his own desires. Thus, when the mu’adhdhin proclaims, “Come to prayer,” he leaves whatever work he is doing and hastens to the prayer, for he prefers what pleases Allah to whatever might please himself.

There are, in fact, many signs of loving Allah. When a person loves his Lord, Allah is even swifter in loving him, for He says in the sacred hadith, “Whoever comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” If Allah loves a servant, that is the very objective and the greatest attainment.

For this reason Allah says, “Say, if you truly love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you” (Āl ʿImrān 3:31). He did not say, “follow me so that you may prove your love for Allah”; rather, He said, “Allah will love you,” because the real fruit is that the Lord comes to love His servant. When Allah loves a person, that person gains the good of this world and the next. May Allah make me and you among those whom He loves.

His words, “and who love Him,” establish beyond doubt that a servant can and does love his Lord. This is plainly observable: a believer feels within his heart an inclination toward whatever pleases Allah, and that very inclination shows that he loves Allah.

A believer endowed with this magnificent quality loves Allah more than himself, more than his child, his mother, or his father—indeed, more than anything else. He loves a person simply because he loves Allah, for it is well known that the lover cherishes those whom his beloved cherishes. Therefore, due to his love for Allah, you will find such a man loving the people Allah loves, the deeds Allah loves, and the words Allah loves.