There are many narrations which say that the Allah (عز وجل) put forth the spirits of all the creations before creation of their bodies in front of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله) and the Imam's (عليهم السلام) and made the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله) and the Imam's (عليهم السلام) know those who love them and those who hate them.

Hadith 1:

حدثنا حسن بن علي بن عبد الله بن المغيرة قال حدثنا عبيس بن هشام عن عبد الكريم عن سماعة بن مهران عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال بينا أمير المؤمنين في مسجد الكوفة إذ اتاه رجل فقال يا أمير المؤمنين والله انى لأحبك قال ما تفعل قال والله انى لأحبك قال ما تفعل قال بلى والله الذي لا اله الا هو قال والله الذي لا اله الا هو ما تحبني فقال يا أمير المؤمنين انى احلف بالله انى أحبك وأنت تحلف بالله ما أحبك والله كأنك تخبرني انك اعلم بما في نفسي فغضب أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وإنما كان الحديث العظيم يخرج منه عند الغضب قال فرفع يده إلى السماء وقال كيف يكون ذلك وهو ربنا تبارك وتعالى خلق الأرواح قبل الأبدان بألفي عام ثم عرض علينا المحب من المبغض فوالله ما رأيتك فيمن أحبنا فأين كنت

Narrated through a chain of reliable narrators that Abu Abdullah Imam Sadiq (عليه السلام) said,

"Amir-ul-Momineen (عليه السلام) was giving a sermon in the Masjid of Al-Kufa, when a man came up and said, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen (عليه السلام), by Allah (عز وجل), I love You."

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) said, "You do not."

The man said, "By Allah (عز وجل), I do love you."

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) said, "You do not."

The man again said, "Yes, by Allah (عز وجل) besides Whom there is no god but Him."

Imam Ali (عليه السلام) said, "By Allah (عز وجل) besides Whom there is no god but Him, you do not love Me.

The man then said, "O Amir-ul-Momineen (عليه السلام), I swear by Allah (عز وجل) I love You and You swear by Allah (عز وجل) that I do not love You, and it is as if You are informing me that You know what is in my soul?"

Amir-ul-Momineen (عليه السلام) got angry, and it was a great narrative that came out of Him because of him being angry. He raised His hands towards the sky and said: How can that be, and He is our Lord (تبارك وتعالى), Who Created the souls a thousand years before creating the bodies, He then presented to Us the lover and the hater, And by Allah (عز وجل), I did not see you among those that love Us. Where were you?"

[Source: Basaair Al-Darajaat, Vol. 2, Chapter. 15, Hadees. 4]

Hadith 2:

حدثنا احمد بن محمد ومحمد بن الحسين جميعا عن الحسن بن محبوب عن على بن رئاب عن بكير بن اعين قال كان أبو جعفر عليه السلام يقول ان الله اخذ ميثاق شيعتنا بالولاية لنا وهم ذر يوم اخذ الميثاق على الذر والاقرار له بالربوبية ولمحمد صلى الله عليه وآله بالنبوة وعرض الله على محمد امته في الطين وهم اظلة وخلقهم من الطينة التى خلق منها آدم وخلق الله ارواح شيعتنا قبل ابدانهم بالفى عام وعرضهم عليه وعرفهم رسول الله وعرفهم عليا ونحن نعرفهم في لحن القول

ٕNarrated through a chain of reliable narrators that Abu Jafar Imam Baqir (عليه السلام) said,

"Allah took a covenant (Misaq) from our Shia regarding our Wilayah when they were small particles. It was the day when Allah took a covenant from all particles to acknowledge Him as the Lord and Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله) as the Prophet.

And Allah (عز وجل), presented to Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وآله) his Umma (followers) in clay and they were shadows. He created them from the clay out of which Adam (عليه السلام) was created. Allah created the spirits of our Shia two thousand years before their bodies were created. He presented them to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله) and essenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله) recognized them and Ali (عليه السلام) recognized them and We recognize them by the tone of their speech."

[Source: al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Pg. 438]

Hadees is Hasan (Reliable) as per chain of narrators. See Mirat al-Uqool - Allama Majlisi, Vol. 5, Pg. 166