Thus, the situations fall into three categories: something may be loved without being enlisted for help; it may be relied upon without being loved; or both love and reliance may converge upon the same object.

Once it is understood that, at every moment and in every circumstance, the servant must have—first—a supreme end that he seeks (that is his deity), and—second—a source from which he seeks assistance (that is his ṣamad, the One to Whom he turns for support and worship), it becomes clear that the words, “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help” (Qur’an 1:5), constitute an all-embracing statement that covers beginning and end; nothing lies outside its scope. Accordingly, the situations expand to four:

1. A person may worship something other than Allah and seek its help—even while counting himself a Muslim—for idolatry within this community can be subtler than the creeping of ants.

2. He may worship Allah but seek help from someone else, as happens with many religious people who aim to obey Allah and His Messenger and to worship Him alone with no partner, yet whose hearts humble themselves