and His Messenger, listening stirs this love and the ecstasy, sweetness, and other feelings that accompany it, just as it stirs in other hearts love for idols, crosses, brethren, dear friends, homelands, companions, beardless youths, and women. Hence, listening to poems is mentioned in accounts of some of their leading figures when discussing love, as Abū Tālib does.

The response is that the love and movement of the heart aroused by this innovated practice of listening and similar practices are not what Allah and His Messenger love. Rather, it contains more of what Allah does not love and what He hates than of what He loves and does not hate. Its diverting people from what Allah loves and deterring them from it outweighs its stirring them towards what Allah loves. Even if it arouses love and moves the heart, and this is thought to be something Allah loves and approves of, that is merely following conjecture and what souls desire, although guidance has already come to them from their Lord.

What further clarifies this is that Allah, glorified and exalted be He, has explained love in His Book and mentioned what brings it about and its signs. This practice of listening produces the opposite—something incompatible with it.

Allah says in His Book:

“Yet among people are those who take others as equals to Allah, loving them as they love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.”
[Surah al-Baqarah 165]

He also says:

“Say, ‘If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.’”
[Surah Āl ʿImrān 31]

And He says:

“Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble towards the believers,