I love you for the sake of Allah

Love has a deep connection with the blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. In fact, there are various aḥādīth—Prophetic Traditions—that encourage us to explicitly express our love for one another. That said, this love should be pure and for the sake of Allah عزوجل. As such, the blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is narrated to have said:

مَنْ أَحَبَّ رَجُلًا لِلَّهِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُحِبُّكَ لِلَّهِ فَدَخَلَا الْجَنَّةَ فَكَانَ الَّذِي أَحَبَّ أَرْفَعُ مَنْزِلَةً مِنَ الْآخَرِ أُلْحِقَ بِالَّذِي أَحَبَّ لِلَّهِ

He, who loves another for the sake of Allah, should say: ‘I love you for the sake of Allah’. They will both enter Paradise together. He whose love is greater will be raised in status over the other; he will be joined with the one he loved for the sake of Allah. — Bazzār #2439

Thus is the power of the love that places Allah عزوجل at its centre. Not only will two people who love one another enter paradise side by side, the one that loves the other more will receive a higher rank and will raise the rank of the other with their own.

Some of us will find it difficult to profess our love for another because of modern day societal norms, however, we must remember that doing so has been prescribed by the Chosen One صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. Tell your friends you love them, enter paradise with them and be raised in your status in the promised hereafter,

And Allah عزوجل and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم know best.