Warning that the description of intimacy (khalah) is higher than the description of love.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : And in her speech there is a point we would like to discuss with you, which is her saying about the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "the beloved of Allah", is this correct or not?
The student: Not correct.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is the beloved of Allah without doubt, so he loves Allah and is loved by Allah, but there is a description higher than that, which is the intimate friend of Allah (khalil Allah). The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is the intimate friend of Allah, as he said (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 532, and therefore, whoever describes him only with love has lowered him from his rank, for intimacy (khalah) is greater than love and higher.
All the believers are beloved to Allah, is that not so? Yes, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is in a station higher than that, which is intimacy (khalah). Allah took him as an intimate friend just as He took Ibrahim as an intimate friend. Therefore, we say that Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), is the intimate friend of Allah, and this is higher than saying that he is the beloved of Allah.
The student: Not correct.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is the beloved of Allah without doubt, so he loves Allah and is loved by Allah, but there is a description higher than that, which is the intimate friend of Allah (khalil Allah). The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is the intimate friend of Allah, as he said (peace and blessings be upon him):
for Allah has taken me as His friend, as he took Ibrahim as His friend
إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ اتَّخَذَنِي خَلِيلاً كَمَا اتَّخَذَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلاًAll the believers are beloved to Allah, is that not so? Yes, but the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is in a station higher than that, which is intimacy (khalah). Allah took him as an intimate friend just as He took Ibrahim as an intimate friend. Therefore, we say that Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), is the intimate friend of Allah, and this is higher than saying that he is the beloved of Allah.