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Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you truly believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his children, and all people.”[1]

Love is among the most tender and powerful of human emotions. Our love for parents is marked by reverence; our love for children by affection and mercy; and our love for others by fellow feeling and goodwill. Yet the love a believer owes the Messenger of Allah ﷺ must rise above all these forms. It is a love in which reverence, tenderness, gratitude, loyalty, and the desire to follow are gathered together.

This love is not merely an emotion expressed in words. It is rooted in recognition of the greatest gift bestowed upon humanity: faith and guidance through the Messenger ﷺ. Allah says:

“Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.’”[2]

Thus, love for the Prophet ﷺ is shown through following his way, honouring his Sunnah, and giving precedence to his guidance over personal desire. It is not a price paid for the message, nor a favour returned to him; rather, it is the grateful response of hearts that have received guidance through him.

Allah also says:

“Say, ‘I ask no reward from you for this, except affection due to kinship.’”[3]

The verse is understood by exegetes in more than one way, including as an appeal to the Quraysh to respect the ties of kinship between them and the Prophet ﷺ. In every case, it reminds us that his call was never motivated by worldly gain.

Muslim spiritual writers have described love through a number of ascending terms. Ibn al-Qayyim lists ten: al-ʿalāqah (attachment), al-irādah (inclination and desire), al-ṣabābah (overflowing longing), al-gharām (love that remains inseparably attached to the heart), al-widād (pure affection), al-shaghaf (love reaching the heart’s innermost covering), al-ʿishq (overwhelming passion), al-tatayyum (complete devotion), al-taʿabbud (utter servitude), and al-khullah (the most intimate friendship).[4]

At the summit of this classification is khullah: a love that permeates the heart so completely that it leaves no place for a rival. The Qur’an states:

“And Allah took Ibrāhīm as a close friend.”[5]

The Prophet ﷺ also affirmed that Allah had taken him as a khalīl, just as He had taken Ibrāhīm ﷺ as a khalīl:

“Allah has taken me as His close friend, just as He took Ibrāhīm as His close friend.”[6]

He is Allah’s chosen Messenger, His servant, and His khalīl. The widespread expression Ḥabīb Allāh—“the Beloved of Allah”—beautifully conveys the devotion Muslims feel towards him ﷺ;

A report narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhumā) relates that a group of Companions were sitting together and speaking of the special distinctions Allah had granted to His Prophets. One mentioned that Allah had taken Ibrāhīm ﷺ as a khalīl; another spoke of Allah’s direct speech to Mūsā ﷺ; another referred to ʿĪsā ﷺ as Allah’s Word and Spirit; and another mentioned the selection of Ādam ﷺ.

So he (ﷺ) came out upon them and said his Salam, and said: 'I have heard your words, and your amazement that Ibrahim is the Khalil of Allah, and he is such, and that Musa is the one spoken to by Allah, and he is such, and that 'Eisa is the spirit of Allah and His Word, and he is such, and that Adam was chosen by Allah, and he is such.

He then declared:

“Indeed, I am the Beloved of Allah, and I do not say this boastfully. I am the bearer of the Banner of Praise on the Day of Resurrection, and I do not say this boastfully. I am the first intercessor, and the first whose intercession will be accepted, and I do not say this boastfully. I am the first to move the rings of the gate of Paradise; Allah will open it for me and admit me, and with me will be the poor believers. And I am the most honoured of the earlier and later peoples, and I do not say this boastfully.”[7]

Divine Care and Consolation

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was honoured with the rank of both khalīlullah and, and Ḥabīb Allāh, the Beloved of Allah. The relationship between a servant and his Lord is founded upon worship, obedience, and seeking Allah’s pleasure. Yet the Qur’an also speaks of Allah’s special care for His Messenger ﷺ, reassuring him, strengthening him, and promising to grant him that which will please him:

“Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor has He become displeased. … And your Lord will give you so much that you will be well pleased.”[8]

The Qur’an presents many moving examples of this divine care. When Mūsā ﷺ was commanded to confront Pharaoh, he supplicated:

“My Lord, expand for me my breast; ease for me my task; and loosen the knot from my tongue, so that they may understand my speech.”[9]

In the case of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, Allah reminds him of favours already granted:

“Did We not expand for you your breast, and relieve you of your burden, which weighed so heavily on your back, and raise high your renown?”[10]

This is not a comparison that diminishes the rank of any Prophet. All of them were Allah’s chosen Messengers. Rather, it draws attention to the particular ways in which the Qur’an consoles and strengthens the final Messenger ﷺ: his heart was expanded, his burden lightened, and his mention raised.

The Qur’an itself is the most enduring manifestation of this divine communication. Dr. Muḥammad Zakī Muḥammad Khaḍr, in his catalogue Dhikr al-Qurʾān al-Karīm li’l-Rasūl ﷺ, identifies 2,672 instances in which the Messenger ﷺ is mentioned, directly or indirectly, across 1,203 distinct Qur’anic verses[11].. This represents almost one-fifth of the Qur’an’s 6,236 verses

The figure should be understood according to the author’s method of classification. It includes not only direct addresses to the Prophet ﷺ, but also verses that speak about him, quote his words, relate events from his life, or address matters connected with his mission. Whatever method is adopted, the Qur’an’s sustained attention to the Messenger ﷺ is unmistakable: it guides him, consoles him, corrects him, defends him, and establishes his enduring example for the believers.

Its verses will be recited until the Last Day, and within them Allah addresses the Prophet ﷺ, guides him, consoles him, corrects him, and declares the greatness of his mission. The Qur’an repeatedly speaks of his character, struggles, opponents, family, Companions, and the responsibilities of his community. Such references form an essential part of the Book’s living portrait of the Messenger ﷺ.

Consider the tenderness of Allah’s reassurance in Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā:

“Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor has He become displeased.”[12]

The verse came as consolation at a time when the Prophet ﷺ faced the taunts of those who claimed that his Lord had forsaken him. Its language carries profound mercy and reassurance.

The Qur’an also teaches the Prophet ﷺ and his community through gentle correction. When ʿAbd Allāh ibn Umm Maktūm (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), a blind Companion, came seeking guidance while the Prophet ﷺ was engaged in leading men of Quraysh, Allah revealed:

“He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him.”[13]

The opening is notably expressed in the third person rather than with the direct words, “You frowned.” A number of Qur’anic exegetes regarded this as part of the gentleness and refinement of the divine reproach, even while the correction itself remains clear and instructive.[14]

Addressed with Honour

The Qur’an directly addresses many Prophets by name: “O Ādam,” “O Nūḥ,” “O Mūsā,” and “O ʿĪsā.” When directly addressing the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, however, it calls him through titles that express his office and mission: “O Prophet,” “O Messenger,” “O you who are wrapped,” and “O you who are covered.”[15]

His name, Muḥammad ﷺ, does occur in the Qur’an, but not in the form of a direct divine address. The Qur’anic mode of address instead draws attention to his Prophethood, his Messengership, and the weighty responsibility entrusted to him.[16]

Allah’s promise in Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā is especially moving:

“And your Lord will give you so much that you will be well pleased.”[17]

Ibn ʿĀshūr explains that the unstated object of “give you” makes the promise comprehensive: it embraces every good that the Prophet ﷺ hoped for, for himself and for his Ummah. He further notes that the promise includes both the gifts granted during his lifetime and the continuing good that Allah bestowed upon his community after him.[18]

The Prophet’s profound concern for his Ummah is firmly established in an authentic report. Having recited the words of Ibrāhīm ﷺ and ʿĪsā ﷺ concerning their peoples, he ﷺ raised his hands and wept, saying: “O Allah, my Ummah, my Ummah.” Allah then said: “We shall surely please you concerning your Ummah and shall not cause you grief.”[19]

Some tafsīr works also cite the statement: “Then, by Allah, I will not be satisfied while one of my Ummah remains in the Fire.”[20] It is often quoted to convey the Prophet’s mercy for his followers; however, its chain is not strong enough to establish it as an authenticated ḥadīth. The sound and sufficient proof is his established intercession, which will occur only by Allah’s permission and for those with whom He is pleased.[21]

The Qur’an repeatedly joins obedience to the Messenger ﷺ with obedience to Allah, because he conveys Allah’s revelation and command. This does not imply any share in divinity; rather, it establishes the authority of the Messenger whom Allah sent.

When the believers asked about the spoils of war, Allah instructed:

“Say, ‘The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger.’”[22]

Likewise, Allah says concerning migration:

“Whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger, then death overtakes him, his reward has already become due with Allah.”[23]

And when teaching believers the proper order of love and allegiance, Allah says:

“Say, ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your clan, the wealth you have acquired, the trade whose decline you fear, and the homes you cherish are more beloved to you than Allah, His Messenger, and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His command.’”[24]

The Prophet ﷺ is therefore not merely a revered historical figure. Allah declares that he is closer to the believers than their own selves.[25] To love him ﷺ is to give his guidance precedence over personal desire, family attachment, wealth, comfort, and every competing claim upon the heart.

A Name Raised in Every Act of Worship

Allah has decreed that the remembrance of His Messenger ﷺ should endure throughout the life of the Muslim community. The Qur’an declares:

“And We raised high for you your renown.”[26]

This raising of the Prophet’s ﷺ mention is witnessed daily in the very structure of Muslim worship. A person enters Islam by affirming the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muḥammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. His name is proclaimed in the adhān five times a day and repeated in the iqāmah that announces the beginning of prayer.[27]

In the final sitting of every formal prayer, Muslims testify to his Messengership, greet him with peace, and invoke blessings upon him before concluding the prayer. The well-known Ibrāhīmic ṣalāh is itself taught by the Prophet ﷺ:

“O Allah, send prayers upon Muḥammad and upon the family of Muḥammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrāhīm and upon the family of Ibrāhīm…”[28]

Thus, from the moment a person embraces Islam until the final moments of each prayer, the testimony of Allah’s oneness is joined with acknowledgement of the Messenger ﷺ. Across the world, his blessed name is mentioned in the adhān, the iqāmah, the prayer, sermons, lessons, and the ordinary speech of believers.

Allah says:

“Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, invoke blessings upon him and greet him with peace.”[29]

This command is exceptional in its form. Allah first tells the believers that He and His angels send ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ, then commands them to do so. The meaning of ṣalāh differs according to the one performing it: Allah’s ṣalāh is His praise of the Prophet ﷺ among the angels, the angels’ ṣalāh is their supplication for him, and the believers’ ṣalāh is their invocation of Allah’s blessings and honour upon His Messenger ﷺ.[30]

Sending ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ is among the most accessible acts of worship. It does not require a particular place, a specific time, or ritual ablution. It may be said while walking, travelling, waiting, working, or sitting quietly in remembrance of Allah. Its presence within the prayer gives it a special liturgical place, while its availability beyond the prayer makes it a constant means of attachment to the Messenger ﷺ.

Its reward is equally remarkable. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah sends blessings upon him tenfold.”[31]

This is a gift from Allah to the believer: one sincere ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ is answered with tenfold divine mercy and honour. The command of Qur’an therefore, is both an expression of Allah’s immense honour for His Messenger ﷺ and an open door of mercy for his Ummah.

A Covenant for the Final Messenger

Among the passages that classical exegetes connect to the coming of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ is Allah’s covenant with the Prophets:

“When Allah took the covenant of the Prophets: ‘Whatever I give you of the Book and wisdom, then a Messenger comes to you confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.’ He said, ‘Have you affirmed and accepted My covenant upon that condition?’ They said, ‘We have affirmed it.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.’”[32]

The verse affirms the unity of the prophetic mission. Each Prophet called to faith in Allah, and the final Messenger ﷺ came confirming the truth that had preceded him. Classical commentators commonly identify the Messenger promised in this covenant as Muḥammad ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ was raised among people: he was cared for by his grandfather ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, protected by his uncle Abū Ṭālib, and later supported by his noble wife Khadījah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā). Yet the Qur’an makes clear that the ultimate care, protection, and instruction were from Allah:

“Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?”[33]

Allah also says:

“Allah has sent down upon you the Book and wisdom and taught you what you did not know.”[34]

This was a distinctive divine upbringing. The Prophet ﷺ was nurtured through the means Allah created, but no human being could claim independent credit for the guidance, wisdom, or Prophethood with which Allah honoured him.

That Allah made such a Messenger ﷺ the guide of this Ummah is among His greatest favours upon us:

“Allah has surely bestowed a great favour upon the believers by raising in their midst a Messenger from among them, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom.”[35]

Our response must be sincere love, reverence, and obedience. Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Qurashī defined love as: “That you give your whole self to the one you love, leaving nothing of yourself for yourself.”[36] In relation to the Messenger ﷺ, this does not mean worship—which belongs to Allah alone—but giving precedence to his guidance over one’s own whims, preferences, and attachments.

The Companions embodied this love. During the ordeal of the slander against ʿĀʾishah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā), Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar narrated, "The wife of Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Zayd Al-Ansari, Umm Ayyub, said to him, `O Abu Ayyub, have you heard what the people are saying about `A'ishah' He said, `Yes, and it is all lies. Would you do that, O Umm Ayyub' She said, `No, by Allah, I would not do that.' He said, `And by Allah, `A'ishah is better than you.'[37] Their response was not blind partisanship; it arose from their knowledge of the purity of the Prophet’s ﷺ household and their trust in his truthfulness.

A moving report from the aftermath of Uḥud tells of a woman from Banū Dīnār who was informed that her father, brother, and husband had been killed. Her first concern was the safety of the Messenger ﷺ. When she saw that he was safe, she said: “Every calamity after you is insignificant, O Messenger of Allah.”[38]

Such love was neither a passing emotion nor a slogan. It was faith translated into loyalty, sacrifice, and adherence. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“A person will be with those whom he loves.”[39]

Love for the Prophet ﷺ must therefore be renewed through learning his Sīrah, following his Sunnah, sending ṣalāh upon him, and allowing his teachings to shape our conduct. A heart may be stirred when hearing of his virtues, longing to see him ﷺ, or wishing to visit his blessed resting place. Yet unless that feeling is preserved by remembrance and obedience, it soon fades beneath distraction and heedlessness. True love is what remains, guides, and transforms.

Reference:

[1] Al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Īmān, ḥadīth 15; Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Īmān, ḥadīth 44b.

[2] Qur’an, Āl ʿImrān 3:31

[3] Qur’an, al-Shūrā 42:23. For the wording and contextual readings, see the verse and tafsīr material.

[4] Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Madārij al-Sālikīn, section: “Faṣl fī Marātib al-Maḥabbah.” The ordering is a descriptive taxonomy; Ibn al-Qayyim notes that some of these terms are not suitable as descriptions of love for Allah

[5] Qur’an, al-Nisāʾ 4:125

[6] Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid wa Mawāḍiʿ al-Ṣalāh, ḥadīth 532

[7] Tirmidhī, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth, 3616

[8] Qur’an, al-Ḍuḥā 93:3, 5

[9] Qur’an, Ṭā Hā 20:25–28

[10] Qur’an, al-Sharḥ 94:1–4

[11] Muḥammad Zakī Muḥammad Khaḍr, Dhikr al-Qurʾān al-Karīm li’l-Rasūl ﷺ.

[12] Qur’an, al-Ḍuḥā 93:3. See also the following verse, 93:4, which contrasts the lasting good Allah has prepared for His Messenger ﷺ with the hardship of the present moment.

[13] Qur’an, ʿAbasa 80:1–2. The wider passage continues to verse 10

[14] Al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, commentary on Qur’an 80:1; see also Muḥammad Shafīʿ, Maʿārif al-Qurʾān, commentary on Sūrat ʿAbasa 80:1, which notes the third-person formulation as a gentler mode of reproach.

[15] See Qur’an, al-Aḥzāb 33:1, 45, 59; al-Māʾidah 5:67; al-Muzzammil 73:1; and al-Muddaththir 74:1.

[16] The name Muḥammad ﷺ occurs, for example, in Qur’an 3:144, 33:40, 47:2, and 48:29; Aḥmad is mentioned in Qur’an 61:6

[17] Qur’an, al-Ḍuḥā 93:5

[18] Muḥammad al-Ṭāhir ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, commentary on Qur’an 93:5. Ibn ʿĀshūr writes that the omitted object of yuʿṭīka encompasses every good the Prophet ﷺ hopes for “for himself and for his Ummah.”

[19] Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Īmān, ḥadīth 202

[20] The wording is cited in some tafsīr works, including al-Qurṭubī’s commentary on Qur’an 93:5, from weak routes. Ibn Kathīr described its chain as highly unfamiliar (gharīb jiddan). I

[21] Qur’an, al-Baqarah 2:255; al-Anbiyāʾ 21:28. See also Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīths 193–197, on the Prophet’s ﷺ intercession

[22] Qur’an, al-Anfāl 8:1

[23] Qur’an, al-Nisāʾ 4:100

[24] Qur’an, al-Tawbah 9:24

[25] Qur’an, al-Aḥzāb 33:6

[26] Qur’an, al-Sharḥ 94:4

[27] See al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Adhān, ḥadīths 603 and 611, on the wording of the adhān and iqāmah

[28] Al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ḥadīth 3370; Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth 406

[29] Qur’an, al-Aḥzāb 33:56

[30] Al-Bukhārī records from Abū al-ʿĀliyah: “Allah’s ṣalāh is His praise of him before the angels, while the angels’ ṣalāh is supplication

[31] Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth 408

[32] Qur’an, Āl ʿImrān 3:81. See Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, commentary on this verse, which identifies the promised Messenger as Muḥammad ﷺ.

[33] Qur’an, al-Ḍuḥā 93:6.

[34] Qur’an, al-Nisāʾ 4:113

[35] Qur’an, Āl ʿImrān 3:164

[36] Al-Qushayrī, al-Risālah al-Qushayriyyah, Bāb al-Maḥabbah

[37] Qur’an, al-Nūr 24:12; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, commentary on the verse.

[38] Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, account of the Battle of Uḥud.

[39] Al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ḥadīth 6168; Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ḥadīth 2639