When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I so and so; you should also love him, and then Gabriel begins to love him. Then he makes an announcement in the heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the Angels) also begin to love him and then there is conferred honour upon him in the earth; and when Allah is angry with any servant He calls Gabriel and says: I am angry with such and such and you also become angry with him, and then Gabriel also becomes angry and then makes an announcement amongst the inhabitants of heaven: Verily Allah is angry with so-and so, so you also become angry with him, and thus they also become angry with him. Then he becomes the object of wrath on the earth also.
The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship
Sahih Muslim - Hadith 2637a
Hadith Text
When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I so and so; you should also love him, and then Gabriel begins to love him. Then he makes an announcement in the heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the Angels) also begin to love him and then there is conferred honour upon him in the earth; and when Allah is angry with any servant He calls Gabriel and says: I am angry with such and such and you also become angry with him, and then Gabriel also becomes angry and then makes an announcement amongst the inhabitants of heaven: Verily Allah is angry with so-and so, so you also become angry with him, and thus they also become angry with him. Then he becomes the object of wrath on the earth also.
Commentary on Divine Love and Wrath
This profound hadith reveals the celestial mechanics of divine acceptance and rejection. When Allah bestows His love upon a servant, this is not a private matter but resonates throughout creation. The divine love initiates a heavenly chain reaction - beginning with Jibril (Gabriel), then extending to all celestial beings, and finally manifesting as honor in the earthly realm.
The scholars explain that divine love is earned through obedience, sincerity in worship, and adherence to the Sunnah. The honor conferred on earth manifests through people's hearts inclining toward the beloved servant, acceptance of their supplications, and divine facilitation of their affairs.
The Reality of Divine Anger
Conversely, divine wrath follows the same celestial pattern but with opposite effect. When Allah is angered by a servant's disobedience, persistence in sin, or rejection of truth, this divine displeasure cascades through the heavens until the individual becomes an object of rejection both spiritually and worldly.
Classical commentators note that this divine anger typically results from major sins, shirk, or willful disobedience without repentance. The earthly manifestation includes hardship in one's affairs, rejection by people, and spiritual darkness in the heart.
Practical Implications for the Believer
This hadith serves as both a profound encouragement and a severe warning. The wise believer strives to attain divine love through prescribed acts of worship, good character, and obedience while vigorously avoiding what incurs divine wrath.
The scholars emphasize that the door of repentance remains open until the moment of death, and Allah's mercy precedes His wrath. Therefore, one who has fallen into sin should immediately repent and return to obedience, hoping for divine acceptance and love.