Explanation of the author's statement: The saying of Allah the Exalted: "And of the people are those who take others besides Allah as equals, whom they love as they love Allah"

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: His statement: This is for partiality, and it is a fronted predicate, while "who take" is a postponed subject. "Andadan" is the plural of "nadd." In what sense? He explained this equality by saying: In their manner and in their type, as the love of Allah is in manner and in type. So is it intense and worship, or not? Is it the love of worship or what? It is the love of worship, because the implication of the simile is conformity, for the simile conforms to the thing it is compared to. The "kaf" in his statement: is for what? For similitude. So they love these equals as they love Allah in type and in manner. In type, meaning the love of worship, and in manner, meaning in its strength and intensity. Yes, to the point that some of them, may Allah protect us from that, are more jealous of their beloved regarding these equals than they are jealous for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And they even exalt this beloved among the equals more than they exalt Allah. If he were told, "Swear by Allah," he would swear, even if he were lying, and he would not care. But if he were told, "Swear by the equal," and he were lying, he would not be able to swear; it would not be possible for him to swear. So there is no doubt that this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion. And his statement: The correct view regarding this verse is that it is to be taken at its apparent meaning, and that it is attached to its object, meaning they love them as they love Allah. Even though some people, some of the exegetes, say: "As the love of Allah," meaning as the love of Allah that comes from the believers, meaning as the love of the believers for Allah. That is, they love these equals just as the believers love Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But this opinion, even though the wording allows for it, and we previously discussed it in the tafsir, the context rejects it to the utmost degree. Because if the meaning were that they love these equals as the believers love Allah, it would contradict his statement later: And so the correct view is that the verse should be kept at its apparent meaning. We did not prefer this in the tafsir, but after reflection, it became clear to us that this is the stronger opinion, if not the only one, that the meaning is: they love these equals as the love of Allah, they love them as the love of Allah, making them partners with Allah in love. But the believers are more intense in their love for Allah than whom? Than these people.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : Not these people, for Allah. Did we not say they love them as the love of Allah? The verse establishes that these polytheists love Allah, but they take equals whom they love as they love Allah. So he said: Because it is a pure love in which there is no shirk (associating partners with Allah)... There is no doubt that it weakens, but pure love, yes, is stronger. Now, it remains for us to say: "And the believers are more intense in their love for Allah than these people for Allah." It remains that it may occur to a person's mind that the believers love the idols. But the answer to that is—pray two rak'ahs, my brothers, as a greeting to the mosque, not the qiblah is to your left, yes— "And the believers are more intense in their love for Allah." It may occur to a person's mind that the believers love these equals. The answer is that no, in the Arabic language, comparison of superiority is made between two things, one of which is completely devoid of it. We said this comparison is of this type. Allah the Exalted said: Even though the people of the Fire have no good, their abode has no good or beauty, may Allah protect us from that. And likewise: This comparison has nothing on the other side, but it is from the category of confronting the opponent with what he believes. The result is that this meaning we mentioned is the strongest. And some exegetes went to the first meaning: they love them as the love of Allah, meaning as the love of the believers for Allah. And the believers are more intense in their love for Allah the Exalted than these people for their idols. And they say that they were more intense because their love is based on knowledge, in accordance with the fitrah (innate natural disposition), while the love of the polytheists for their idols is based on illusion and is contrary to the fitrah. Yes, the relevance of this verse to the chapter on love is clear, and it is the prohibition of a person loving anyone, what? As the love of Allah. This is prohibited because it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion. And this, may Allah protect us from that, you may find it in some people, in some slaves and in some servants. Some of the slaves who exalt some graves or some awliya (close friends of Allah) love this wali (close friend of Allah), yes, like the love of Allah or more, whether he is alive or buried. And some of the servants, for their servants and their chiefs, you find them also loving these chiefs more than they love Allah and exalting them more than they exalt Allah. But the believer builds his love on the categories mentioned before, and that the love of worship and obedience is for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone.
The author said: "And His statement" meaning the statement of Allah the Exalted: Now, we forgot to parse "ashadda hubban" (more intense in love). What is the parsing of "hubban"? Is it a specifier?
The student: A specification
The student: An absolute object.

The Shaykh : No, this is a specifier. When it comes after the superlative form, it is a specifier, like This is a specifier. This is also a specifier. Everything that comes after the superlative form is a specifier.