Thus, whoever approves of his own disbelief or that of others, his own defiantly disobedient conduct or that of others, and his own sins or those of others is neither seeking Allah’s approval nor a believer in Allah. Rather, he provokes his Lord’s displeasure, and his Lord is angry with him, curses him, condemns him, and threatens him with punishment.

The path to Allah to which rightly guided teachers call consists in enjoining obedience to Allah and forbidding disobedience to Him. Whoever enjoins, recommends, or praises a form of approval that Allah hates, condemns, forbids, and punishes those who hold it is an enemy of Allah, not a friend of His. He bars others from Allah’s way and path rather than following it himself.

Among the forms of contentment and approval found in human beings are those Allah loves, those He hates and is displeased with, and those that are permissible, belonging to neither category. The same applies to all other actions of the heart, such as love and hatred: they are all divided into what Allah loves, what Allah hates, and what is permissible. Since this is so, the contented person who neither asks Allah for Paradise nor seeks His protection from the Fire should be told: Asking