Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah
Amma ba'd
Allaah, Subhanahu wa Ta'aala, said:
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلاً مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allaah (Tawheed), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims." (Fussilat, ayah 33)
Shaikh 'Abdur-Razzaq ibn 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaad (hafidhahumullaah) said*: Hasan al-Basree (d. 110H, rahimahullaah) said: This is the beloved of Allaah, this is the close friend (Walee) of Allaah, this is the chosen one of Allaah, this is the most beloved of the all the people of earth to Allaah. He responded to the call of Allaah and called mankind to that to which he had responded. He did righteous deeds in response and said, 'I am one of the Muslims.' This is Allaah's Khalifah (upon the earth).**
* In a Telelink with Masjid Tawheed in Detroit almost two years ago
** This is Hasan al-Basree's complete statement, as obtained from the translated and abridged version of Tafseer Ibn Katheer, narrated by Ma'mar (rahimahumullaah). And Allaah knows best.