Non-Muslims: Hating them? Rights?

My friend and I were discussing the concept of hatred in Islam.  He is of the view that we are obligated to hate the disbelievers, although we can nonetheless show kindness to them.  I mentioned my understanding that we hate kufr, but that we don't necessarily hate all of the kuffar.

What do the fuqaha of the Hanafi madhhab say on this point? How does one understand the ayat and ahadith enjoining Muslims not to befriend the kuffar?

Walaikum assalam,

The scholars mention that there are two things:

1. The person themselves;

2. Their actions.

The rulings of the Shariah relate to human actions (outward and inward, such as disbelief). As such, our love, hate, respect and dislike relate to actions. There are many verses and hadiths that indicate this meaning.

As for the person themselves, they are the creation of Allah…

Other considerations:

1. Salman (Allah be pleased with him) told Abu'd Darda' (Allah be pleased with him), "Give everyone who has a right over you their right. "The Prophet, when he heard this, said, "Salman spoke the truth." [Bukhari 1832, Tirmidhi 2337]

2. Anyone one deals with gets rights over us: our family (close and extended), neighbors (Muslim and non-Muslim), friends, acquaintances, co-workers, people one has commercial dealings with, customers...

Each of these are owed general rights (such as dealing with them with good character, wanting the best for them, giving them sincere advice, not cheating them, etc.) and particular rights depending on the nature of the relationship and its legal weight (e.g. the rights owed one's spouse are very different from those owed to an acquaintance).

3. The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." [Bukhari 12, Muslim 64, and others, from Anas (Allah be pleased with him)]

The scholars mention that

(a) This refers to the perfection of belief, not its essential reality.

(b) The brotherhood mentioned in this hadiths is at many levels (each with its appropriate degree of love), one who which is the "brotherhood of humanity" in which one must love for all humans what one loves for oneself of faith, and, fair & upright dealings, and good treatment.

The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) was sent as a mercy to all creation, not just Muslims…