Kitāb al-Muʾmin
Hadith 1818 - عن المفضل بن عمر، قال: قال رجل لأبي عبد الله الصادق (ع) وأنا عنده، إنّ مَن قِبلنا يقولون: إنّ الله إذا أحب عبداً نوّه منوهٌ من السماء: إن الله يحب فلاناً فأحبوه، فيُلقي اللهُ المحبة (له) في قلوب العباد، وإذا أبغضَه نوّه منوه من السماء: إن الله يبغض فلاناً فأبغضوه، فيُلقي الله له البغضاءَ في قلوب العباد. قال: وكان (ع) متّكئاً فاستوى جالساً ثم نفَض كمَّه ثم قال: ليسَ هكذا! ولكنْ إذا أحبَّ الله (جلّ جلاله) عبداً أغرى به الناسَ ليقولوا ما ليس فيه؛ ليؤجِرَه ويؤثمَهم، وإذا أبغض عبداً ألقى الله (جلّ جلاله) له المحبّة في قلوب العبادِ ليقولوا ما ليس فيه ليؤثمَهم وإيّاه ثم قال: مَن كان أحبَّ إلى الله تعالى من يحيى بنِ زكريّا؟ ثمَّ أغرى جميعَ مَن رأيتَ حتى صنعوا به ما صنعوا. ومَن كان أحبَّ إلى الله (جلّ جلاله) مِن الحُسين بن عليٍّ (ع)؟ أغرى به حتى قتلوه! ومَن كان أبغضَ إلى الله من أبي فُلان وفلان؟ ليس كما قالوا
18. Al-Mufaddal ibn 'Umar narrates: I was with Abu 'Abdillah al-Sadiq (a.s) when a man came to him and said: “Some people say that when Allah loves a servant, a caller from the heavens will declare, 'Allah loves so-and-so, so love him!' So Allah will instill the love (of him) in the hearts of the servants. But when He hates him, a caller from the heavens will declare, 'Allah hates so-and-so, so hate him!” So Allah will instill the hate (of him) in the hearts of the servants.
He (a.s) was reclining, so he sat upright and said: “It is not so. Rather, when Allah (may His majesty be glorified) loves a servant, He incites the people against him that they may say against him what is not true; and he may thereby be rewarded whilst they may be punished for that. And when He hates a servant, Allah (may His majesty be glorified) pours love for him in the hearts of people so they may praise him for what he does not possess and thereby both they and he may be punished.”
Then he said: “Who was more loved by Allah than Yahya ibn Zakariyya? Yet, all those who were around him were against him until they did with him what they did (i.e. they killed him). And who (also) was more loved by Allah (may His majesty be glorified) than Al-Husayn ibn 'Ali (a.s)? People turned against him until they killed him! And who was more despised by Allah than Abu so-and-so and so-and-so? It is not as they have said.”
He (a.s) was reclining, so he sat upright and said: “It is not so. Rather, when Allah (may His majesty be glorified) loves a servant, He incites the people against him that they may say against him what is not true; and he may thereby be rewarded whilst they may be punished for that. And when He hates a servant, Allah (may His majesty be glorified) pours love for him in the hearts of people so they may praise him for what he does not possess and thereby both they and he may be punished.”
Then he said: “Who was more loved by Allah than Yahya ibn Zakariyya? Yet, all those who were around him were against him until they did with him what they did (i.e. they killed him). And who (also) was more loved by Allah (may His majesty be glorified) than Al-Husayn ibn 'Ali (a.s)? People turned against him until they killed him! And who was more despised by Allah than Abu so-and-so and so-and-so? It is not as they have said.”