And someone who says this may also say: “I am too jealous over Him to love Him myself. Someone like me is unfit to worship Him; I worship only those who worship Him”—and similar notions that Satan has made appealing to the polytheists and people of misguidance. They may regard Allah’s withholding His gifts and favours from those who believe, do righteous deeds, and draw near to Him through various acts of devotion as a manifestation of His jealousy, just as a master or beloved may withhold from his servants or lovers what they deserve. This, too, reflects ignorance of Allah, denial of His promise, an accusation of injustice against Him, and a claim to purity for themselves. It is false.

In sum, praiseworthy jealousy consists either in refraining from what Allah has forbidden or in refraining from what Allah has neither commanded nor made obligatory. Whoever embodies neither of these two states has departed from obedience to his Lord’s command. The latter is the state of those who have attained perfection and are true in their devotion.

As for jealousy over what He has not forbidden, or over what Allah has permitted His servants to do and neither dislikes nor is displeased with, all of it is blameworthy, as explained above.