Love and Hatred in Meeting with Allah

📖Sunan Ibn Majah 4264
It was narrated from ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.”
It was said to him: “O Messenger of Allah, does hating to meet Allah mean hating to meet death? For all of us hate death.”
He said: “No. Rather, that is only at the moment of death. But if he is given the glad tidings of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah loves to meet him; and if he is given the tidings of the punishment of Allah, he hates to meet Allah, and Allah hates to meet him.”

The Meaning of Loving and Hating to Meet Allah

This hadith teaches a profound lesson about the attitude of a believer at the time of death and their relationship with Allah. It does not refer to an ordinary fear of death that every human naturally experiences but rather the state of the soul when departing from this world.

📖Surah Al-Anfal 8:2
“The true believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith, and they put their trust in their Lord.”

🔹 Loving to meet Allah means having a heart full of faith, trust, and anticipation of Allah’s mercy. Those who spent their lives seeking His pleasure, repenting for their sins, and doing righteous deeds will look forward to the Hereafter. When their souls are taken, they are greeted with glad tidings of Jannah, making them eager to meet their Creator.

📖Surah Fussilat 41:30-31
“Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remained steadfast—the angels will descend upon them, (saying), ‘Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised. We are your allies in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.’”

🔹 Hating to meet Allah refers to those who lived in disobedience, rejecting the truth and indulging in sins without repentance. When death approaches, and they are given tidings of punishment, their souls resist leaving this world, knowing what awaits them.

📖Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:99-100
“When death comes to one of them, he cries, ‘My Lord, send me back so that I may do good in what I left behind.’ No! It is just a word he speaks, and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.”

Death Is Not the End, but a Meeting with Allah

This hadith clarifies that death is not the issue—rather, what comes after death is what matters. Every soul will return to Allah, but how a person feels about that return depends on their deeds and faith.

📖Mishkat al-Masabih 1630The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“When the believer is about to leave this world, angels with bright faces descend and say: ‘O pure soul, come out to the mercy and pleasure of your Lord.’ But when the disbeliever is about to die, angels with dark faces say: ‘O wicked soul, come out to the anger of your Lord.'”

✅ The love to meet Allah comes from faith, good deeds, and receiving glad tidings of Jannah.
✅ The hatred to meet Allah arises when a person neglected their faith, and at the moment of death, they realize the consequences.
✅ Fear of death is natural, but what truly matters is how one prepares for the Hereafter.
✅ A person’s soul will experience either peace or regret at the moment of death, based on their actions in this life.

📖Surah Al-Kahf 18:110
“Whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.”

This hadith is a reminder for every believer to prepare for their meeting with Allah by living a life of righteousness, repentance, and sincerity. The moment of death is when the reality of our choices becomes clear. A believer who lived in obedience will welcome the meeting with Allah, while a sinner who ignored His guidance will dread it.