Does God love all humans equally?

The concept of God's love and affection for His servants is one of the deepest and most beautiful themes in Quranic and Islamic teachings. To understand whether God loves all humans equally, we must consider the different dimensions of divine mercy and love elucidated in the Holy Quran. The answer to this question can be found by distinguishing between God's general mercy (Rahmaniyah) and His specific mercy (Rahimiyah). Firstly, it must be emphasized that God, through His universal and encompassing mercy, which is manifested in the Quran by the attribute 'Ar-Rahman' (The Most Merciful/Compassionate, encompassing all), embraces all beings and humans. The attribute 'Ar-Rahman' signifies a vast and all-encompassing mercy that extends to believers and disbelievers, righteous and wrongdoers alike. It is this general mercy that provides sustenance to all creatures, granting them life, guidance, and the freedom to choose. All humans, regardless of their beliefs and actions, benefit from divine blessings such as air, water, sunlight, health, and life opportunities. This is a manifestation of His boundless love and grace, which flows unconditionally to everyone. In Surah Al-Fatihah, God introduces Himself as 'Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim,' indicating the pervasiveness of His mercy at the beginning of every endeavor and for all beings. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all, and all creatures are His dependents. However, the Holy Quran explicitly states that alongside this general mercy and pervasive love, God possesses a more specific and profound mercy that applies only to a particular group of His servants. This mercy, referred to by the attribute 'Ar-Rahim' (The Ever-Merciful, especially to His creation), is reserved for those who believe, perform righteous deeds, practice piety, are patient, do good, and strive in the way of God. This specific love means special guidance, support, forgiveness of sins, divine rewards in this world and the hereafter, and being counted among God's friends and favored ones. In essence, this specific love is a reward for the right choices and good deeds that a person performs by their own free will. Numerous verses in the Quran clarify this distinction. On one hand, it states: "...and My mercy encompasses all things. But I will specify it for those who fear God and give zakah and those who believe in Our verses" (Al-A'raf, verse 156), which clearly indicates the universality of divine mercy, but then specifies it for the pious and those who believe in His signs. This means that although God's general mercy includes everyone, His special mercy and love are granted to those who, through their actions and choices, have made themselves worthy of it. On the other hand, many verses in the Quran explicitly state that God does not love certain groups or those who commit certain actions. For example, God does not love 'aggressors' (Al-Baqarah, verse 190), 'corruptors' (Al-Ma'idah, verse 64), 'disbelievers' (Ar-Rum, verse 45), 'oppressors' (Al-Imran, verse 57), 'the arrogant' (An-Nahl, verse 23), 'those who exult [in sin]' (Al-Qasas, verse 76), 'betrayers' (Al-Anfal, verse 58), and 'extravagant ones' (Al-An'am, verse 141). This 'not loving' is not akin to human hatred, but rather signifies withholding special divine favor, guidance, and ultimately, a promise of accountability and consequences. It reflects that their chosen path distances them from Him. This approach is consistent with divine justice. If God did not differentiate in the measure of His love and reward between someone who dedicated their life to serving humanity and piety and someone who engaged in oppression and corruption, it would contradict divine justice. Furthermore, the Quran repeatedly states whom God loves: 'the patient' (Al-Imran, verse 146), 'the doers of good' (Al-Baqarah, verse 195), 'those who rely on Him' (Al-Imran, verse 159), 'those who purify themselves' (Al-Baqarah, verse 222), 'those who repent' (Al-Baqarah, verse 222), and 'the pious' (At-Tawbah, verse 4). These verses indicate that God's special love is a fruit of piety, righteous deeds, and adherence to divine commands. It is an invitation to choose the right path and become worthy of receiving God's special love and عناية (care/grace). Therefore, it can be concluded that God does not love all humans equally in the same way or to the same degree. His general mercy encompasses everyone, withholding sustenance and life from no one, but His special and particular love, which leads to eternal bliss and immense rewards, is reserved for those who, through their conscious choices and good deeds, earn this elevated status. This differentiation is not based on discrimination but on divine justice, wisdom, and human free will. Humans are free to choose the path of disbelief or faith, goodness or evil, and consequently, they will receive either God's general mercy or His specific mercy. The purpose of this distinction is to encourage humanity towards goodness, piety, and avoidance of sin, so that they may attain the highest degrees of divine love and proximity.