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LOVE OF ALI IN THE QURAN AND SUNNAH

The preceding discussion elucidated the merits and effects of love. Incidentally it became obvious that love with the pious is rather a means for self-reformation and self-edification and not an end in itself. Let us now see whether or not the Quran has specified anyone to be loved by us.

The Quran reports all the early Prophets having said: "We do not want it from the people, our reward is with Allah alone". But it asks the last of the Prophets to say to the people: "I do not want any requital from you except your love with my kith and kin".

Here a question arises: why all those Prophets did not demand a recompense and why did the last of the Prophets want a requital for his mission and asks the people to love his nearest relatives as a reward of his mission? The Quran itself answers this question: "Say the love which I have asked for from you is to your own benefit. My own reward? It is due from none but Allah". That is to say, the Prophet means: "What I want as a reward reverts to you and not to me. This love is a ladder leading to your perfection and edification. Prima-facie, it is called reward but in fact it is yet another benefit which has been bestowed on you by me". Because the people of Apostolical House did never go near vice; they remained pious and chaste.