Love for Allah SWT and His Beloved Messenger Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam .

Love is the essence of worship. A servant’s love for Allah swt and His Messenger Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam means following them and submitting to their command. As beautifully said by Al-Baydaawi: “Love is the will to obey.” Man’s love for Allah swt  and His Messenger sallalahu alayhe wasallam is to obey them and to accept what Allah swt  has commanded and the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alayhe wasallam  has brought.

Say, [O Muhammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people." (9:24).

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him. (5:54).

But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. (2:165).

It is related from Anas Bin Malik Radhiallahu Anhu that the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam) said, “Whoever possess the three attributes will experience the sweetness of belief: that he loves Allah Swt and his Messenger Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam more than anything else: that he love someone for the sake of Allah swt alone; and that he would hate to revert to disbelief as much as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” (Bukhari,Muslim).

From Anas Bin Malik Radhiallahu Anhu, who said, “The Messenger of Allah Swt (Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam) said, ‘None of you will believe until he loves me more than his parents, children and all the people ‘”. (Bukhari).

It is related from Anas Bin Malik Radhiallahu Anhu that the Messenger of Allah (Sallalahu Alayhe Wasallam) said, “None of you will believe until he loves me more than his family, his property and all the people ”.(Muslim).

A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will be with those whom you love." We had never been so glad as we were on hearing that saying of the Prophet (i.e., "You will be with those whom you love.") Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and `Umar, and I hope that I will be with them because of my love for them though my deeds are not similar to theirs. (Bukhari).

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted has said: 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him"(Bukhari).