The Beloved and the Stranger

It might seem that Rabia's teaching of universal love contradicts our natural tendency to feel closer to certain people. This concept clarifies that distinction: intimacy itself is not favoritism. We can have deeper bonds with those we know well while still offering equal spiritual worth and dignity to strangers. The problem arises when we use closeness as justification for exclusion or harm. A parent may naturally feel special love for their child—this is legitimate—but may not favor that child in distributing community resources or overlook their moral failures while punishing others' minor transgressions. This is where intimacy becomes favoritism. Rabia's practice involved paradoxically holding intense devotion to God alongside recognition of all people's equal place in the cosmos. The distinction matters practically: a manager can enjoy friendship with one team member while ensuring fair opportunities for all; a teacher can have favorite subjects while grading all students justly. This concept teaches us to examine whether our closeness to beloved people is being weaponized to disadvantage strangers, revealing favoritism's true cost to those outside the favored circle.