” (al-Baqara 2:165)
This expression redefines shirk beyond the classical framework: attributing divine value to anyone or anything other than Allah can sometimes occur not through the intellect, but through the heart—particularly through excessive love.
🔍 Word Analysis:
يُحِبُّونَهُمْ (yuḥibbūnahum) – “They love them” – root: ḥ-b-b
This root conveys emotional affection and loyal attachment.
In the Qur’an, it is used in various contexts: Allah loving the believers (al-Ma'idah 5:54), people loving wealth (Āl ʿImrān 3:14), etc.
📌 Conceptual Note:
Here, "equality in love" is defined as shirk. If a person loves another being, group, authority, or symbol in the way only Allah should be loved, this constitutes shirk.
2. Taking “Andād”: Shirk through Authority and Mediation
“They take others as andād besides Allah…”
🔍 Word Analysis:
أنداد (andād) – singular: nidd – root: n-d-d
Meaning: equal, rival, counterpart, competitor.
In the Qur’an, taking a nidd to Allah means attributing equality to Him in terms of authority and command.
🧠 Conceptual Explanation:
Today’s andād may appear in forms such as:
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“They will intercede for us with Allah.”
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“He has the right to legislate in Allah’s name.”
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“He is the only path to reach Allah.”
Thus, persons, institutions, ideologies, or words can become deified mediators or authorities.
3. The Leader–Follower Relationship: Complicity in Sin?
“Those who were followed will disown those who followed them…” (al-Baqara 2:166)
On the Day of Judgment, the reality of those who accepted authorities other than Allah is revealed. The leaders (such as sheikhs, scholars, political or religious figures) who were followed will refuse to accept responsibility.
🔍 Word Analysis:
تَبَرَّأَ (tabarrā') – root: b-r-ء
Meaning: to disown, to cut ties, to deny responsibility.
The noun barāʾah in the Qur’an also implies declaration of innocence (e.g., at-Tawbah 9:1).
🎯 Emphasis:
Those who were blindly followed in the world will deny any involvement on the Day of Judgment. The excuse “I was only obeying orders” will not be valid.
4. The Wish to Return and Deep Regret
“If only we had another chance, we would disown them as they disowned us…” (al-Baqara 2:167)
“Thus Allah shows them their deeds as regrets (ḥasrah).”
The word ḥasrah here expresses one of the most intense emotional states found in the Qur’an.
🔍 Word Analysis:
حَسَرَات (ḥasarāt) – root: ḥ-s-r
Meaning: deep regret, overwhelming loss
The same root appears in al-Kahf 18:6 where it describes the Prophet's sorrow: “Will you consume yourself in grief because they do not believe?”
💡 Interpretation:
People feel a deep collapse when they see that those they loved and relied on betrayed them. The desire to return is not real repentance—it is just an attempt to escape blame.
Conclusion: Love, Authority, and the Balance of Tawḥīd
Verses 165–167 of Surah al-Baqara show that emotional devotion in religion, if misdirected, can turn into shirk. The Qur’an questions not only outward behavior but also intentions and inner attachments.
❗ Unconditional love, which belongs solely to Allah, becomes shirk when directed toward people, communities, statements, systems, or historical figures.
💬 Final Word:
Today’s religion, shaped around “intercessors,” “mediators,” “sole saviors,” or “holy leaders,” is the modern version of the shirk described in al-Baqara 165–167.
🔔 Tawḥīd is not just saying “Allah is One”—it means loving only Him, submitting to Him alone, and refusing to show blind loyalty to anyone else.
DISCLAIMER / REMINDER
The views, interpretations, and conclusions in this article are products of human effort.
Please evaluate each statement in the light of the Qur’an as a whole. Weigh and verify them through the guidance of the verses.
The only true standard is the Book of Allah. Any error belongs to us; any truth belongs to Him.
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