Hence, any kind of “perfection” that the beasts share with you—indeed, in which they may even outstrip you while being spared its consequences—deserves to be abandoned for the only true perfection, beyond which there is none.

And with Allah alone lies success.

A Momentous Insight
When a servant greets the morning and ends the evening with no concern save Allah alone, Allah, exalted is He, undertakes all his needs, lifts from him every worry, frees his heart for loving Him, his tongue for remembering Him, and his limbs for obeying Him.

But if he awakes and retires while this world is his main concern, Allah burdens him with its anxieties, sorrows, and hardships, leaves him to himself, and diverts his heart from loving Him to the love of people, his tongue from remembering Him to remembering them, and his limbs from obeying Him to serving them and attending to their affairs. He toils like a beast of burden in the service of others—like a bellows that swells its belly and crushes its ribs, yet only benefits someone else.

Therefore, anyone who turns away from servitude to Allah—His obedience and love—will inevitably be tried with servitude to, love of, and service for created beings.

The Exalted says: “But whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful, We appoint for him a devil, and he becomes his close companion.” ⦗Q 43:36⦘

Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah (d. 198 AH) said, “No proverb well-known among the Arabs exists except that I can bring you its counterpart from the Quran.” Someone asked him, “Where in the Quran is the saying, ‘Give your brother a date; if he will not accept it, then give him a burning ember’?” He replied, “It is in His statement: ‘But whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful, We appoint for him a devil…’ (the verse).”