Table of Contents
Centrality of Loving the Messenger ﷺ
Love of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is not an optional emotion for a Muslim. It is a core part of faith itself. A person cannot perfect faith until the Messenger ﷺ is more beloved to him than anyone and anything else in creation.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his father, and all people.”
(Al‑Bukhari, Muslim)
This love is not separate from love of Allah. It is a necessary result of loving Allah. Allah Himself commands the believers to follow the Messenger ﷺ and to put him at the center of their loyalty.
Allah says:
“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.’”
(Qur’an 3:31)
Love of the Messenger ﷺ is therefore an act of obedience to Allah, and it is one of the clearest signs that a person truly loves Allah.
Loving the Messenger ﷺ is a necessary part of faith, not a mere recommendation. True love of Allah requires following and loving His Messenger ﷺ above all creation.
Love and Obedience: Two Sides of One Reality
In Islam love is not just a feeling in the heart without consequence. Real love shows itself in obedience, loyalty, and imitation. For this reason, the Qur’an repeatedly links obedience to the Messenger ﷺ with obedience to Allah.
Allah says:
“He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah. But whoever turns away, We have not sent you as a keeper over them.”
(Qur’an 4:80)
The one who claims to love the Prophet ﷺ yet opposes his guidance in belief or practice has a claim that is empty. The love expected from a believer is a love that leads to following his Sunnah, respecting his words, and preferring his way over customs, desires, and opinions.
Another clear warning appears when Allah speaks of those who oppose the Messenger ﷺ:
“And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a way other than the way of the believers, We will turn him to what he has turned to and burn him in Hell, and evil it is as a destination.”
(Qur’an 4:115)
The companions understood that loving the Prophet ﷺ meant obeying him in all areas of life, without selecting only what they liked and leaving what they found difficult. They would say “We hear and we obey” when his command reached them, because they knew that his command is truth from Allah.
True love of the Prophet ﷺ appears in obedience and imitation, not in words alone. To disobey his guidance while claiming to love him is a contradiction.
The Measure of True Love
The Prophet ﷺ explained that faith is not complete until he becomes the most beloved person to the believer. This includes preferring his judgment over family ties, wealth, tribal loyalty, and personal desires.
The Qur’an warns about making any worldly love equal to or above love for Allah and His Messenger:
“Say, ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, the wealth which you have obtained, commerce whose decline you fear, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.’”
(Qur’an 9:24)
This verse shows that a Muslim must be ready to sacrifice comfort, property, and even the approval of those closest to him if it conflicts with obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Such sacrifice is not always demanded in practice, but the believer’s heart must be prepared to place the Messenger ﷺ above all.
One of the companions, Umar ibn al Khattab رضي الله عنه, once told the Prophet ﷺ that he loved him more than everything except himself. The Prophet ﷺ replied that this was not yet enough. When Umar then said that he loved the Prophet ﷺ more than himself, the Prophet ﷺ answered that now his faith was complete. This shows that this level of love is a standard for every believer, not something for a special few.
The sign of perfected faith is that the Messenger ﷺ becomes more beloved than one’s own self, family, wealth, and all people. Anything put above him in love and loyalty endangers one’s obedience.
Love Rooted in Knowledge and Reflection
This love is not blind emotion. It grows naturally when a person knows who the Prophet ﷺ truly is, reflects on his life, and understands his status with Allah.
Allah describes the Prophet ﷺ as a mercy to all creation:
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.”
(Qur’an 21:107)
He also describes him as gentle and compassionate toward the believers:
“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer, [he is] concerned over you, and to the believers is kind and merciful.”
(Qur’an 9:128)
When a person studies his patience in hardship, his kindness to the weak, his justice even to enemies, and his generosity and humility, love becomes a natural response. To know him is to love him. The more a believer learns his biography, studies his Sunnah, and reflects on his sacrifices, the stronger this love becomes.
The Prophet ﷺ himself promised that loving him with sincerity leads to being gathered with him in the Hereafter. A man asked him about a person who loves some people but cannot reach their level of deeds. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“A person will be with those whom he loves.”
(Al‑Bukhari, Muslim)
This statement moved the companions deeply. They rejoiced, because they loved the Messenger ﷺ deeply and hoped by that love to be with him in Paradise, even if they could not equal his or one another’s actions.
Love of the Prophet ﷺ grows through knowledge of his life and character and leads to companionship with him in the Hereafter, by Allah’s mercy.
Practical Expressions of Love
Love of the Messenger ﷺ is not limited to belief in the heart. It appears in daily life in simple but powerful ways. A believer regularly mentions him with respect, sends blessings upon him, and chooses his way in every matter.
Allah commands the believers to send blessings upon him:
“Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and salutations of peace.”
(Qur’an 33:56)
Frequently saying “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad” or “peace and blessings be upon him” is an act of worship and a sign of love. The Prophet ﷺ warned against neglecting this right. He said of the one who hears his name and does not send blessings upon him:
“May he be humiliated, the man in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send blessings upon me.”
(At‑Tirmidhi)
Love also appears in choosing his Sunnah in acts of worship and in daily habits. Eating, dressing, speaking, and dealing with others according to his example turns ordinary actions into worship and shows that a person prefers his way.
A believer also defends his honor from false accusations and insults. This defense is within the limits of Islam, with wisdom and dignity, and without falling into forbidden acts. The believer knows that the Prophet’s worth does not diminish by the words of those who hate him, but his own loyalty is tested. In all of this, the believer avoids going beyond limits, and does not commit excess in the name of love.
True love of the Prophet ﷺ is expressed through:
- Sending blessings upon him frequently.
- Following his Sunnah in worship and daily life.
- Defending his honor within the limits set by the Sharia.
Love without Exaggeration or Neglect
Islam teaches a balanced love of the Messenger ﷺ. On one side is neglect, where a person claims to follow Islam but rarely remembers the Prophet ﷺ, ignores his Sunnah, or treats his guidance as less important than culture or personal opinion. On the other side is exaggeration, where people give the Prophet ﷺ qualities that belong only to Allah, or direct to him acts of worship that must be for Allah alone.
The Prophet ﷺ warned clearly against exaggeration. He said:
“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Mary. I am only a servant, so say, ‘the servant of Allah and His Messenger.’”
(Al‑Bukhari)
This sets a firm limit. The Prophet ﷺ is the best of creation, the beloved of Allah, but he is still a servant of Allah and His Messenger, not a partner with Allah, not one who shares in divine powers, and not one to whom supplication or acts of worship are directed.
At the same time, it is forbidden to belittle him, mock him, ignore his Sunnah deliberately, or place the words of others above his authentic teachings. Disrespect of the Messenger ﷺ is a serious matter and an indication of corruption in the heart.
The correct path is to love him deeply, obey him completely, respect him fully, and still remember that all worship belongs only to Allah.
The proper love of the Prophet ﷺ is intense yet balanced:
It avoids neglect of his Sunnah, and it avoids exaggeration that attributes to him any share of Allah’s exclusive rights.
Love of the Messenger ﷺ and Hope for His Intercession
On the Day of Judgment humanity will be in great fear and distress. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is granted the special station of intercession. He will plead with Allah to begin the judgment and will intercede for believers. Love of him in this life is closely linked to hope in his intercession in the next.
Allah praises those who follow the unlettered Prophet described in the earlier scriptures:
“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong, and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil, and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So those who believe in him, honor him, support him and follow the light which has been sent down with him, it is they who are the successful.”
(Qur’an 7:157)
Belief, honoring, and supporting him are all aspects of love. Those who combine these qualities are described as successful in the sight of Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that the happiest people with his intercession will be a particular type of believer:
When he was asked, “Who will be the happiest of people with your intercession on the Day of Resurrection, O Messenger of Allah?” he said, “The one who says ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ sincerely from his heart.”
(Al‑Bukhari)
A sincere heart that loves Allah and His Messenger, and that affirms the testimony of faith honestly, is the heart that hopes for his intercession. Love, sincerity, and following his guidance are all connected.
Those who believe in, honor, and support the Messenger ﷺ, and say “La ilaha illa Allah” sincerely, are the ones who hope most for his intercession on the Day of Judgment.
Cultivating Love of the Prophet ﷺ in Daily Life
For a new Muslim or a beginner in knowledge, love of the Messenger ﷺ may begin as respect and admiration, and then grows as the heart learns more. This love can be nurtured through simple, regular practices.
A believer can read or listen to his biography, especially how he endured hardship for the sake of guiding humanity. Reflection on his nights in prayer, his tears for his community, and his constant concern for the salvation of people softens the heart. He ﷺ said once about the believers he had not yet seen:
“I wish I could see my brothers.”
His companions said: “Are we not your brothers?” He said: “You are my companions, and my brothers are those who have not yet come.”
(Ahmad)
Knowing that he called future believers “my brothers” gives a personal feeling of connection. The believer can say to himself that the Prophet ﷺ cared about him long before he was born, and prayed for his guidance.
Sending blessings upon him throughout the day, when hearing his name, before and after prayer, and on Fridays, keeps the heart attached to him. Following his Sunnah in simple acts, like beginning with the right hand in certain things, using the greeting of peace that he taught, and showing mercy to creation, all make his presence felt in one’s daily life.
Over time, these small but consistent actions deepen love and turn it into a stable part of faith.
Love of the Prophet ﷺ grows through continuous remembrance, learning his life, and acting according to his Sunnah in both worship and ordinary moments.
Love of the Messenger ﷺ as a Path to Loving Allah
Love for the Prophet ﷺ is not a separate track from love of Allah. It is a means to it and a reflection of it. Allah made him the final Messenger, preserved his Sunnah, and ordered the believers to follow him as the way to attain divine love.
Allah says:
“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.’”
(Qur’an 3:31)
Following the Messenger ﷺ is therefore the practical proof of love for Allah. The more a person follows his guidance, the stronger his connection with Allah becomes. In return, Allah grants a special love to those who imitate His beloved Messenger, and He forgives their sins.
For a believer, loving the Prophet ﷺ is not in competition with loving Allah. Rather, he is loved because Allah loves him, chose him, and sent him as the guide to His pleasure. When a believer stands in prayer, recites the Qur’an he brought, and practices the acts of worship he taught, he is walking behind the Prophet ﷺ on the only path that leads to Allah.
Whoever follows and loves the Messenger ﷺ is on the path of Allah’s love and forgiveness, because following him is the proof and fruit of loving Allah.