Feeling Allah's Love

I've read articles on how to love Allah (SWT). But how can one feel Allah (SWT)'s love. I want to feel loved by Allah (SWT). I want to feel His love for me, the love even greater than parents love for their children. How do I go about feeling it? I know of His mercy and I love him for it, but how do I feel his love for me? Does Allah (SWT) love all Muslims (even people with lots of major sins)?

Wa`alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate

Hadith Qudsi 15:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Allah the Almighty said: 'I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed."

It was related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah)

Also:

Hadith Qudsi 24:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"If Allah has loved a servant [of His], He calls Gabriel (on whom be peace) and says: 'I love So-and-so, therefore love him.'" He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "So Gabriel loves him. Then he (Gabriel) calls out in heaven, saying: 'Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him.' And the inhabitants of heaven love him." He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah has abhorred a servant [of His], He calls Gabriel and says: 'I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him.' So Gabriel abhors him. Then Gabriel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: 'Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him.'" He (the Prophet - peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "So they abhor him, and abhorrence is established for him on earth."

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, Malik, and at-Tirmidhi).

And finally:

Hadith Qudsi 25:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:

'Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.'"

It was related by al-Bukhari.

Wassalam,

Hanafi Fiqh Team

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