There is a sacred hadith in which Allah says:
…And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him”. (Al Bukhari)
Obligatory Worship
We start here with the foundation: the obligatory worship. We come closer to Allah through the acts of worship like prayer, zakah, fasting…
Doing Extra Deeds
Then Allah moves forwards and gives us another goal:
My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him.
This is where we turn every act in our life, whether helping others, or being kind and merciful to others…, to please Allah and come closer to Him.
So what is the result of getting to that level where Allah loves you?
In the hadith He says:
1- I become his hearing with which he hears
2- His seeing with which he sees
3- His hand with which he strikes
4- And his leg with which he walks.
We become so close to Allah that everything is for the sake of Allah. All our deeds are for His sake, and Allah is carrying us through life on the way of His love. How beautiful is that!
But the ultimate reward here is our dua will get answered. Some people promise something and break their promises, but Allah will never break His promises to us.
If he asks (something) from Me, I give him.
And if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him.
We can’t even imagine how amazing it would be to have the love of Allah.
(From Discovering Islam archive)