nor have they praised such love. The same is true of rational people among all nations. Yet some philosophers and Sufis enjoin and praise it because, they claim, it reforms and disciplines the soul, refines character, and fosters praiseworthy qualities such as generosity, courage, knowledge, eloquence, swagger, and the like. Indeed, some Roman and Persian philosophers, and their Arab followers, enjoin it, as do some Sufis. One of them even says, “The spiritual aspirant should choose a form upon which to focus his heart, then pass from it to Allah.” They may also claim that they behold Allah in that form, saying, “These are manifestations of beauty.” They misinterpret the Prophet’s words—peace and blessings be upon him—“Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.”

These people and others like them who engage in such practices claim that their path accords with reason, religion, and good character, whatever indecencies it may involve.

These people have their share in what Allah Most High says:

“When they commit an indecency, they say, ‘We found our forefathers doing this, and Allah has commanded us to do it.’ Say, ‘Allah does not command indecency.’”

[Surah al-Aʿrāf 28]

Yet the indecency committed by the Arabs who occasioned the revelation of this verse, and about which they made that claim, was merely circumambulating the House naked, because they believed that their clothes, in which