Is it wrong to love Allah greatly and not love Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, with the same intensity, and how can a Muslim increase his love for the Prophet?

Love for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is one of the cornerstones of faith, as he said: "None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his father, and all people." And Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Indeed, you are more beloved to me than everything except my own soul." The Prophet said to him: "No, by Him in whose hand is my soul, [not until I am] more beloved to you than your own soul." Then Umar said to him: "Indeed, now, by Allah, you are more beloved to me than my own soul." Thereupon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Now, O Umar."

Al-Khattabi said: The intended meaning is the love of choice, meaning the devotion of one's soul in obedience to him and preferring his pleasure over personal desires. Among the signs of loving him are loving his Sunnah and reading his Ahadith, because the sweetness of faith delights in hearing the words of Allah and the Ahadith of the Messenger.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said regarding the verse: (The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves), that this precedence implies that the Messenger should be more beloved to the servant than his own self. This necessitates complete submission, obedience, contentment, and acceptance, and that the servant should have no judgment over himself, but rather the judgment belongs to the Messenger.

Among the things that instill love for him is sensing his beneficence in conveying the message and guiding us to goodness, and his immense concern for us and our salvation, as stated in the verse: (There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you; and to the believers he is kind and merciful). Reading his biography, including his patience, courage, generosity, and forbearance, also helps in this regard.