Dear Islamic brothers! It is natural for one to have love towards his parents, siblings, children, wealth and property. If any person doesn’t care about any of his relatives or family members and stops loving them, then it would still not damage his Iman and his Iman will still remain intact because Iman does not entail their love and believing in them. Whereas, embracing faith upon the Noblest Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, honouring him and having [devotional] love for him is ‘جُزۡوِ لَا يَنۡفَك’ i.e., the basic necessity of Iman. Therefore, it is essential for a true believer to have devotion towards the Noblest Rasool
صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم more than every relation and everything of this universe.

Dearer than everything

It is stated in Hadees No. 6632 of Sahih Bukhari: Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin Hishaam رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ narrated: We were sitting in the blessed company of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was holding the hand of Sayyiduna ‘Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ in his hand. Sayyiduna ‘Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ humbly said, ‘لَاَنۡتَ اَحَبُّ اِلَيَّ مِنۡ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ اِلَّا مِنۡ نَفۡسِي’ i.e., O Rasool of Rahmah, (صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم)! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self. The Noblest Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘لَا وَالَّذِي نَفۡسِي بِيَدِهِ حَتَّى اَكُونَ اَحَبَّ اِلَيۡكَ مِنۡ نَفۡسِكَ’ No Umar! By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete love) until I am dearer to you than even your own self. Then Sayyiduna ‘Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ humbly said, ‘وَاللّٰهِ لَاَنۡتَ اَحَبُّ اِلَيَّ مِنۡ نَفۡسِي’ O Beloved Rasool (صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم)! I swear by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! You are dearer to me than even my own self.

Listening to this, the Noblest Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘الۡآنَ يَا عُمَرُ’ Now, O ‘Umar, (your love is accomplished). (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Iman, vol. 4, pp.283, Hadees 6632)

Dear Islamic brothers! This command is not just specific to Sayyiduna ‘Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ alone, but it is for each and every Muslim who will come until this world exists, because the love of the Noble Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is such a thing without which our faith cannot be completed at all. The Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said:

لَايُؤۡمِنُ اَحَدُكُمۡ حَتّٰي اَكُوۡنَ اَحَبَّ اِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ وَّالِدِہٖ وَ وَلَدِہٖ وَ النَّاسِ اَجۡمَعِيۡن