The Path to Allah’s Love Through Loving His Messenger (pbuh)
Speech at Sufi Commnity Center in Chicago (with some later edition)
Imam Didmar Faja
April 7th 2018
To attain the love of Allah and His blessings in both worlds (dunyā and ākhirah), a believer must first acknowledge the lofty status of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), and embrace him with sincere love. True love for the Messenger naturally manifests in following his guidance, embodying his character, and aligning one’s life with his Sunnah. This path of devotion leads the believer to the ultimate reward: the love of the Creator and Sustainer of all existence. The Qur’an makes it clear that genuine love for Allah is attained through obedience to and emulation of His Messenger (pbuh),
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ حتُِبّونَ الََّ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ الَُّ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَالَُّ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” Quran (3:31).
In order to truly walk in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), one must follow his Prophetic tradition (Sunnah) with sincerity and willingness, not out of mere compulsion. Such genuine adherence becomes possible only when it is rooted in deep love and affection for him. Thus, it is correct to say that love for Allah is attained through love for, and obedience to, His Messenger.
Islamic scholars explain that the declaration of faith begins with the testimony “Lā ilāha illā Allāh” (There is no god but Allah), yet its true realization and completeness is inseparably bound to the second testimony, “Muhammad rasūl Allāh”(Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
Together, they affirm both the oneness of God and the essential role of His Messenger in guiding humanity to Him.
The great master of the Islamic Jurisprudence, Imam al-Shafi’ī states in a poem:
لَوْ كَانَ حّبّكَ صَادِقََا ألَطَعْتَهُ إِنَّ احملُِْبَّ ملَِنْ يُحِبّ مُطيعٌ
If your love (for God) was sincere you would’ve obeyed Him, Indeed the lover is obedient to the beloved.
True faith requires that love for the Prophet (pbuh) rise above love for one’s own self and family
Such a statement may come as a shock to many who are massively indulged in a self-love to such an extend where nothing matters more than themselves. On the other hand, the Messenger of God teaches us that no one can have a sound believe unless I become to the person more beloved than the self, parent, child and everyone else.
On one occasion, while walking with his companions, his close friend ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (r.a.) openly expressed his feelings to him,
عن عبد الَِّ بْنَ هِشَامٍ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى الَُّ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِيَدِ عُمَرَ بْنِ اخلَْطَّابِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ الَِّ ألََنْتَ أَحَبّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كُلّ شَيْءٍ إِالَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى الَُّ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الَ, وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ فَإِنَّهُ اآلْنَ وَالَِّ ألََنْتَ أَحَبّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى الَُّ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اآلْنَ يَا عُمَرُ. (رواه البخاري)
“O Messenger of God! You are more beloved to me than everything else except myself.” The Messenger of God said, “By the One whose soul is in His hand (it won’t be right), until I become more beloved to you than yourself.” Then Umar (r.a.) said to him, “By God, as of now you are more beloved to me than myself.” Prophet said, “Now o Umar! (You got it right).” (Reported by al-Bukhari)
Compelling reasons to love the Messenger of God (pbuh)
There are countless reasons to love the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Yet, believers may prioritize these reasons differently, depending on their personal experiences and the blessings of Allah they have come to recognize through His Messenger.
For instance, many gnostics (ʿurafā ʾ)—those deeply attentive to the Prophet’s presence through intimate spiritual connection—develop an intense love and longing to be ever closer to him. This profound spiritual experience becomes both a source of inner satisfaction and a cause for their ever-increasing affection for the Messenger of Allah.
Other believers, however, may highlight different aspects as the foundation of their love for the Prophet (peace be upon him), such as:
- The fact that Prophet (pbuh) loved and expressed compassion for his followers before they were even born. In a hadith narrated by Anas bin Mālik, the Messenger of God stated,
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ الُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ الِ صَلَّى الُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: وَدِدْتُ أَنّي لَقِيتُ إِخْوَانِي قَالَ: فَقَالَ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى الُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَوَلَسْنَا إِخْوَانَكَ? قَالَ:أَنْتُمْ أَصْحَابِي, وَلَكِنْ إِخْوَانِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِي وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي. (رَوَاهُ اإلِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ)
“I would’ve loved to meet my brothers.” (the narrator) said, “The companions of the Messenger of God said, “ Aren’t we your brothers?” He said, “You are my companions, as for my brothers they are those who believed in me without even seeing me.” (Reported by Ahmad)
- The Prophet (pbuh) continually asks Allah, even from within his grave, to forgive each individual of his Ummah.
عَنْ بَكْرِ بنِ عَبْدِ الَِّ املَزْنِيّ, قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ الَِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: “حَيَاتِي خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ حتَُدّثُونَ وَأُحَدّثُ لَكُمْ, وَوَفَاتِي خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ تُعرَضُ عَلَيَّ أَعْمَالُكُمْ, فَمَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ حَمِدْتُ الََّ عَلَيْهِ, وَمَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ شَرٍّ اسْتَغْفَرْتُ الََّ لَكُمْ
“My life is good for you; you speak to me and I speak to you. And my death is good for you; your deeds are presented to me. If I see good, I praise Allah; if I see otherwise, I ask forgiveness for you.” (Mursal, Reported by Al-Bazzar)
- He taught us about our Creator and guided us in how to worship Him, emphasizing both wisdom and the purification of the self. The Qur’an elaborates on this role, stating:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِ األُْمّيّيَ رَسُوالً مّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكّيهِمْ وَيُعَلّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَاحلِْكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَالَلٍ مّبِيٍ
“It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom — although they were before in clear error.” Quran (62:2)
- Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will be on the Day of Judgment closer to us then our families and the loved ones. He will also pray to God and intercede on behalf of his followers. In a hadith by ‘Abdullāh bin Amr bin al-Ās it is mentioned,
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو بْنِ الْعَاصِ, أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَالَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضَلّوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنْ تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنّي (سورة إبراهيم36) وَقَالَ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّالَم إِن تُعَذّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ احلَْكِيمُ (سورة املائدة 118)
فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي, وَبَكَى فَقَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ اذْهَبْ إِلَى مُحَمَّ دٍ وَرَبّكَ أَعْلَمُ فَاسْأَلْهُ مَا يُبْكِيكَ? فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّالَمُ فَسَأَلَهُ, فَأَخْبَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ, فَقَالَ اللَّهُ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ اذْهَبْ إِلَى مُحَمَّ دٍ فَقُلْ: إِنَّا سَنُرْضِيكَ فِ أُمَّتِكَ وَالَ نَسُوؤُكَ
Narrated ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās: The Prophet (pbuh) recited the words of Allah, the Exalted, in the story of Abraham: “My Lord, indeed they have led many people astray; so whoever follows me is of me” (Qur’an 14:36)
And ‘Īsā (Jesus, peace be upon him) said: “If You punish them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise” (Qur’an 5:118)
The Prophet (pbuh) then raised his hands and said: “O Allah, my nation, my nation”, and he wept. Allah, the Exalted, said: “O Jibrīl, go to Muhammad (pbuh), and your Lord knows best; ask him what makes him weep.”
Jibrīl came to him and asked him, and the Prophet (pbuh) informed him, as he knew best. Allah then said: “O Jibrīl, go to Muhammad (pbuh) and say: We will please you regarding your nation and will never wrong you.” (Reported by Muslim)
The Prophet (pnuh) will also stand by the Bridge (as-Sirāt) on the Day of Judgment, interceding for the believers until they are admitted into Paradise. The Sirāt is described in the Qur’an and Hadith as a narrow bridge set over the Hellfire, which every soul must cross.
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الَِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ الَِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: إِنّي ألََقُومُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ الصّرَاطِ فَأَقُولُ: رَبّ سَلّمْ سَلّمْ, وَعِنْدَ املِْيزَانِ فَأَقُولُ: رَبّ سَلّمْ سَلّمْ, وَعِنْدَ احلَْوْضِ ْفَأَقُولُ: رَبّ سلم سلم َ
Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “On the Day of Resurrection I will stand at the Sirāṭ and say: ‘My Lord, grant safety, grant safety.’ At the Scale I will say: ‘My Lord, grant safety, grant safety.’ And at the Ḥawḍ I will say: ‘My Lord, grant safety, grant safety.’” (Reported by Al-Hakim)
The following ḥadith highlights the profound love of Prophet Muḥammad (pbuh) for his followers, as seen in his persistent insistence on the Day of Judgment to be granted permission to intercede on behalf of his entire Ummah,
عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ, أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: «إِنّي سَأَلْتُ رَبّي, وَشَفَعْتُ ألُِمَّتِي, فَأَعْطَانِي ثُلُثَ أُمَّتِي, فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا لِرَبّي شُكْرًا, ثُمَّ رَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي, فَسَأَلْتُ رَبّي ألُِمَّتِي, فَأَعْطَانِي ثُلُثَ أُمَّتِي, فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا لِرَبّي شُكْرًا, ثُمَّ رَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي, فَسَأَلْتُ رَبّي ألُِمَّتِي, فَأَعْطَانِي الثّلُثَ اآلخِرَ, فَخَرَرْتُ سَاجِدًا لِرَبّي شُكْرًا».
Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ reported that he heard the Prophet s say: “I asked my Lord and interceded for my Ummah, and He granted me a third of them. So I fell in prostration to my Lord in gratitude. Then I raised my head and again asked my Lord for my Ummah, and He granted me another third of them. So I fell in prostration to my Lord in gratitude. Then I raised my head and again asked my Lord for my Ummah, and He granted me the final third. So I fell in prostration to my Lord in gratitude.” (Reported by Abu Dawud and Ahmad)
There are countless reasons for the heart to incline toward the Messenger of God (pbuh) but these four alone — knowing that he loved us before we were even born, that he asks Allah for our forgiveness, that he is the one who taught us about our Creator, and that he will intercede on our behalf on the Day of Judgment — should be more than enough to form a strong foundation, not only to admire and praise him, but to love him wholeheartedly.