Acts of the Heart · Quran topic

Hatred

الكره · Kurh

Understanding innate aversion and aligning our hearts with what Allah loves.

41 verses · 5 parts · 6 min read

Study guide based on

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

«الكره» · Volume 14

At a glance

In the Quran, hatred or aversion, denoted primarily by the root ك-ر-ه (k-r-h), is not treated as a single, uniform emotion. Instead, revelation carefully distinguishes between involuntary, natural human aversion and intentional spiritual resentment. While natural aversion to hardship, pain, and exhausting sacrifice is an inescapable part of being human, willful hatred of divine revelation, the truth, or righteous deeds corrupts faith and ruins one's works.

Islam does not ask us to eradicate natural feelings like the dread of injury or the physical strain of childbirth. Rather, it trains our intellect and will to prioritize what Allah loves over what our base desires crave. Believers learn to embrace arduous duties gladly for Allah's sake, while directing moral hatred purely toward disbelief, transgression, and injustice.

Furthermore, the Quran warns strongly against mutual rancor among believers. Baseless hatred, fueled by envy, arrogance, backbiting, and tribalism, erodes religious commitment from within and shatters communal unity. Cultivating sound hearts requires purifying ourselves from spite and submitting wholeheartedly to divine command.

Key verses

Muhammad 47:8-9: Shows that harboring aversion to what Allah revealed nullifies deeds and brings ruin, demonstrating that spiritual hatred of divine law invalidates faith.
Al-Baqarah 2:216: Affirms that struggling in Allah's path is naturally disliked due to physical hardship, but teaches that what human beings dislike may hold immense hidden good.
Al-Ahqaf 46:15: Honors the mother's immense sacrifice by describing pregnancy and childbirth as naturally grueling and painful, combining natural hardship with profound love.
Ash-Shura 42:11: Establishes that Allah's attributes, including His hatred of evil and disobedience, are affirmed as befitting His majesty without resemblance to creation.
Al-Hujurat 49:12: Uses natural human disgust toward eating the flesh of a dead brother to cultivate deep moral abhorrence for backbiting.

Words to know

الكُرْه al-kurh

Aversion, hardship, or the soul's recoil from something it finds unpleasant or difficult, appearing in the Quran for both natural difficulty and blameworthy rejection.

Appears 41 times in the Quran.

Most common forms: كَرِهَ (17), كارِه (7), كَرْه (5), أُكْرِهَ (5), كُرْه (3)

Root: ك ر ه

البُغْض al-bughd

Intense hatred and emotional repulsion, which is broader and stronger than ordinary aversion.

الإِبَاء al-iba'

Vehement refusal and holding back from something, whether driven by hatred or other motives.

Root: ا ب و

الإِكْرَاه al-ikrah

Compelling someone externally to do what they dislike through severe intimidation.

Root: ك ر ه

الحُبّ al-hubb

The soul's inner attraction and attachment to that which it finds desirable and pleasing, acting as the direct opposite of hatred.

Root: ح ب ب

Affirming the attribute of hatred for Allah Almighty

From the paper: «إثبات صفة الكره لله جل جلاله»

The Quran and the authentic Sunnah explicitly affirm that Allah hates certain actions and states, such as disbelief, corruption, gossip, and the squandering of wealth At-Tawbah 9:46, Al-Isra 17:38, Al-Hujurat 49:7. In Sunni creed, believers affirm whatever Allah and His Messenger have affirmed about the Divine nature without denial, metaphorical distortion, or likening Him to creation, grounded in the rule that there is nothing like unto Him Ash-Shura 42:11.

While human hatred is an emotional reaction involving psychological turmoil and bodily change, Allah's hatred is a real divine attribute befitting His majesty and glory, utterly free from human deficiencies or agitation. Scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah explain that the righteous predecessors acknowledged these attributes according to their evident meaning while transcending creaturely limitations. Allah hates the emergence of hypocrites into sacred causes At-Tawbah 9:46, and in the hereafter He dislikes meeting those who deliberately turned away from Him.

«فإننا نثبت لله عز وجل صفة الكره كما يليق بجلاله وعظمته، إثباتا لما أثبته لنفسه، ولما أثبته له رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم من غير تعطيل ولا تمثيل ولا تأويل، وهذا هو مذهب السلف الصالح.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

Natural hatred

From the paper: «الكره الطبعي»

Islam clearly distinguishes between natural human distaste (al-kurh al-tab'i) and religious or intellectual hatred. As scholars like al-Raghib noted, natural aversion is an inborn physical reluctance toward hardship, pain, or sacrifice Al-Baqarah 2:216. Allah created human beings with innate likes and dislikes, and a person is not held blameworthy for natural discomfort as long as their will and belief remain fully surrendered to divine wisdom.

This balance appears throughout the Quran:

A believer may naturally shrink from the bodily perils of fighting, yet cheerfully obey Allah's command because the ultimate outcome is good Al-Baqarah 2:216.
A mother experiences pregnancy and labor as heavy, painful, and draining, yet this natural hardship coexists with profound maternal love and joy Al-Ahqaf 46:15, Luqman 31:14.
The Quran leverages humanity's innate physical revulsion against eating human corpse meat to make believers abhor the sin of backbiting Al-Hujurat 49:12.

True contentment does not mean feeling no pain. Rather, as Ibn al-Qayyim highlighted, it means submitting to Allah's decree without resentment, just as a sick person willingly swallows bitter medicine knowing it holds healing.

«وهما ضدان، والصواب: أنه لا تناقض بينهما، وأن وجود التألم وكراهة النفس له لا ينافي الرضى، كرضى المريض بشرب الدواء الكريه، ورضى الصائم في اليوم الشديد الحر بما يناله من ألم الجوع والظمأ، ورضى المجاهد بما يحصل له في سبيل الله من ألم الجراح وغيرها.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

Types of hatred

From the paper: «أنواع الكره»

Hatred governed by the intellect and sacred law falls into two distinct categories: praiseworthy and blameworthy.

Praiseworthy hatred is an intentional aversion felt purely for Allah's sake Al-A'raf 7:88. It entails detesting disbelief, hypocrisy, and sin, and forms the core of disavowal (al-bara') required of every believer At-Tawbah 9:23, Ali 'Imran 3:28, Al-Fath 48:29. Believing hearts find sweet solace in abhorring a return to disbelief just as they would abhor being hurled into fire.

Blameworthy hatred arises from worldly desires and ego Muhammad 47:9. It divides into:

Disbelief-level hatred: Willful resentment of Allah's revelation, His rulings, or divine justice Muhammad 47:9, Muhammad 47:28, Al-Mu'minun 23:70. Hating divine commands, such as financial sacrifice or righteous struggle, nullifies good deeds and brings immense torment At-Tawbah 9:54, At-Tawbah 9:81.
Sinful hatred: Mutual animosity between Muslims over petty worldly interests, family friction, or professional rivalries Muhammad 47:26, Al-Munafiqun 63:8. While not expelling a person from Islam, harboring malicious hatred toward fellow believers constitutes a severe spiritual disease.

«أولًا: كره مخرج من الملة، يتضمن الكراهية لأمر الله ورسوله، وذلك مثل كراهية شيء معلوم من دين الله، وكراهية وجوب أو تحريم شيء من دين الله، مع فعلها!»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

Motives of hatred

From the paper: «دوافع الكره»

The reasons behind hatred determine whether it leads to divine reward or spiritual destruction.

Praiseworthy hatred is motivated by loyalty to the truth. When faith separates family members or communities, animosity is directed at the disbelief itself, following the example of Prophet Ibrahim Al-Mumtahanah 60:4. When dealing with a sinful Muslim, believers love their faith while hating their sin, avoiding personal curses while offering sincere counsel.

Blameworthy hatred stems from corrupted hearts and societal evils:

Diseases of the heart: Envy, spite, and malignant malice make people resent the blessings Allah bestows upon others Ali 'Imran 3:118, Ali 'Imran 3:119-120.
Slander, backbiting, and tale-bearing: Whispering malicious words ruins goodwill and plants rancor Al-Hujurat 49:12, Al-Qalam 68:10-13.
Arrogance and self-admiration: Thinking oneself superior leads to despising others and rejecting truth Al-Ma'idah 5:8.
Oppression and injustice: Transgressing rights, cheating, lying, or treating people harshly naturally breeds intense reciprocal resentment Al-Baqarah 2:190, Ali 'Imran 3:159.
Weak faith and sectarianism: Partisan fanaticism, tribal loyalty, and nationalistic pride replace universal Islamic brotherhood with hostility An-Nahl 16:125, Ali 'Imran 3:105, Al-Hujurat 49:13.

«فالعدل واجب شرعي مع جميع الناس، حتى لو كان بينك وبينه بغض وعداوة.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

The impact of hatred on human behavior

From the paper: «أثر الكره على السلوك الإنساني»

Harboring blameworthy hatred produces devastating consequences for individual believers and the entire community.

Resenting Allah's laws carries the direst spiritual penalties:

Total forfeiture of faith: A person who harbors inner resentment toward divine legislation cannot claim true belief An-Nisa 4:65.
Invalidation of righteous deeds: Disliking revelation turns a lifetime of good works into scattered dust Muhammad 47:8-9, An-Nahl 16:92, At-Tawbah 9:54.
Disgrace and humiliation in this life and severe torment in the hereafter Al-Baqarah 2:85, At-Tawbah 9:81.

Mutual hatred among Muslims is equally destructive on a behavioral level. The Prophet warned that harboring spite and envy shaves away religion itself. Perpetual rancor wrecks personal well-being, inflaming nerves, inducing anxiety, and sparking aggression and isolation. Furthermore, domestic feuds and sectarian grudges sever ties of kinship, paralyze justice, and leave the Muslim community fractured and weak before external challenges Al-Anfal 8:46, Al-Ma'idah 5:8.

«• حلق الدين والتوعد بالعقوبة الأخروية.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

Takeaways

Distinguish Discomfort from Disobedience
Do not panic when your ego finds a religious obligation strenuous, such as rising for dawn prayer or fasting in summer heat. Physical reluctance is natural human weakness; spiritual peril begins only if you harbor resentment against Allah's legislation.
Cleanse the Heart from Envy
Examine your inner reactions when good fortune reaches others. Envy is a primary root of malicious hatred, and wishing for the removal of another's blessings poisons both your health and your faith.
Guard Your Tongue Against Rumors
Never indulge in backbiting or listening to tale-bearers. Relaying private faults and petty grievances plants instant hatred among friends, relatives, and colleagues.
Maintain Absolute Justice Even When Upset
Never allow personal dislike or ideological disagreement to tempt you into unfairness, slander, or denying someone their rightful dues.

Reflect

Are there divine commands or life circumstances that my ego finds bitter, and how can I train my heart to trust Allah's hidden wisdom?
When I experience friction with a fellow Muslim, am I separating my distaste for their mistake from my brotherhood with them for Allah's sake?
How quickly do I welcome or spread critical remarks about others, and what steps can I take to shut down backbiting in my daily conversations?

Go deeper

Linguistic meaning

Linguistically, the root indicates hardship, difficulty, and the opposite of pleasure and love.

(«كره» الكاف والراء والهاء أصلٌ صحيحٌ واحد، يدل على خلاف الرضا والمحبة).

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

Technical meaning

In technical usage, hatred is the soul's inner recoiling and turning away from something it finds undesirable.

«هو نفار النفس عن الشيء الذي ترغب عنه.»

موسوعة التفسير الموضوعي للقرآن الكريم

مركز تفسير للدراسات القرآنية

Volume 14

How it differs from related terms

البغض Intense hatred: It expresses a broader, deeper, and more forceful emotional repulsion than general aversion, and is used specifically where intense malice is present.
الإباء Refusal: It refers to strong withholding and refusal. While whoever hates something refuses it, one may firmly refuse something without actually hating it, such as declining a specific food.
الإكراه Compulsion: Both involve doing something disliked, but compulsion refers to external force and threats from another person, whereas aversion can arise from within oneself.
الحب Love: It is the exact opposite of hatred: love is the soul's inward attraction to what it desires, whereas hatred is its inward repulsion from what it rejects.