Ibn ul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (ra) said: "People have discussed about mahabbah (love of Allah); its causes and what brings it about, its signs and its fruits and its rulings. The most comprehensive saying about this is what Abu Bakr al-Kattaanee (ra) relates about al-Junayd (d. 279 AH). Abu Bakr al-Kattaanee (d. 322 AH) said:

'A discussion about mahabbah took place in Makkah during the Pilgrimage month. The shaykhs who were present spoke about this matter and al-Junayd was the youngest of them. They said to him: O 'Iraqi, what do you have to say? So he bowed his head and tears were flowing from his eyes and he said:

"A servant should overcome his soul;

And be continuous in the remembrance of his Lord;

Establishing the Rights of his Lord;

Focusing upon Him with his heart;

The late of fear setting a blaze upon his heart;

Whilst drinking from the vessel of true love;

And certain realities become unveiled to him;

So when he talks, it is due to Allah;

When he speaks, it is from Allah;

When he moves, it is by the command of Allah;

And when he is serene, then it is from Allah;

He belongs to Allah, is for Allah, and is with Allah."

So the shaykhs began to weep and said: How can that be increased upon? May Allah reward you with good, O crown of the knowledgeable ones!'

Imam Ibn ul-Qayyim (ra) further said: "The reasons which cause the mahabbah (love of Allah) to develop are ten:

1. Reciting the Qur'an, reflecting upon it and understanding its meanings;
2. Drawing closer to Allah through the performance of optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory deeds;
3. Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah - in all circumstances - with the tongue, the heart and the limbs. The more constant the dhikr, the more mahabbah intensifies;
4. Giving precedence to what Allah loves - when being overcome with desires - over what one personally loves and desires;
5. Causing the heart to contemplate over the Names and Attributes of Allah. Being a witness to what they necessitate and causing the heart to be enlightened in the garden of this realization;
6. Witnessing the blessings and the favors of Allah - the apparent and the hidden;
7. Subduing the heart and humbling it before Allah, causing it to be in awe of Him;
8. Being in seclusion during the time in which Allah descends to the lowest Heaven - reciting the Qur'an and finishing this recitation with seeking Allah's forgiveness and sincerely repenting to Him;
9. Sitting in the gatherings of the sincere and true lovers of Allah - reaping the benefits of their teachings and not speaking except when you know there is benefit in doing so and that such speech will increase you in good and benefit others as well;
10. Keeping clear from all those matters which will cause the heart to distance itself from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

So these are ten matters which cause the lover to reach the station of true love for Allah, so that he may then reach Allah, his Beloved."