47 — Chapter on the Signs that Allah Loves a Servant, and the Encouragement to Adopt These Qualities and Strive to Attain Them

Allah the Exalted says, “Say, ‘If you truly love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.’” (Āl ʿImrān 3:31)

And He, exalted be He, says, “O you who believe, whoever among you turns back from his religion, Allah will soon bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him—humble toward the believers, strong against the disbelievers. They strive in the path of Allah and do not fear the blame of any blamer. That is Allah’s bounty; He grants it to whom He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.” (Al-Māʾidah 5:54)

1/386 — Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah the Exalted has declared: ‘Whoever shows enmity toward a friend of Mine, I declare war upon him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory acts until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely grant him; and were he to seek refuge in Me, I would surely give him refuge.’” Reported by al-Bukhārī.

The expression “ādhantuhu” means: I have informed him that I am at war with him. As for “istaʿādhani,” it is transmitted both with the preposition bāʾ (“bi”) and with the final nūn (“ni”).

2/387 — Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “When Allah the Exalted loves a servant, He calls Gabriel: ‘Indeed, Allah loves so-and-so; so love him.’ Gabriel then loves him and proclaims among the inhabitants of heaven: ‘Allah loves so-and-so, so love him.’ Consequently, the dwellers of heaven love him, and acceptance is set for him upon the earth.” Agreed upon.