As for the heart’s love and hatred, desire and aversion, these should be complete and resolute; any deficiency in them is due only to a deficiency in faith. Bodily action, however, is according to one’s ability. Whenever the heart’s desire and aversion are complete and wholehearted, and the servant acts accordingly to the best of his ability, he is granted the reward of one who performs the deed fully, as we have explained elsewhere.

Some people’s love and hatred, desire and aversion, accord with what their own souls love and hate, rather than with what Allah and His Messenger love and hate. This is a form of desire, and whoever follows it has followed his own desire:

“And who is more astray than one who follows his own desire without guidance from Allah?” [Sūrat al-Qasas, 50]

For desire is rooted in what the soul loves, with what it hates following from that. Desire itself—the love and hatred within the soul—is not