To Love the Prophet (s.a.w.) & Send Swalawat is Essential for the Believer

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Ustadz Fakhr ad-Din Uwaysi al-Madani wrote that Allah (s.w.t.) Commands the Prophet (s.a.w.) to remind his ummah that it is essential for those who claim to love Allah (s.w.t.), to love His Prophet (s.a.w.): 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡ‌ۗ ... (٣١) 

Say: “If you do love Allah, follow me: Allah will Love you and Forgive you your sins ...” (Surah Ali ‘Imran:31) 

The celebration of the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) birth is motivated by this obligation to love the Prophet (s.a.w.), to obey him, to remember him, to follow his example, and to be proud of him as Allah (s.w.t.) is Proud of him, since Allah (s.w.t.) has Boasted about him in His Book by Saying: 

سُوۡرَةُ القَلَم

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ۬ (٤) 

And you (stand) on an exalted standard of character. (Surah al-Qalam:4) 

Love of the Prophet (s.a.w.) is what differentiates the believers in the perfection of their iman.  In a hadits related in Swahih al-Bukhari and Swahih Muslim, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people.”  In another hadits, in Swahih al-Bukhari, he said, “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves himself,” and Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.) said, “O Prophet, I love you more than myself.” 

Perfection of faith is dependent on love of the Prophet (s.a.w.) because Allah (s.w.t.) and His angels are constantly Raising his honour, as is meant by the verse: 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا (٥٦) 

Allah, and His angels, Send Blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe!  Send you blessings on him and salute him, with all respect. (Surah al-Ahzab:56) 

Allah (s.w.t.), and His angels, are Sending Swalawat on the Prophet (s.a.w.).  The Divine Order that immediately follows in the verse, Commands us to do the same.  This makes it clear that the quality of being a believer is dependent on and manifested by swalawat upon the Prophet (s.a.w.).