Guidance on 'Umar's statement to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "You are dearer to me than everything except my own soul"

The questioner : Our Shaykh, he said that love is a matter of the soul that cannot be controlled. Yes. So how did 'Umar utter this statement? Was it submission to the command of the Messenger?

The Shaykh : No, it appears that at first he was hesitant, may Allah be pleased with him, whether to place him above himself or not? Because he feared that placing him above himself would be a contradiction of the statement "Begin with yourself," and the right of the soul is greater than that of others. So when he said "from your own soul," he was reassured, and then he said "even from my own soul." So it appears that 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, did not say "except from my soul" out of scrupulousness and fear that placing someone above oneself would be a sin.

The questioner : The second possibility is that the love for the Messenger may have increased to the point where it overcame the soul, and that was only through this guidance.

The Shaykh : I mean, a person, a distant person, moves from a description of lesser love to higher love simply by a word being said. But it seems, and Allah knows best, that at first he was afraid to say "You are dearer to me than my own soul." So when he saw that there was no harm in it, he expressed what was in his heart. And it is true that love is a difficult matter, and for this reason, it is not obligatory to be just between wives in love. But there is no doubt that whoever has done good to you, even if he is the farthest person from you, you will love him. When you remember the blessings of Allah upon you, in health, intellect, knowledge, worship, and so on, does this not necessitate that you love Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? Yes, this necessitates it.