3.31 – If you love God, follow me. God will love you and will forgive you your sins

This verse refers to human love for Allah, and a reciprocal love from Allah – on the condition that the reader or listener obeys the command to “follow me.”

Muslims understand the word me to refer to Muhammad, so the condition here for the love of Allah is to follow Muhammad.

This verse is one of just a handful of verses that mention human love for Allah (also 2.165; 5.54; perhaps 2.177 and 76.8). There is no command in the Quran to love either Allah or other humans. See the response to these verses at 5.54. See also “The Language of Love in the Quran”.

As for the condition for Allah’s love for humans (that humans follow the messenger), this verse brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 14:23: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Does Q 3.31 possibly set up a rivalry for the love and obedience of humans?