Was Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) the Khalil (intimate friend) of Allah or the Habib (beloved) of Allah, and what is the difference between Khullah (intimate friendship) and Mahabbah (love)?

It is correct to say that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is the Khalil (intimate friend) of Allah and His Habib (beloved). The proof that he is Allah's Khalil is his statement: "Had I taken an intimate friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as an intimate friend. Indeed, your companion is the Khalil of Allah." The proof that he is Allah's Habib is the hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhi: "Indeed, I am the Habib of Allah." And what was narrated by Al-Bazzar, Al-Bayhaqi, At-Tabari, and Abu Hatim that it is in the Torah: "Muhammad is the Habib of the Most Merciful." The difference between the two terms is slight, except that khullah is more specific than mahabbah (love) and signifies its ultimate degree, as Ibn Al-Qayyim stated. An-Nawawi, however, transmitted that khullah and mahabbah are the same, or that mahabbah is a higher degree than khullah.