Take a look at the following verse of Quran:

“O you who believe! Have Taqwah (true fear of Allah) according to His right and die not except that you are a Muslim. OMankind! Have Taqwah of your Lord. The One Who created you from a single soul and from him He created his mate and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual rights and do not cut off the ties of kinship; surely Allah is ever a Raqeeb (All-Watcher) over you. O you who believe! Have Taqwah of Allah and always speak the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (saws) he has indeed achieved a great achievement.”

Allah has said in the Qur’an:

“The Prophet (saws) is closer to the believers than their ownselves…”

(Qur’an Al-Ahzab: 6)

The love of prophet Muhammad and his sunnah is the greatest blessing one can manifest by following his lifetyle. Allah almighty knows his creatures, he knows us better than we know ourself. Therefore submitting to his orders is to prove your love for Allah, his prophet said that we must love Allah more than our wishes and desires. Once Muslim is able to establish this love between Allah and himself, the doors of blessings open for him.

Narrated ‘Abd Allah bin Hisham:

‘We were with the Prophet (saws) and he was holding the hand of ‘Umar ibnu Al-Khattab (ra). ‘Umar said to him, “O Allah’s Messenger (saws)! You are dearer to me than everything except my ownself.” Allah’s Messenger (saws) said: “No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete Faith) untill I am dearer to you than your ownself.” Then ‘Umar (ra) said: “However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my ownself.” He (saws) then said: “Now, O ‘Umar, (now you are a believer).”

A person cannot have complete imaan or faith unless he or she considers the prophet of Allah more dearer to him than everything else. Sahaba used to love the messenger of God more than their families, they did things that were pleasing to Allah all the time.

The prophet of Allah must have more rule over an individual than he has over himself. This means that the person does not those things that are according to the rules of Sunah of Allah’s messenger. The messenger of Allah was sent to all mankind and Jinn. Let us read this verse from Quran:

“Say (O Muhammad (saws)): O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah – to Whom belongs the dominion of the Heavens and the Earth. La illaha illa

Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger (saws), the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who believes in Allah and His Words, and follow him so that you may be guided.”

(Qur’an Al-A’raf: 158)

The Prophet (saws) said: “And the Prophets were formerly sent to their people only, whereas I have been sent to all mankind.”

Source: missionislam.com/knowledge/TrueLove.htm