“You have permeated the very course of my soul;
Thus is an intimate friend called khalīl.”

Love in the broader sense is different. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said concerning al-Hasan and Usāmah:

“O Allah, I love them both, so love them and love those who love them.”

Amr ibn al-Ās asked him, “Who is dearest to you?” He replied, “Ā’ishah.” He asked, “And among men?” He replied, “Her father.”

He also said to Alī, may Allah be pleased with him:

“I shall certainly give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love.”

There are many similar examples. Allah Most High has stated that He loves the God-fearing, those who do good, those who act justly, those who repent, those who purify themselves, and those who fight in His cause in ranks as though they were a solidly joined structure. He also said:

“Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him.”

He has thus affirmed His love for His believing servants and the believers’ love for Him, even saying:

“But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”

Intimate friendship, however, is exclusive. Some people say, “Muhammad is Allah’s beloved, whereas Abraham is Allah’s intimate friend,” imagining that love is higher than intimate friendship. This is a weak view, for Muhammad is also Allah’s intimate friend, as established in widely transmitted authentic hadiths. As for the report that “al-Abbās will be gathered at the Resurrection between a beloved and an intimate friend,” and similar reports, these are fabricated hadiths that cannot be relied upon.