Why Does God Love a Person but Not Their Deed?

Question

Dear Professor,

In the chapter on human psychology in Sermon 154 of Nahj al-Balagha, there is a hadith from the Noble Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, in which he says: “Indeed, God loves a servant but dislikes his deeds; and He loves a servant’s deeds but does not love the person himself.”

As I understand it, this could refer, for example, to someone who drinks alcohol but is also kind. God loves the quality of kindness, which is part of this person’s character, but dislikes his conduct as a drinker. In the example I have given, does the kindness that God loves lessen the sin of drinking alcohol in any way?

Or consider someone who engages in usury. Because of this deed, is that person destined for Hell, regardless of his other actions—even if he has several other good qualities? According to the verse stating that those who engage in usury are destined for Hell, would none of this person’s good qualities help him in the Hereafter?

My other question is this: if we see several reprehensible actions in someone, we tend to dislike the person altogether and regard them as no good. How different are we from God? God sees things in detail, whereas we look at people as a whole and are quick to judge them on the basis of a few deeds.

I would be grateful if you would consider these questions.

Accepted Answer

For example, giving charity is a God-pleasing act. But if it is done by someone seeking to show off, that person will incur the wrath of the Exalted Lord. A believer who commits a wrong—such as hurting someone—and then repents is certainly beloved of God, though the wrong he has done is hateful to Him.

Divine love for a believer is complete when that person’s deeds are wholly good and beautiful. The union of a beautiful deed with a beautiful doer yields the sweet, fragrant, and radiant fruit of divine love.

قال علی علیه السلام: فاعل الخیر خیر منه و فاعل الشر شر منه‏
Nahj al-Balāgha (ed. Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), p. 474

The doer of good is better than the good he does, and the doer of evil is worse than the evil he does.

Ibrāhīm 14:18

إبراهیم : 18 مثل الذین کفروا بربهم أعمالهم کرماد اشتدت به الریح فی‏ یوم عاصف لا یقدرون مما کسبوا على‏ شی‏ء ذلک هو الضلال البعید

The deeds of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes scattered by a fierce wind on a stormy day. They have no power to retain anything of what they have earned. That is indeed far-off error.

Al-Nūr 24:39

النور : 39 و الذین کفروا أعمالهم کسراب بقیعه یحسبه الظمآن ماء حتى إذا جاءه لم یجده شیئا و وجد الله عنده فوفاه حسابه و الله سریع الحساب

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage on a desert plain, which the thirsty person takes for water from afar. But when he comes to it, he finds nothing there, and finds God there, who settles his account in full. God is swift in reckoning.

Now, a passage from the sermon under discussion:

... و اعلم أن لکل ظاهر باطنا على مثاله فما طاب ظاهره طاب باطنه و ما خبث ظاهره خبث باطنه و قد قال الرسول الصادق ص إن الله یحب العبد و یبغض عمله و یحب العمل و یبغض بدنه و اعلم أن لکل عمل نباتا و کل نبات لا غنى به عن الماء و المیاه مختلفه فما طاب سقیه طاب غرسه و حلت ثمرته و ما خبث سقیه خبث غرسه و أمرت ثمرته‏

Nahj al-Balāgha (ed. Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ), p. 216

... Know that every outward aspect has an inward counterpart like it: when the outward is pure, so is the inward; when the outward is corrupt, so is the inward. The truthful Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said, “God may love a servant and detest his deed, or love a deed and detest the person who performs it.”

Know that every deed has a plant, and no plant can do without water. Waters are of different kinds: when its watering is pure, its seedling is pure and its fruit sweet; when its watering is foul, its seedling is foul and its fruit bitter.

Nahj al-Balāgha, translated by Anṣāriyān, p. 339

Why Does God Love a Person but Not Their Deed?

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

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