What it’s like to be loved by Allah...
إنَّ اللَّهَ إذا أحَبَّ عَبْدًا دَعا جِبْرِيلَ فقالَ: إنِّي أُحِبُّ فُلانًا فأحِبَّهُ، قالَ: فيُحِبُّهُ جِبْرِيلُ، ثُمَّ يُنادِي في السَّماءِ فيَقولُ: إنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ فُلانًا فأحِبُّوهُ، فيُحِبُّهُ أهْلُ السَّماءِ، قالَ ثُمَّ يُوضَعُ له القَبُولُ في الأرْضِ
“When Allah loves a servant, He calls the (Angel) Jibreel and says, ‘Indeed I love so and so, so love him (as well),’ and so Jibreel loves him. Then he (Jibreel) calls out in the heavens saying, ‘Allah loves so and so, so love him (as well).’ The inhabitants of the Heaven then love him. Then acceptance (i.e. love and honor) is placed for him on earth.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Can you imagine your Lord declaring His love for you to the greatest of all angels, Jibreel, and then Jibreel ordering the angels and inhabitants of the heavens to love you as well? Can there be any greater joy and honor than this?
What can we do to be among those blessed people whom Allah loves and calls upon His angels to love, and places love of them in the hearts of the creation?
There is no surprise that the deeds which make Allah love us are simple, for He is the Most Generous. His love for us is gained by sincerely doing the simple deeds that He made obligatory for us, and it grows as we increase in voluntary deeds such as voluntary prayer, charity, dhikr, etc.
وما تقرب إلي عبدي بشيء أحب إليَّ مما افترضت عليه، وما يزال عبدي يتقرب إليَّ بالنوافل حتى أحبه فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به، وبصره الذي يبصر به، ويده التي يبطش بها، ورجله التي يمشي بها، وإن سألني، أعطيته، ولئن استعاذني، لأعيذنه
“The most beloved thing with which My servant comes closer to Me is what I have obligated upon him. My servant keeps coming closer to Me by doing voluntary deeds until I love him.
What happens when you are loved by Allah? Allah grants you success in everything in your life; whether it is success in what you do, what you say, what you see, what you hear, etc:
“When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. If he asks Me for something, I will surely give him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely give it to him.”
(Sahih Bukhari)
May Allah make us of those whom He loves and declares His love for to the inhabitants of the heavens!