And this verse concerns the Prophet’s Companions—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who were with him at Uhud, and who are the best of creation. If they did not desire Allah, would those beneath them, such as al-Shiblī and his like, desire Him?

A similar example is an account I know concerning one of the shaykhs, who was once asked about Allah’s words:

“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.”
Surah al-Tawbah, 111

He said, “If lives and wealth are the price of Paradise, then by what is the vision of Allah attained?” Someone gave him an answer of the same kind as this question.

We must understand that everything Allah has prepared for His beloved servants—the bliss of looking upon Him and all other delights—is within Paradise, just as everything with which He has threatened His enemies is within the Fire. Allah Most High has said:

“No soul knows what joy has been kept hidden for them.”
Surah al-Sajdah, 17