Tafsir of Hud 11:90

When he (peace be upon him) had warned them of the evil consequence of their deeds, he followed it up—in hopes of turning them away from the misguidance they were in—by urging them toward seeking forgiveness and repentance. He said: "And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then repent to Him." The explanation of the like of this has already passed. "Indeed, my Lord is Merciful"—possessing immense mercy, so He has mercy on whoever seeks forgiveness from Him—"and Loving."

This means: One who possesses much love and affection, so He loves those who repent and return to Him. It is well-known to treat "The Loving" (al-Wadud) as a metaphor, considering the intended end—that is, One who is hyperbolic in performing what a person of profound affection does for the one he loves, in terms of kindness and benevolence.

It is permissible for it to be a metonymy (kinayah) for those who do not stipulate the possibility of the literal meaning. The motive for resorting to metaphor or metonymy, as it is said, is that "love" implies an inclination of the heart, which is something that cannot be correctly attributed to the Exalted. The Salafi school says: Love in us is the aforementioned inclination, but in Him (glory be to Him), it is something beyond that, which befits the majesty of His Essence (glorious is His Majesty). It is also said: The meaning of "Loving" is that He makes Himself beloved to His servants by showing them kindness. Others say: It means the "Beloved of the believers." Interpreting it here in the manner previously mentioned is more appropriate. The sentence stands in the position of providing a reason for the preceding command. Most scholars did not consider the distribution we pointed to; rather, they said: He is immense in mercy toward those who repent, and hyperbolic in kindness and benevolence toward them, and there is no harm in this.