Allah, Exalted is He, said:
رياض الصالحينAbū Zakariyyā Muḥyī al-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī٤٧ - باب علامات حب الله تعالى للعبد والحث على التخلق بها والسعي في تحصيلها
٤٧ - باب علامات حب الله تعالى للعبد والحث على التخلق بها والسعي في تحصيلها
Say, [O Muḥammad], "If you should love Allāh, then follow me, [so] Allāh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful."
And He, Exalted is He, said:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُۥٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَآئِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allāh will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, strong against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allāh and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allāh; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
وعن أَبي هريرة - ﵁ - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُول الله - ﷺ: «إنَّ الله تَعَالَى قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا، فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ، كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، ويَدَهُ الَّتي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإنْ سَألَنِي أعْطَيْتُهُ، وَلَئِن اسْتَعَاذَنِي لأعِيذَنَّهُ». رواه البخاري. معنى «آذنته»: أعلمته بأني محارِب لَهُ. وقوله: «استعاذني» روي بالباءِ وروي بالنون.
And on the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «Allah, Exalted is He, has said: Whoever shows enmity to a friend (walī) of Mine, I have declared war upon him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him; and My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts (nawāfil) until I love him. And when I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks of Me, I shall surely give him; and if he seeks refuge in Me, I shall surely grant him refuge.» Narrated by al-Bukhārī. The meaning of «ādhantuhu» is: I informed him that I am at war with him. And his words «istaʿādhanī» are transmitted with a bāʾ and also transmitted with a nūn.
وعنه، عن النَّبيّ - ﷺ - قَالَ: «إِذَا أَحَبَّ اللهُ تَعَالَى العَبْدَ، نَادَى جِبْريلَ: إنَّ الله تَعَالَى يُحِبُّ فُلانًا، فَأَحْبِبْهُ، فَيُحِبُّهُ جِبريلُ، فَيُنَادِي في أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ: إنَّ اللهَ يُحِبُّ فُلانًا، فَأَحِبُّوهُ، فَيُحِبُّهُ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ يُوضَعُ لَهُ القَبُولُ في الأرْضِ». متفق عليه. وفي رواية لمسلم: قال رسول الله - ﷺ: «إنَّ الله تعالى إذا أحَبَّ عبدًا دَعَا جِبريلَ، فقال: إِنّي أُحِبُّ فُلانًا فأَحببهُ، فيُحبُّهُ جبريلُ، ثمَّ يُنادي في السماءِ، فيقول: إنَّ اللهَ يحبُّ فلانًا فأَحبُّوهُ، فيحبُّهُ أهلُ السماءِ، ثُمَّ يُوضعُ لَهُ القَبولُ في الأرضِ، وَإِذَا أَبْغَضَ عَبْدًا دَعَا جِبْريلَ، فَيَقُولُ: إنّي أُبْغِضُ فُلانًا فَأَبْغِضْهُ. فَيُبغِضُهُ جِبريلُ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِي في أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ: إنَّ الله يُبْغِضُ فُلانًا فَأَبْغِضُوهُ، ثُمَّ تُوضَعُ لَهُ البَغْضَاءُ في الأَرْضِ».
And on his authority [Abū Hurayrah], from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: «When Allah, Exalted is He, loves a servant, He calls out to Gabriel: Indeed Allah, Exalted is He, loves so-and-so, so love him. So Gabriel loves him. Then he calls out among the inhabitants of heaven: Indeed Allah loves so-and-so, so love him. So the inhabitants of heaven love him. Then acceptance is placed for him on the earth.» Agreed upon. And in a narration of Muslim: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «When Allah, Exalted is He, loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: I love so-and-so, so love him. So Gabriel loves him. Then he calls out in heaven, saying: Indeed Allah loves so-and-so, so love him. So the inhabitants of heaven love him. Then acceptance is placed for him on the earth. And when He detests a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: I detest so-and-so, so detest him. So Gabriel detests him. Then he calls out among the inhabitants of heaven: Indeed Allah detests so-and-so, so detest him. Then detestation is placed for him on the earth.»
وعن عائشة ﵂: أنَّ رَسُول الله - ﷺ - بعثَ رجلًا عَلَى سَريَّةٍ، فَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ لأَصْحَابِهِ في صَلاَتِهِمْ فَيَخْتِمُ بـ ﴿قُل هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ﴾، فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا ذَكَرُوا ذلِكَ لرسول الله - ﷺ - فَقَالَ: «سَلُوهُ، لأَيِّ شَيْءٍ يَصْنَعُ ذلِكَ؟»، فَسَألُوهُ، فَقَالَ: لأَنَّهَا صِفَةُ الرَّحْمنِ، فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْرَأ بِهَا. فَقَالَ رَسُول الله - ﷺ: «أَخْبِرُوهُ أنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُحِبُّهُ». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيهِ.
And on the authority of ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her): that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man in charge of a military expedition (sariyyah), and he used to recite for his companions in their prayer, concluding with ﴿ Say: He is Allah, the One ﴾. When they returned, they mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said: «Ask him for what reason he does that.» So they asked him, and he said: Because it is a description of the Most Merciful (al-Raḥmān), so I love to recite it. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «Inform him that Allah, Exalted is He, loves him.» Agreed upon.