ʿAdāwa
Definition
Adawa — enmity — is the outward manifestation of hiqd: the active hostility that festering resentment eventually produces when it can no longer remain merely internal. Al-Ghazali traces the progression: an injury produces anger; anger not released produces hiqd; hiqd not addressed produces adawa; adawa produces specific sinful actions — backbiting the enemy, plotting against them, rejoicing at their misfortune, and grieving at their good fortune. He presents this progression as a clinical description of how a single unaddressed grievance can metastasise into a comprehensive spiritual disease that destroys the person harbouring it.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use ʿAdāwa.
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"اللّٰه, the Exalted, says regarding what is inherently forbidden: "Say: My Lord has only forbidden immoralities—what is apparent of them and what is concealed." Then He transitions to something greater, saying: "And sin and oppression without right." Then He moves to something even greater: "And that you associate with اللّٰه that for which He has not sent down authority." Finally, He mentions the greatest of all: "And that you say about اللّٰه what you do not know." This is the greatest of prohibitions in the sight of اللّٰه and the most severe in sin, as it involves lying about اللّٰه, attributing to Him what is not befitting, altering His religion, denying what He has affirmed, affirming what He has denied, validating what He has invalidated, invalidating what He has validated, showing enmity to those He has befriended, befriending those He has shown enmity to, loving what He hates, and hating what He loves."
— Ibn al-Qayyim, Volume One
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"both love and hatred are latent diseases of the heart that only manifest with dominance and appear with the actions of lovers and haters in drawing close or distancing themselves, in disagreement or agreement. When manifested in action, it is called loyalty and enmity. Therefore, Allah Almighty said, "Did you show loyalty to My allies and enmity to My enemies? This is clear regarding those who reveal to you only their obedience, allowing you to love them, or reveal only their corruption, enabling you to hate them."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 15: Friendship and Brotherhood
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"Anyone who loves him, I also know to be my enemy, and whoever hates him, I know to be my friend and lover." He then carries out his plan, achieving his goal of being cursed, which becomes the cause of hatred and enmity. It is incumbent upon anyone sincere in their love and knowledgeable of its conditions to say: "As for your plan to harm this person, strike him, distance him, and expose him to hatred and enmity, I am loving and accepting of it, for it is your opinion, plan, action, and desire."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 36: The Book of Love, Longing, Intimacy, and Contentment
Appears in
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