What did Ibn al-Qayyim say about love of Allah?

"The hadith "What is familiar will find affinity" is recorded by Muslim from Abu Hurairah. It is mentioned in the context of the etiquette of companionship. We have elaborated on this in the book "Etiquette of Companionship," discussing love for the sake of Allah. It explains the wondrous reasons for love. Thus, the types of love can be distilled into five causes: love for one's own self, perfection, and longevity; love for those who show kindness, aiding in survival and protection; love for those who are good to others, even without direct benefit; love for all that is inherently beautiful, outward or inner; and love for those with whom one shares a hidden bond."

"'O اللّٰه, I ask You for Your love, the love of those who love You, and the deeds that will bring me closer to Your love. O اللّٰه, make Your love more beloved to me than myself, my family, and cold water.'" Also in it, from the حَدِيث of عَبْدُ اللّٰه بْن يَزِيد الخَطْمِي, the Prophet مُحَمَّد, peace be upon him, used to say in his supplication: "O اللّٰه, grant me Your love, and the love of those whose love benefits me with You."

""They love them as they love اللّٰه," also from سُورَة البَقَرَة, which has two interpretations. The first is that they love them as they love اللّٰه, meaning they have affirmed love for اللّٰه, but it is a love in which they associate others with Him. The second interpretation is that they love their idols as the believers love اللّٰه."

"The phrase "اللّٰه will love you" indicates the proof of love, its fruit, and its benefit. Its proof and sign is following the Messenger. Its benefit and fruit is the love of the Messenger for you. Without following, your love for Him is not realized, and His love for you is absent. اللّٰه said: "O you who have believed, whoever among you turns back from his religion, اللّٰه will bring forth a people He will love and who will love Him, who are humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of اللّٰه and do not fear the blame of a critic." He mentioned four signs for them: one of them is that they are humble toward the believers."

"The second interpretation is that believers have a stronger love for اللّٰه than the polytheists have for اللّٰه alongside their idols. The love of the believers is pure, while the love of the idolaters is divided, as their idols take a share of it. Pure love is stronger than shared love. These interpretations are based on the verse: "They love them as they love اللّٰه," also from سُورَة البَقَرَة, which has two interpretations."

"The essence of worship is the love of اللّٰه, indeed singling Him out for love, so that all love is for اللّٰه alone. One does not love alongside Him anyone else, but rather loves for His sake and in Him, as one loves His prophets, messengers, angels, and allies. Our love for them is part of our complete love for Him, and it is not love alongside Him, like those who take others as equals to اللّٰه, loving them as they love Him."

"people He will love and who will love Him. And in Surah Al-Baqarah, And yet among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals to Him. They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. The greatest form of reprehensible love is when one equates their love for God with their love for something else."

"Delight follows love: it grows strong as love grows strong and grows weak as love weakens. The more intense the longing and yearning for the beloved, the more complete is the delight of reaching him. And love and longing follow upon knowledge of the beloved: the more perfect the knowledge, the more complete the love. So the perfection of bliss in the Hereafter, and the perfection of delight, come back to knowledge And as for love: whoever is more knowing of God, of His names, His attributes, and His religion, will love Him the more, and his delight in reaching Him, in nearness to Him, in gazing upon His face and hearing His speech, will be the more complete."

"Just as love for gold differs from love for silver due to the different purposes they fulfill, love increases as the purpose increases. It is possible for worldly and spiritual purposes to coexist, which aligns with love for God. Love that exists solely because of faith in God and the Hereafter is considered love in God. Any increase in affection due to faith is also love in God. Though subtle, this is a valuable concept."

"Love can intensify for various reasons related to a person. If some reasons are hindered, love diminishes; if they increase, love grows. Just as love for gold differs from love for silver due to the different purposes they fulfill, love increases as the purpose increases. It is possible for worldly and spiritual purposes to coexist, which aligns with love for God."