The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in a well-known Hadith Qudsi in Bukhari: “Verily Allah the Exalted has said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to a wali of Mine, then I have declared war against him. And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to me with supererogatory deeds until I love him. “When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.’” In this Khutba, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus explains this Hadith Qudsi line-by-line, stressing the status of those considered beloved to Allah the Exalted (wali) and exploring the path that leads to Allah’s love.
