humble: they do not put themselves above the believers, nor do they act proudly toward them; rather, they lower themselves for their sake. By contrast, they are dignified and elevated when dealing with the unbelievers. For that reason the Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not initiate greeting the Jews and Christians with salām, and when you meet them on the road, force them to its narrowest part,” doing so to humble and disgrace them, for they are the bitterest enemies to you, to your Lord, to your Messenger, to your religion, and to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

This verse is clear evidence that love is indeed affirmed for Allah and that Allah both loves and is loved: “Allah will soon bring a people whom He loves and who love Him.” Such love is matchless; nothing equals it. The one who loves Allah counts the world, family, wealth—indeed, even his very life—as cheap when it comes to pleasing Allah. Thus he will offer his very neck to the enemies of Allah, out of love for supporting Allah and His religion. This proves that a believer places what Allah and His Messenger love ahead of what his own soul desires.

Among the signs of loving Allah is that a person constantly remembers Him—his heart, tongue, and limbs are always engaged in His remembrance.

Another sign of loving Allah is to love those whom Allah loves: loving the Messenger ﷺ, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the imams, and, in one’s own time, the people of knowledge and righteousness.

Yet another sign of loving Allah is that a person carries out Allah’s commands, giving them precedence over