What is the ruling on a person saying to another, "You are my Khalil" or "So-and-so is my Khalil"?

It is permissible for a person to say to someone he loves for the sake of Allah: "You are my Khalil (intimate friend)," for Khullah is the highest degree of love. This word was reported from some Companions regarding the Prophet (peace be upon him), and this does not contradict his (peace be upon him) saying: "I declare myself innocent before Allah of having a Khalil among you, for Allah Almighty has taken me as a Khalil"; because what is impossible is for him (peace be upon him) to take someone else as a Khalil, not the other way around. A Khalil is a pure friend whose love has permeated the heart. It must be noted when using this phrase that the relationship must be free from forbidden attachments, in accordance with the Almighty's saying: "Close friends on that Day will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous."