Thus, loving the Messenger ﷺ follows from loving Allah the Exalted, is inseparably bound to it, and occupies the rank immediately after it. Concerning the specific duty to love him ﷺ and to place that love above every other love apart from Allah, he ﷺ said: “None of you truly believes until I am dearer to him than his child, his father, and all people.” (1)

Indeed, a believer must even regard the Messenger ﷺ as dearer than his own self, as appears in the narration in which ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “O Messenger of Allah, you are dearer to me than everything except my own self.” He replied, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, not until I am dearer to you than your own self.” ʿUmar responded, “By Allah, you are now dearer to me than my own self.” The Prophet then said, “Now, O ʿUmar.” (2)

These reports show that loving the Messenger ﷺ is obligatory and takes precedence over loving anything else, save the love of Allah, to which it is intrinsically linked. It is love for Allah’s sake and on account of Him; it grows as the believer’s love of Allah grows and diminishes as that love diminishes. Anyone who truly loves Allah consequently loves for Allah’s sake.