Any love with anybody requires our understanding and cognisant towards that thing or person. Our love will be more and more if we would know more. Example parents they love their children and children they love their parents reason despite their blood relation as parents they see their own image in their children and vice versa but another thing also evolve that is their understanding and knowledge with each other. Otherwise if someone else took responsibility of taking care and raising of a new born baby, we see after few years that child love that couple as if they are his/ her own parents.
Now if we want love any of Prophet or Aimmah ( Ahlul bait) or even Awliya Allah ( devotees of Allah) we must known about them and we must have knowledge and Marifat (cognisant) of them. Without knowing them we will not be able to love them and when we love them we would try to follow them ( and this is the actual and ultimate goal of our life) because with Knowing Prophets and Aimmah ( Ahlulbait) we would not be able to have true Cognisant of Allah (swt). Allah(swt) has no physical body, He can’t ascend down to the materialistic life to show His Holy attributes for example if I want to be a noble and kind person how do we know what exactly nobility and kindness is( May be one can say it’s a very Human nature ok I can accept while there is discussion in this concern but any how it’s ok ) but what about helping others by wealth by time by our knowledge, how we can get our role model or in Ebadat of Allah and finding the straight path ( Sirat al Mustaqim) who can guide us. In Islamic History none other than Alhlul bait after Holy Prophet is 100% pure and perfect human being and free from sins. Even very close companions of Holy Prophet, if we read their past history, either they were idolators or drinking wine or commiting other sins. When they became Muslim Allah forgave them but if you want find then 100% perfect role model for a Muslim, you can’t you still see a gap but about Alhlul Bait (a.s) no one can say a single word regarding their Faith their character or behavior or Piety ect. Therefore Alhlul bait ( a.s) after Holy Prophet (saww) are our appropriate and true role model who can fill all the gaps in our life which none other than them can do.