and it entails the second principle: that striving in His cause should be more beloved to them than family and wealth. This is the perfection of faith whose reward is the love of Allah and His Messenger.

As Allah Most High says:

“The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, then never doubt”—a faith followed by no doubt—“and strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah.”
[Surah al-Hujurāt 15]

He likewise describes those who possess such love in His words:

“He loves them and they love Him, humble towards the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving in the cause of Allah and fearing no blame from anyone.”
[Surah al-Mā’idah 54]

Thus, He—glory be to Him—speaks of their humility towards the believers, their might against the disbelievers, their striving in His cause, and their fearlessness in the face of blame: they do not fear people’s reproach for these things.

These are the people who endure blame and reproach for loving Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause. Allah loves them, and they love Him. They are not like those who endure blame and reproach for loving what Allah and His Messenger do not love. Nor are they like those called the Malāmatiyya, who openly display deeds detested by the True One for which they incur blame. They suppose that openly displaying reprehensible deeds for which people blame them, while remaining inwardly sound, demonstrates their truthfulness and sincerity. Yet in this they follow nothing but conjecture and the desires of their own souls.