whenever we are tested.

Let us now discuss how much Allah loves the believers. He declares in the Quran:

وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اَشَدُّ حُبًّا  لِّلّٰہِ ؕ

˹they˺ love Allah the most.^[1]

This verse beautifully describes how we should love Allah. Regarding this, Tafsīr Ṣirāṭ al-Jinān says:

Allah’s accepted slaves love Him more than anything else. Their aim in life is to live and die loving Him.

There are signs and conditions that show one loves Allah. These include being pleased with what He wills above every personal happiness, leaving one’s comfortable bed to prostrate to Him, crying in His love, working hard to please Him, spending long winter nights in prayer, and keeping fasts on long summer days.

Further signs include loving, hating, giving, and taking for His sake, being thankful when blessed, patient when tested, relying upon Him in every state, and entrusting all matters to Him. One must always act upon Allah’s commands, purify their heart from loving anything or anyone else, love those whom He loves, and have hatred for His enemies.

One must love Allah’s beloved Messengerصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم from the depths of their heart and soul, recite the words of Allah, and keep His close servants near to one’s heart.

In terms of His servants, one must love and spend time with them, as this increases one’s love of Him. Showing respect to them is to