The Hadith of Loving for God’s Sake
The hadith narrated by Abu Idris al-Khawlani (from Muadh ibn Jabal, from the Prophet) is one of the most cited in Sufi literature on the concept of love:
“There was a man who visited his brother in another town for the sake of Allah. Allah sent an angel on the road who asked him: ‘Where are you going?’ He said: ‘I am going to my brother in this town.’ The angel asked: ‘Do you have business with him?’ He said: ‘No, I just love him for the sake of Allah.’ The angel said: ‘I am a messenger from Allah to you, telling you that Allah loves you as you have loved your brother for His sake.’”
Abu Idris’s Own Practice
Beyond narrating this hadith, Abu Idris lived it. The biographical sources report that he had a practice of going to people he found admirable and saying directly: “I love you for the sake of Allah.” When the person was surprised or asked why, he would explain: he had found something in them that reminded him of the divine — their prayer, their character, their knowledge — and he was reporting that love honestly.
The hadith he narrated from Muadh ibn Jabal about sitting in the mosque and announcing love for God’s sake reflects a real practice that Abu Idris himself carried forward.
Judge of Damascus
Under Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (the Umayyad Caliph known for his piety, r. 717-720 CE), Abu Idris served as judge of Damascus. He is described as a fair and knowledgeable judge who combined legal authority with the ascetic qualities of the Syrian tabi’i tradition.
He died in Damascus in approximately 80 AH, and his name is preserved primarily as a hadith narrator and as a figure of the Syrian tradition of love-based spiritual practice.
See also: Seerah Al Hasan Al Basri, Seerah Mutarraf Ibn Abd Allah, Ihsan, Sabr, Seerah Ubadah Ibn Al Samit, Tasawwuf