anything for other than Allah, harm will befall him whether the object of his love is present or absent. If it is absent, he is tortured by separation and anguish; and if he attains it, the pain he feels outweighs whatever delight it gives. Careful reflection and common experience both confirm this.

In fact, everyone who loves something apart from Allah for motives unrelated to Him finds that its harm exceeds its benefit, so created things become a curse upon him—except whatever is for Allah and in Allah, for that is the servant’s perfection and adornment. This is the purport of the Prophet’s words, peace and blessings be upon him: “The world is accursed, and everything in it is accursed except the remembrance of Allah and whatever is connected to it.” Al-Tirmidhī and others narrated it.

Fifth consideration: relying on a creature and placing one’s trust in it necessarily brings harm from that very side, for the person will be forsaken by it. This too is established by reflection and observation: never has a servant pinned his hope and trust on anyone other than Allah without being disappointed from that direction, nor has he sought victory through other than Allah without being abandoned. Allah the Exalted has said: “They have taken…”