Hadith: I am a messenger from Allah to you to tell you that Allah loves you as you love him for His sake

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه مرفوعًا: «أن رجلا زَارَ أخًا له في قرية أخرى، فأَرْصَدَ الله تعالى على مَدْرَجَتِهِ مَلَكًا، فلما أتى عليه، قال: أين تريد؟ قال: أريد أخًا لي في هذه القرية، قال: هل لك عليه من نعمةٍ تَرُبُّهَا عليه؟ قال: لا، غيرَ أني أَحْبَبْتُهُ في الله تعالى ، قال: فإني رسولُ الله إليك بأنَّ الله قد أَحَبَّكَ كما أَحْبَبْتَهُ فيه».
[صحيح] - [رواه مسلم]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man set out to visit a brother (in faith) in another town, so Allah sent an angel to wait for him on his way. When he met the angel, the latter said: 'Where are you going?' He said: 'I am going to visit my brother in this town.' The angel said: 'Are you returning a favor?' He said: 'No, only that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted.' Thereupon the angel said: 'I am a messenger from Allah to you to tell you that Allah loves you as you love him for His sake.'"
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Muslim]

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recounts that a man from the past nations set out to visit a brother in faith in another town. Allah, the Exalted, sent an angel to watch over him and protect him on the way. The angel asked him where he was going. The man said that he was going to visit a brother in religion in that town. So the angel asked if that was his slave, son, dependent, or someone whom he benefits from or whom he owes a favor. The man replied in the negative, saying that he only loved that person for the sake of Allah and wished to gain the pleasure of Allah by visiting him. Thereupon, the angel told him that he was a messenger from Allah to tell him that Allah loves him just as he loves his brother for the sake of Allah.