Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"Allah, the Exalted, has said: `I will declare war against him who treats with hostility a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love him, (so much so that) I become his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me something, I will surely give him, and if he seeks My Protection (refuge), I will surely protect him".
[Al-Bukhari]
[Al-Bukhari]
Commentary: This Hadith tell us the status and distinctive signs of the favoured men of Allah. The Noble Qur'an has defined them as:
"Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah) and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds)". (10:63).
According to this definition, every believer who really fears Allah is a favoured of Allah.
This Hadith brings about the following Three points:
Firstly, the love of those whom Allah loves entail the love of Allah, and hating them entails the hatred of Allah..
Secondly, when a true Muslim acquires nearness and love of Allah by means of performing religious obligations, supererogatory and voluntary prayers, Allah then becomes his special helper and protects his limbs and organs and does not let them work for His disobedience. Then he does not use any part of his body for things which are disliked by Him. According to the Hadith, a true pious man likes and adopts what is liked by Allah, and avoids all such things which are not liked by Him.
Thirdly, the performance of the obligatory acts of worshipping has the first and foremost importance for attaining the pleasure of Allah because their fulfillment is liked the most by Allah and also because they furnish the foundation, on which the edifice of Islam is built. As we cannot think of a building without foundation, similarly, we cannot think of voluntary worship without fulfilling the basic obligations. The fact is that one who neglects them ceases to be a Muslim. This is the reason for the severe warnings of Allah to those who default on this account. Those who neglect voluntary prayers have not been given any warning. It is, however, true that their performance in addition to the obligatory ones increases lustre of obligations. Nawafil (voluntary acts of worship) help one to attain the exalted place of being loved by Allah by virtue of which one is endowed with the special Help of Allah.