And here He, glorified be He, states that He Himself endeared faith to them and made it beautiful in their hearts. Concerning desires, however, He said:

“Made attractive to people is the love of desires.”
[Surah Āl ʿImrān 14]

He did not name the one who made it attractive, but spoke in general terms. Allah Most High also said:

“Thus We have made every community’s deeds attractive to them.”
[Surah al-Anʿām 108]

Just as He left unnamed the one who made it attractive there, He said:

“Made attractive to people is the love of desires.”
[Surah Āl ʿImrān 14]

Thus, He made the love of these desires itself what is made attractive, rather than the object of love—just as He stated that He made every community’s deeds attractive to them. For what is made attractive is the love of these desires itself; He did not make the object of love what is made attractive, but rather the love of desires. When love and action themselves are made attractive, the heart does not turn away from them. This is unlike the case in which the object of love is what is made attractive: that object may be made attractive, yet a person may not love it because of the knowledge of its true nature and the aversion present in his heart.

There is therefore a distinction between making something attractive within the heart and making something external to it attractive. This refutes the Qadariyyah, who regard this making attractive as external to the heart. The same applies to His words:

“His evil deed has been made attractive to him, so that he regards it as good.”
[Surah Fātir 8]

Regarding faith, He, glorified be He, has bestowed two favors upon us: He has endeared it to us and made it beautiful in our hearts. Blessings are thus perfected through both knowledge and love.

It is established in the Sahīh through more than one transmission from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he