Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ وَلَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ أُرَاهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا زَارَ أَخًا لَهُ فِي قَرْيَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَرْصَدَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَدْرَجَتِهِ مَلَكًا فَلَمَّا أَتَى عَلَيْهِ قَالَ الْمَلَكُ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ قَالَ أَزُورُ أَخًا لِي فِي هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ قَالَ هَلْ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تَرُبُّهَا قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنِّي أَحْبَبْتُهُ فِي اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ فَإِنِّي يَعْنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ أَحَبَّكَ كَمَا أَحْبَبْتَهُ.
English Translation
'Affan narrated to us, he said: Hammad narrated to us, Thabit narrated to us, from Abu Rafi', from Abu Hurayrah. Hammad said: I do not think it is other than attributed (to the Prophet). Then Hammad said: I believe it is from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "A man visited a brother of his in another village. Allah placed an angel on his path. When he reached him, the angel said: 'Where are you headed?' He said: 'I am going to visit a brother of mine in this village.' He said: 'Do you have any favor from him that you wish to repay?' He said: 'No, except that I love him for the sake of Allah the Almighty.' He said: 'Then I am the messenger of Allah to you (telling you) that Allah the Almighty has loved you as you have loved him.'"