Obedience to the Prophet — a means of gaining love for Allah

In verse 31 of Surah Āl-ꜤImrān, Allah Almighty declares:

قُلْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّوْنَ اللّٰهَ فَاتَّبِعُوْنِیْ یُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّٰهُ وَ یَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوْبَكُمْؕ-وَ اللّٰهُ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِیْمٌ(۳۱)

˹Dear Prophet,˺ say, “O People! If you love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and will forgive your sins. And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.”^[1]

From this verse, we learn that the claim of loving Allah Almighty can only be true when we obey and follow the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān al-NaꜤīmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, summarises this verse:

˹It is as though Allah is declaring˺ O Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Say to those who profess love for Me without seeking your mediation, or to those who consider themselves so beloved to Me that they feel independent of you, or to those who wish to reach Me by means other than obeying you.

Make a public announcement to them all: “If you desire to love Allah, then neither oppose me, nor claim equality with me, nor walk ahead of me. Become true followers and walk behind me. Let your speech, deeds, actions — indeed, every aspect of your life—be moulded in accordance to my example. Completely engross yourselves in me.

Then, the matter will reverse. Allah will make you His beloveds, and whatever you desire, He will do for you. Along with this, He will forgive all your sins, for Allah is Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Make yourselves deserving of His forgiveness and mercy—then behold His grace!”^[2]

Dear Islamic brothers! We too should spend our days and nights in fulfilling the commands of Allah and His Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, for this is the very requirement of love: that obedience and devotion be shown to the one we claim to love.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد