We should learn how to earn God’s love to succeed in this life and Hereafter really meaningful.

Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) once said:
“ Love Allah because He nourishes and sustains you. Love me because Allah loves me.” (Tirmidhi).

We should learn how to earn Allah’s love. Allah shows us two ways by which He bestows His love upon us. Allah exhorts holy Prophet in the Quran:

“Say: ‘If you do love Allah follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.’ Quran (3:31)

“Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds, to them will God Most Gracious bestow His Love.” Quran (19:96)

It is very clear that if we follow the traditions (sunnah) of the Prophet, Allah will love us. Allah’s Messenger invited people to faith in Allah and deeds of righteousness, which he himself practiced with much devotion.

The believers can show their love and devotion to Allah by performing not only the obligatory duties but by offering voluntary deeds. This means committing oneself to the obligatory five daily prayers, charity (almsgiving), fasting in the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Makkah once in a lifetime for those who can afford it. In addition to these obligatory deeds, we should try as much as possible to offer optional prayers, to give voluntary charity, to fast in other days and months, and to perform minor pilgrimage to Makkah (umrah).

All these deeds must be performed in accordance with the traditions of the Prophet. The most important of these voluntary deeds is the prayers after midnight (tahajjud). Allah commanded His Messenger to offer night prayers, which the Prophet regularly did and which become part of his Sunnah. Allah says in the Quran: “O you [Mohammed] shrouded in cloth! Stand (to prayer) by night, but not whole night, half of it, or a little less or a little more; and recite the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tone. Soon We shall send down to you a weighty Word. Truly the rising by night is a time when impression is more keen and speech more certain. True, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties: but keep in remembrance the name of Allah and devote yourself to Him whole-heartedly. He is the God (rabb) of the East and the West: there is no God but He. Take Him therefore for your Disposer of affairs.” Quran (73:1-9)

By making night prayers a part of our life, we become pious, a characteristic that will make us better Muslims. We must strive to be pious to earn Allah’s Love. We must know that Allah’s Messenger encourage us to have such excellent character as narrated in the following Hadith.

Prophet’s Companion Abu Dharr (RA) narrated that Allah’s Messenger said to him; “You are not better than people with red or black skins unless you excel them in piety.”…{Tirmidhi and Ahmed)

Once we become pious, we earn Allah’s love; in return, Allah will bless us.
In another Hadith, Companion Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Prophet said; “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so: O Gobriel! Love him’. Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven. ‘Allah Loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him too,’ and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people in the earth.”… (Bukhari and Tirmidhi} We should love each other for the sake of Allah. We must also invite other people to love Allah for the favours that He has given to them. Allah is our Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher. Everything comes from Him. He alone deserves our love, Allah says in the Quran:

“Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah as equal [with Allah]; they love them as they should love Allah. But those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see; behold, they would see the penalty that to Allah belongs all power and Allah will strongly enforce the penalty.” Quran (2:165)

Allah loves those who constantly supplicated, and repent, He says in the Quran: “Truly Allah loves those who turn into Him in repentance.” Quran (2:222)

Finally, the believers should always keep Allah in their hearts, and glorify Him with his 99 names as the Prophet said: “The people of paradise will not regret, except one thing: the hour that they wasted in which they made no remembrance of Allah. “(Tabarani).

source from: http://www.quranclass.com/God_Loves.asp