Hadith: Do not curse him, for by Allah, I know that he loves Allah and His Messenger

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ:
أَنَّ رَجُلًا عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ اسْمُهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، وَكَانَ يُلَقَّبُ حِمَارًا، وَكَانَ يُضْحِكُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ جَلَدَهُ فِي الشَّرَابِ، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ يَوْمًا فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَجُلِدَ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ القَوْمِ: اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْهُ، مَا أَكْثَرَ مَا يُؤْتَى بِهِ؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لاَ تَلْعَنُوهُ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ».
[صحيح] - [رواه البخاري] - [صحيح البخاري: 6780]

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
A man at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), whose name was ‘Abdullah and who was nicknamed Himār, used to make the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laugh. The Prophet (ﷺ) had flogged him for drinking (intoxicants). One day, he was brought again, and the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that he be flogged. Then a man from among the people said: O Allah, curse him! How often is he brought? The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Do not curse him, for by Allah, I know that he loves Allah and His Messenger."
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Bukhari] - [Sahih Bukhari - 6780]

Explanation

During the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), there was a man named ‘Abdullah, nicknamed Himār. He used to make the Prophet (ﷺ) laugh with some of his words. The Prophet (ﷺ) had flogged him for drinking wine, and one day he was brought again for drinking wine; the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that he be flogged. One of those present insulted him and said: May Allah curse him! How often is he brought for drinking wine?! The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not supplicate for his expulsion from Allah's mercy. By Allah, I know nothing of him except that he loves Allah and His Messenger.

Benefits from the Hadith

1. There is no contradiction between committing a prohibited act and having love for Allah and His Messenger in one's heart, for the Prophet (ﷺ) stated that the man mentioned loved Allah and His Messenger despite what he had done.
2. One who commits a major sin and dies persisting in it is subject to Allah's will: if He wills, He will forgive him, and if He wills, He will punish him. Yet no one from the people of Islam will remain eternally in the Hellfire.
3. It is disliked to curse a specific person who drinks wine, because there may be a reason preventing the curse from applying to him; moreover, cursing or supplicating against a specific individual may cause him to persist in sin or despair of accepting his repentance.
4. It is permissible to curse, in general terms, those characterized by such a sin, without specifying any individual.