In Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Abū Hurayrah reports that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“Allah Most High says: ‘Whoever shows enmity towards an ally of Mine has openly challenged Me to war. Nothing by which My servant draws near to Me equals his fulfilling what I have made obligatory upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts of worship until I love him. When I love him, I am 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. Through Me he hears, through Me he sees, through Me he grasps, and through Me he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give him; and if he seeks My protection, I will surely protect him. I have never hesitated over anything I am to do as I hesitate over taking the soul of My believing servant: he dislikes death, and I dislike causing him distress, yet he must undergo it.’”

This hadith identifies two groups of Allah’s allies: those who follow a middle course—the companions of the right—and those brought near to Him—the foremost.

The first group consists of those who draw near to Allah by fulfilling their obligations. The second consists of those who draw near to Him through voluntary acts of worship after fulfilling their obligations. They are the ones who continued to draw near to Him through voluntary acts until He loved them, as He, Most High, has said.

Allah has mentioned these two groups in several places in His Book, as when He says:

“Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those We chose from among Our servants. Among them are those who wrong themselves, those who follow a middle course, and those who are foremost in good deeds.”

Allah Most High also says:

“Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss,
On adorned couches, looking on.
You will recognize in their faces the radiance of bliss.
They will be given sealed, pure wine to drink,
Its seal being musk. So for this let those who strive compete.
Its mixture will be of Tasnīm,
A spring from which those brought near to Allah drink.”

Ibn 'Abbās said: “It is drunk