Ibn Qayyim said that there are ten things that bring about the love of Allah.
1) Recitation of the Qur’ an with reflection and with understanding of its meanings.
2) Seeking closeness to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after having performed obligatory ones, for that leads one to the highest levels of love.
3) Remembering Allah during every situation – with one’s time, heart and deeds, one’s share of that love is to the degree of one’s share in that remembrance.
4) Preferring what He loves to what you love when your desires are strong.
5) Allowing your heart to reflect on His Names and Attributes.
6) Reflecting on His many favors and blessings, both the apparent ones and hidden ones, for that leads to His love.
7) Having your heart softened as it is worshipping Allah.
8) Being alone with Him in worship when He descends during the last third of the night. And this means to invoke Him, to recite His Speech, to stand with all sincerity and with good manners and with good submission, and then to end that with repentance and with seeking His forgiveness.
9) Sitting with those who are truthful in their love of Allah.
10) Staying away from all that creates barriers between the heart and Allah.
Ibn Qayyim also says, “And whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others. And whoever is for Allah, Allah will be for him where he is not even there for his own self. Whoever knows Allah, nothing will be more beloved to him than Him and no desire will remain in this type of person for anything other that Him, except that which will bring him closer to Him or assist him in his journey to Him.”
We ask Allah to grant us His love, and the love of those who love Him and the love of those actions which bring us close to him [ameen]