Hazrat Anas relates Allah’s Messenger ﷺas saying, “Anyone who possesses three qualities finds thereby the sweetness of faith: that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than everything else; that when he loves a human being, he loves him for Allah’s sake alone; and, that he abhors returning to unbelief from which Allah has rescued him, as he abhors being thrown into fire.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Thishadīth brings into light three distinguishing features of a believer. One, that a believer loves Allah and His Messenger more than everybody and everything else, even his/her own dear life or that of his offspring and other close relations. This is because whatever man possesses is Amanah or gift bestowed upon him by the Lord. Thus his love for any human being or anything, material or immaterial, is subordinate to his love for Allah and His Messenger.
The second distinguished feature of a believer is that whenever he loves a human being, he loves him for Allah’s sake alone. Man does feel love and affection for his near and dear ones, his neighbours, etc. But he must see to it that his love for a human being must not surpass his love for Allah and His Messenger.
And whenever a clash between the two occurs, he ought to respond to the call of his love for Allah and His Messenger.The third feature is that he abhors returning to unbelief. One who has these three salient features enjoys the sweetness of faith.