—and He is pleased to bring kufr (disbelief) into existence, yet He is not pleased with kufr itself.

I said, “But Allah, exalted be He, says, ‘He is not pleased with disbelief for His servants.’ How, then, can He be pleased to create kufr?”

He replied, “He wills it for them, but He is not pleased with it.”

I asked, “Why?”

He answered, “Because He created Iblis: He was pleased to create Iblis, yet He is not pleased with Iblis himself. The same holds for wine and swine—He was pleased to create them, but He is not pleased with them in and of themselves.”

I said, “For what reason?”

He said, “If He were pleased with wine per se, then whoever drank it would be consuming something with which Allah is pleased. Yet He is not pleased with wine, or with kufr, or with Iblis, or with his deeds. Rather, He is pleased with Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

I asked, “Consider the Jews who said, ‘The hand of Allah is chained—may their hands be chained!’ Did Allah approve their saying that?”

He replied, “No.”