Loving the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is one of the great bases of the religion. There is no faith for the one who does not love the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, more than his love to his parents, children and all people. In this regarding, Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means): {Say, [O Muhammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people."} [Quran 9: 24].

‘Iaadh, the judge, said in his explanation to this verse: “This is enough as incitement, notice, indication and evidence for the obligation and ultimate importance of loving the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the best way, he , peace and blessings be upon him, deserves it. That because Allah, The Almighty, rebuked whoever loved his wealth and wives and children more than loving Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Moreover, He, The Exalted, threatened them by His saying: {…then wait until Allah executes His command…} [Quran 9:24]; then, at the end of the verse, He declared that they are disobedient to Allah and told them that they are astray and are not among those who had been guided by Him. 

It was also narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “There is no believer but I am, of all people, the closest to him both in this world and in the Hereafter. Recite if you wish the saying of Allah, The Almighty: {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves,…} [Quran 33: 6]

It was also narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “I am closer to every believer than his own self.” 

And he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "None of you will truly believe until I become dearer to him than his child, his father and all of mankind."

He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, not until I am dearer to you than your father and son."

It was narrated that ‘Abdullaah ibn Hishaam, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he was holding the hand of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab. ‘Umar, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, 'O Messenger of Allah! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am dearer to you than your own self.” Then ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, said to him, 'However, now by Allaah, you are dearer to me than my own self.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Now, O ‘Umar, (now you are a believer.)"

Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said commenting on above Hadeeth: “He, peace and blessings be upon him, meant ‘you knew now; so you said what is obligatory to be said."

 It was narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “One who attains the following three things will taste the sweetness of faith: To make Allaah and His Messenger more beloved to himself than anything else; to love a person for no other reason except for the sake of Allaah; and to hate to return to disbelief just as much as he would hate to be thrown into fire.”

Professor Muhammad Darraaz said in his commentary on the above Hadeeth: "Loving Allah, The Almighty, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is the most sublime and strongest form of mental love. So, whoever the motivation of love in him is caused by knowing the self perfection of the beloved, then Allah, The Almighty, has more right in this because the perfection is special for His Self, perfect beauty is only for His Attributes. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has more right to come after him in such love because he, for His Lord, is the most honored of mankind and he, peace and blessings be upon him, is the one who has the best morals and upright guidance. If loving someone is measured by the benefits and goodness one gets from the beloved, then Allah, The Almighty, also has more right in such love. Simply, because His graces upon us is more than our breaths and bites of our hearts and there is no grace or blessing unless He is Owner of it." Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means): {And whatever you have of favor - it is from Allah…} [Quran 16: 53]

He, The Exalted, also Says (what means): {And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 16: 18]

This noble, kind and merciful Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is really the connection of such best grace. That is because he, peace and blessings be upon him, is the one with whom Allah, The Almighty, brought us out from darkness into the light, from misguidance to guidance, with whom He, The Exalted, and saved us from the Hellfire after we were on the edge of a pit of it (i.e. the Fire). Thus, no one after Allah, The Almighty, is more benevolent on us than him and real loving of him is a branch of loving Allah, The Almighty."

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