and the hardship he endured, for he had never purified his loyalty and disavowal, his love and hatred, his support and preference so that they were devoted solely to Allah and His Messenger. Accordingly, Allah nullified that entire work and severed all those ties—the bonds and allegiances they had forged among themselves in this world for someone other than Him—as He said: “and all their connections will be cut off” (1) [Q 2:166].

Thus, on the Day of Resurrection every bond, link, means, affection, and [allegiance] (2) that existed for anything other than Allah will be cut; nothing will remain except the tie that joins the servant to his Lord. That tie is his share of hijrah (migration) to Allah and to His Messenger, his singling Allah out for worship, and everything that follows from it: love and hatred, giving and withholding, loyalty and enmity, drawing near and distancing; a pure adherence to the Messenger, abandoning the statements of others in favor of his (3); relinquishing everything (4) that conflicts with what he brought, turning away from it, attaching no weight (5) to it; and following him with an unadulterated conformity, free of any glance toward someone else—much less associating another with him, let alone preferring anyone’s word to his.

This is the bond (6) that will never be severed from its possessor. This is the relationship between the servant and his Lord—the relationship of pure servitude. It is his ultimate refuge: he may roam wherever he roams (7), yet to it he must always return.