from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through several authentic chains of transmission, that he said:

“Allah has taken me as an intimate friend, just as He took Abraham as an intimate friend.”

He also said:

“If I were to take an intimate friend from among the people of the earth, I would take Abū Bakr as an intimate friend. But your companion is Allah’s intimate friend.”

He meant himself. Thus, the early generations of this community, its leading scholars, and all the people of the Sunnah and those with knowledge of Allah agreed that Allah Himself is loved and loves. The Jahmiyyah and their followers denied this love.

The first to deny it was al-Ja'd ibn Dirham, the teacher of al-Jahm ibn Safwān. Khālid ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Qasrī offered him as a sacrifice at Wāsit, saying:

“O people, offer your sacrifices! May Allah accept your sacrifices, for I am sacrificing al-Ja'd ibn Dirham. He claims that Allah did not take Abraham as an intimate friend and did not truly speak to Moses. Exalted is Allah, far above what al-Ja'd says!”

Then he descended and slaughtered him. This is the foundation of the faith of Abraham, whom Allah made a leader for mankind. Allah Most High says:

“And when Abraham was tested by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled, He said, ‘I will make you a leader for the people.’”

He also says:

“Who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah, does good, and follows the faith of Abraham, devoted to Allah alone? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.”

Whoever says that loving Allah means loving to draw near to Him contradicts himself, for loving to draw near to Him follows from loving Him. Whoever loves Allah Himself loves to draw near to Him, while someone who does not love Him Himself cannot love to draw near to Him. As for someone who obeys Him and complies with His command only for some other end, in reality he loves only the end for which he acts, and has