Why Did the Prophet (PBUH) Say, “Love Me for the Sake of God, and Love My Family for My Sake”?

There can be no doubt that love for the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, is love for God. Yet in these words, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, makes a subtle allusion to the Ahl al-Bayt’s succession: «وَ أَحِبُّوا أَهْلَ بَيْتِي لِحُبِّي» “Love my household for the love you bear me.” He thus presents the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, to his community as he presents himself, placing them in his own position—as the object of the love owed to him.

In other words, whoever rejects the authority of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, not only rejects the Messenger of God but is hostile to him. By refusing to accept their authority, such a person becomes an enemy of God.

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ أُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهَ فِي عِتْرَتِي وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي خَيْراً فَإِنَّهُمْ مَعَ الْحَقِّ وَ الْحَقُّ مَعَهُمْ وَ هُمُ الْأَئِمَّةُ الرَّاشِدُونَ بَعْدِي وَ الْأُمَنَاءُ الْمَعْصُومُون‌
Kifāyat al-athar fī al-naṣṣ ʿalā al-aʾimma al-ithnā ʿashar, p. 104

“O people, I entrust you to God, and urge you to treat my family and household well. They are with the truth, and the truth is with them. After me, they are the rightly guided leaders and the trustworthy, infallible ones.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَحِبُّوا اللَّهَ لِمَا يَغْذُوكُمْ بِهِ مِنْ نِعَمِهِ وَ أَحِبُّونِي لِحُبِّ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَحِبُّوا أَهْلَ بَيْتِي لِحُبِّي.
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: “Love God, for He sustains you through His blessings. Love me, for the love of God, the Almighty and Exalted. And love my household, for the love you bear me.”

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ ابْنِ أَخِي أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو ذَرٍّ وَ كَانَ صَفْوُهُ وَ انْقِطَاعُهُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ وَ أَهْلِ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَقْوَاماً مَا أَبْلُغُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ وَ لَهُ مَا اكْتَسَبَ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِ نَبِيِّهِ قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي مَلَإٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ رِجَالٌ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّا نُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ لَمْ يَذْكُرُوا أَهْلَ بَيْتِهِ فَغَضِبَ ص وَ قَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَحِبُّوا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لِمَا يَغْدُوكُمْ بِهِ مِنْ نِعَمِهِ وَ أَحِبُّونِي بِحُبِّ رَبِّي وَ أَحِبُّوا أَهْلَ بَيْتِي بِحُبِّي فَوَ الَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا صَفَنَ بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَ الْمَقَامِ صَائِماً وَ رَاكِعاً وَ سَاجِداً ثُمَّ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ غَيْرَ مُحِبٍّ لِأَهْلِ بَيْتِي لَمْ يَنْفَعْهُ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا وَ مَنْ أَهْلُ بَيْتِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَيُّ أَهْلِ بَيْتِكَ هَؤُلَاءِ قَالَ مَنْ أَجَابَ مِنْهُمْ دَعْوَتِي وَ اسْتَقْبَلَ قِبْلَتِي وَ مَنْ خَلَقَهُ اللَّهُ مِنِّي وَ مِنْ لَحْمِي وَ دَمِي فَقَالُوا نَحْنُ نُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِ رَسُولِهِ فَقَالَ بَخْ بَخْ فَأَنْتُمْ إِذًا مِنْهُمْ أَنْتُمْ إِذًا مِنْهُمْ وَ الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ وَ لَهُ مَا اكْتَسَب‌
It is related from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāmit, the nephew of Abū Dharr, who said: Abū Dharr, one of the most devoted followers of ʿAlī and the Ahl al-Bayt, related to me: “I said, ‘O Messenger of God, I love a people whose deeds I cannot match.’ He replied, ‘O Abū Dharr, a person is with those whom he loves, and he receives what he has earned.’ I said, ‘Then I love God, His Messenger, and the Messenger’s family.’ He replied, ‘You are indeed with those whom you love.’”

The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, was among a gathering of his companions. Some men said, “We love God and His Messenger,” but made no mention of his household. The Messenger of God became angry and said, “O people, love God, the Almighty and Exalted, for the blessings He bestows upon you at evening; love me for the love of my Lord; and love my household for the love you bear me. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if a man were to stand between the Corner and the Station, fasting, bowing and prostrating, then meet God, the Almighty and Exalted, without loving my household, none of this would benefit him.”

They asked, “O Messenger of God, who are the members of your household? Which of them do you mean?” He replied, “Those among them who answered my call, turned towards my qibla, and whom God created from me, of my flesh and blood.” They said, “We love God, His Messenger, and the Messenger’s household.” He replied, “Well done, well done! Then you are among them; you are among them. A person is with those whom he loves, and he receives what he has earned.”