Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and so, O Gabriel love him' So Gabriel would love him and then would make an announcement in the Heavens: 'Allah has loved so and-so therefore you should love him also.' So all the dwellers of the Heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth." (See Hadith No. 66, Vol. 8)
Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)
Sahih al-Bukhari 7485
Hadith Text
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and so, O Gabriel love him' So Gabriel would love him and then would make an announcement in the Heavens: 'Allah has loved so and-so therefore you should love him also.' So all the dwellers of the Heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth."
Commentary on Divine Love
This noble hadith reveals the profound reality that Allah's love is the ultimate source of all acceptance. When Allah Almighty loves a servant, He manifests this love through His angels and creation. The chain begins with Gabriel - the trusted messenger - then extends to all heavenly beings, and finally reaches the inhabitants of earth.
The scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains in Fath al-Bari that this demonstrates how divine love precedes and causes creation's love. The love of Allah is not merely an abstract concept but manifests in tangible ways through the acceptance one finds among people.
Theological Significance
This hadith establishes several crucial aspects of Islamic creed: First, it confirms Allah's attribute of love (mahabba) in a manner befitting His majesty. Second, it demonstrates the hierarchy of creation with Allah as the ultimate source, followed by angels, then humans. Third, it shows that true acceptance among people is ultimately a divine gift resulting from Allah's pleasure.
Imam al-Qurtubi notes that this divine love is earned through obedience to Allah's commands and following the Sunnah of His Messenger. The love of creation then follows as a natural consequence of divine acceptance.
Practical Implications
The wise believer understands that seeking people's love directly is futile; rather, one should focus on earning Allah's love through sincere worship and righteous deeds. When Allah loves a servant, He makes them beloved to His creation.
This hadith also teaches us about the interconnectedness of the spiritual and physical realms, showing how divine decrees in the heavens manifest in earthly realities.