—through which the faculties of imagination and estimation are drawn to conceptions suited to the worship of Allah, turning away from those suited to lower things—can arise only when one conceives in the desired object, toward which the estimative faculty is drawn, something that makes it desirable and lovable. Desiring it therefore entails loyalty to it and love for it—indeed, fear of it and hope in it as well.

All this, according to them, is the work of the estimative faculty. This shows that, in their view, the estimative faculty must apprehend meanings in the True One, exalted be He. This is an inescapable implication of their statements.

The fifth aspect:

He said:

“Which make the words sung to them acceptable to the estimative faculties.”

It thus becomes clear that he seeks to make the estimative faculty accept words set to melody. As explained above, the estimative faculty apprehends lovable and hateful meanings in a particular, individual object perceptible to the senses.

This shows that words set to melody contain something that leads the estimative faculty to accept speech calling to the worship and love of Allah. This follows from what was explained above: the estimative faculty perceives the meanings that evoke love and hatred, loyalty and enmity. Thus, the servant’s love for his Lord and worship of Him are conditional upon his conceiving in his Lord something that he loves. It therefore follows that, in their view, the Lord must be perceptible to the senses, and that the estimative faculty conceives in Him something for which He is loved.

The sixth:

He said:

“So that imagination and estimation may be drawn to conceptions suited to what is sacred, turning away from conceptions suited to what is lower.”