God says
… those who have attained to faith love God more than all else. -- Q.2: 165
And when you have performed your acts of worship, [continue to] bear God in mind as you will bear your fathers in mind – nay, yet with a keener remembrance. -- Q. 2: 200
…God loves those who are conscious of Him.* -- Q. 9: 4
* “God-conscious”
Word ‘Muttaqeen’, (singular: Muttaqi) from Arabic ‘Taqwa’ appears again and again in the Qur’an vitally linked to a Believer’s life. Muhammad Asad uses ‘God-consciousness’ as the translation for ‘Taqwa’ and explains its comprehensive meaning below:
“Conventional translation of Muttaqi as “God-Fearing’ does not adequately render the positive content of this expression -- namely, the awareness of His all-presence and the desire to mould one’s existence in the Light of this awareness; while the interpretation adopted by some translators “one who guards himself from evil” or “one who is careful of his duty”, does not give more than one particular aspect of the God-consciousness.
(God said to the Prophet) Say: ‘If you do love God, follow me, God will love you and forgive you your sins.’ -- Q.3: 31
Say: “If it be that your fathers, your sons, your mates, your clan; the wealth you have acquired, the commerce in which you fear a decline; or the dwellings in which you delight- (if all these) are dearer to you than God and His Apostle and the struggle in his cause, then wait until God brings about His decision: and God does not guide the rebellious. ” -- Q.9: 24
Prophet said
A man came to the Holy Prophet and asked about the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet enquired him what preparation he had made for it. The man said: I am not prepared for it except that I love God and His Apostle. The Holy Prophet said, “You will be with those whom you love.” Muslims were never so happy as they were after hearing it. – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Anas
“Nobody has truly attained to faith till I become dearer than his parents, his children and all mankind.” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Anas
“The best of you are those who, when seen, remind of God.” – H: Ibn Majah. N: Asm`a-b-Yezid
