To claim that Allah loves a specific person for sure, is not permissible. This is speaking of the unseen (ghaib).
Iman is between fear and hope. Fear of Allah’s punishment and hope in His mercy.
Allah states:
“Verily, your Lord is quick in retribution and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” {A’raaf: 167}
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Jannah is nearer to you than your shoelace, and so is the (Hell) Fire.”
[Bukhari # 6412, Book: To make the Heart Tender, Chapter 1]
From the signs that Allah loves someone is when he/she practices on the Sunnah, is humble for the believers, harsh against the kuffar, and constantly strives in the path of Allah. He or she is punctual on their faraidh and refrains from sins. Imam Nawawi under the chapter: “On the signs of Allah’s love for His slave and urging that it be taken on and that one should strive to obtain it” he mentions the following:
[Allah Almighty says, “Say: ‘If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you for your wrong actions, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” {Aal Imran:31}
And the Almighty says, “O you who believe! If any of you renounce your deen, Allah will bring forward a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble to the believers, fierce to the rejectors, who fight to the utmost in the Way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any blamer. That is the unbounded favour of Allah which He gives to whoever He wills. Allah is Boundless, All-Knowing.” {Maaidah:54}
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Allah Almighty says, ‘I have declared war against anyone who shows enmity towards a friend of Mine. My slave does not draw near to Me with anything I love more than what I made obligatory for him. Then My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory actions until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. If he asks of Me, I give to him. If he seeks refuge with Me, I give him refuge.’” [Bukhari #6502, Book of To make the Heart Tender, Chapter 38] (See Riyadhus Saliheen 1/350-351)
When we see someone with these qualities then we give them the respect that is due. We have a good thought concerning them. We hope the best for them and still ask Allah to protect them from His punishment. However, to claim that Allah loves this specific person for sure, is not permissible. This is speaking of the unseen (ghaib).
Allah sates: “Do not pursue anything of which you have no knowledge.” {Israa: 36}
He also said: “Does he have knowledge of the unseen, so he sees?” {Najm: 35}
He explicitly states concerning claims of righteousness:
“Have you not seen those who consider themselves to be pure? In fact, it is Allah who purifies whomever He wills….” “See how they fabricate a lie against Allah. And this alone is sufficient as a manifest sin.” {Nisaa: 49-50}
“So do not claim yourselves to be pure. He fully knows those that are truly God-fearing.” {Najm: 32}
“Narrated Abu Bakra: A man was mentioned before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم); and another man praised him greatly. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Woe to you! You have cut the neck of your friend.” The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) repeated this sentence many times and said, “If it is indispensable for anyone of you to praise someone, then he should say, ‘I think that he is so-and-so,’ if he really thinks that he is such. Allah is the One Who will take his accounts (as He knows his reality) and none can sanctify anybody before Allah.” [Bukhari # 6061 Book of Good Manners, Chapter 54 What is disliked of praising a person.]
So if a person lives an apparent life of righteousness and we want to mention that we do so with caution by stating that “In my view”. But we are not allowed to ascribe this view to Allah. This is why the ulama, after praising a person in practicing on the hadith above say, “And I do not sanctify anybody before Allah.” “ولا ازكي على الله احدا”
Imam Abu Jafar Tahawi mentions in his manual on Aqeedah of Ahlus Sunnah:
“We do not say that any of them (people of the Qiblah i.e. Muslims) will categorically go to either Jannah of Jahannam.” (102)
In another place Imam Tahawi said:
“We hope that Allah will pardon the people of right action among the believers and grant them entrance into Paradise through His mercy but we cannot be sure of this, and we cannot testify that they will be in Paradise. We ask forgiveness for the people of wrong action among the believers and, although we fear for them, we do not despair regarding them.” (90-91)
Yes where through divine text it is known that a specific person will enter Jannah then it is our belief that they will enter Jannah. For instance, all the Prophets of Allah, the Asharah Mubashrah and other companions that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explicitly said will go to Jannah. “Fatimah is the leader of the women in Jannah,” says a hadith collected by Tirmithi. [Sunan # 3873 Chapters of Virtues, Chapter 60]
Similarly those whom Allah has condemned to Hell, it is our belief that they will go to Hell, like Abu Lahab and Firawn.
(See Tafsir Qurtubi 6/408 & 20/49, Tafsir Mazhari 2/355, Ahkamul Quran of Thanvi 2/289, Hashiyah of Aqeedah Tahawiyah by Qari Taiyyib Saheb 90-91 & 102)
And Allah knows best
