Shaykh Shadee Elmasry:

“Ibn Al Qayim (a student of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah) said something amazing. He said it’s more important for a Muslim to believe in and love The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and to focus on that before focusing on the love of Allah. Someone said, ‘How can you say that?’ He replied, ‘Very simply: What is the status of the Jews and the Christians in the sight of Allah? They are not accepted, yet they worship Allah and love Him.’

So, you have to love Allah the way He wants to be loved and worship Him the way He wants to be worshipped. And so he said, and many of the Ulema (scholars) concur, that turning your dhikr, love, attention, and study to The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the essence of loving Allah because The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will never accept a follower who doesn’t love Allah. So that’s part of it. Loving The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the means to loving Allah, and it is greater because, again, many people love Allah the way **THEY** want to, and their love is rejected. But no one who loves The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and follows him will be unloved by Allah.”

Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’”

Surah Al-Imran, 3:31

@DrShadeeElmasry :