Is following the sunna the sign of being loved by God?

If you do love God, follow me so that God may love you.(3:31)

The Sphere of Divine Lordship and the sphere of human servanthood

Since there is certainly an observable beauty of art in the universe, it evidently requires the Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. For the beauty of art in those beautiful creatures and their embellished forms demonstrate that their Fashioner has a significant will to make beautiful and a strong desire to adorn. This will and desire show that there is in the Maker a sublime love and a sacred inclination toward the perfection of the art He displays in His creatures. This love and inclination require to be most directed toward and concentrated on man, who is the most enlightened and perfect member of beings. Man is the conscious fruit of the tree of creation. The fruit is the most comprehensive and furthest part of a tree. The one with the most comprehensive view and universal consciousness among the human beings can be a most elevated and brilliant individual, who will meet with and be addressed by the All-Beautiful Maker. He will use his universal consciousness and comprehensive view entirely in the worship of his Maker, the appreciation of His art, and thankfulness for His bounties.

Here two tablets, two spheres appear. One is a most magnificent sphere of Lordship and most finely fashioned, bejeweled tablet of art. The other is a most enlightened and ‘flower-adorned’ sphere of worshipping servanthood and the broadest and most comprehensive tablet of reflection, appreciation, thankfulness and belief. This second sphere acts with all its strength in the name of the first sphere.

Thus, it is evident how closely connected with the Maker is the leader of the second sphere, who serves the purposes of the Maker’s artistry, and how beloved and esteemed he is in His eyes.

Is it at all reasonable that the bounteous Fashioner of these fine creatures Who loves His art and Who even takes into consideration all the tastes of the mouth, should remain indifferent towards His most beautiful creature? That creature, through worship in an outpouring of appreciation and admiration which causes the Divine Throne and earth to reverberate and in a chant of thanks and exaltation that brings the land and the sea to ecstasy, is constantly turned towards Him. Should He not speak to him and want to make him His Messenger to be imitated by others in his praiseworthy conduct? No! It is not possible that He would not speak to him and not make him His Messenger.

Surely, the religion with God is Islam.

Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who are with him...

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O soul! If you want endless accomplishments with regard to your afterlife in a short lifespan, and if you want to see each minute of your life as fruitful as a whole life, walk on the Prophet’s way. If you want to transform your ordinary daily deeds into acts of worship and your heedlessness into peace and constant awareness of always being in the Presence of God, follow the elevated Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings). For when you act according to the rules of the Shari‘a, it gives some sort of peace, and becomes a kind of worship, which yields many fruits for the Hereafter. For example, at the moment you utter the phrase, ‘I bought it,’ which the Shari‘a re-quires you to utter in a buy-and-sell transaction, that ordinary transaction of yours becomes an act of worship. Such remembrance of a rule of the Shari‘a reminds you of Divine Revelation, which, in turn, causes you to think of the Revealer of the Shari‘a and to turn your attention to Him. This produces some sort of peace. That means, by acting according to the elevated Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings), one can make one’s transient life produce eternal fruits to be the means of an eternal life. Therefore, heed the following Divine decree,

So, believe in God and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in God and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided. (7:158)

and try to be a comprehensive object to be enlightened by each of the Divine Beautiful Names manifested in the rules of the Shari‘a and the elevated Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings).