Know, then, that this line of argument rests on two foundations:

The first: that faith in Allah, together with worshipping Him, loving Him, and revering Him, is the human being’s nourishment, strength, well-being, and very life. This is the conviction of the people of faith and the clear teaching of the Quran. It is not—as certain scholastic theologians and the like maintain—that His worship is merely a burden, a hardship imposed upon the heart for no purpose but trial and examination, or for the servant’s later compensation with a wage, as the Muʿtazilites and others claim. Admittedly, some righteous deeds do run counter to the soul’s inclinations, and Allah, exalted is He, rewards the servant for performing the prescribed acts when they involve difficulty. He says, “That is because they suffer neither thirst nor fatigue…” (9:120), and the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to ʿĀʾishah, “Your reward is in proportion to the hardship you endure.” Still, such hardship is not the primary purpose of the divine command; it occurs only incidentally and secondarily for reasons that are not our concern here and will be clarified elsewhere.

For this reason, nowhere in the Book, the Sunnah, or the words of the early generations do we find faith and righteous action unreservedly described as a “burden of obligation” (taklīf), as many scholastic theologians are wont to do.