Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) is reported to have said that among the creatures of God there were some who were neither Prophets nor martyrs and yet Prophets and martyrs would envy the high position they would occupy before God. People asked what those people would be and the Prophet said that those would be the people who were not related to one another, nor had monetary dealings among themselves but on the basis of Divine Faith they loved one another. By God, their faces would be bright and there would be light all around them, and they would have no fear and at the time when people would be in panic they would have no fear or sorrow. And then he recited the verse of the Qur’ān meaning, “Behold! Verily on the friends of God there is no fear nor shall they grieve.” (10:62)
This hadīth highlights the marked significance of sincere and selfless love with one another on the basis of Divine Faith. The word ghibt used in the Arabic text of the hadith signifies very great joy. The word also means envy and emulation, but here in this context it is used in the former sense alone. The implication is that just as a teacher is pleased to see his pupil in a high position and is proud of him, in the same way prophets and martyrs occupying very high positions will be pleased to see that those who loved others solely on the basis of Faith have gained this privileged position.