those brought near to Allah—are those who draw near to Allah Most High through voluntary acts of worship after fulfilling their obligatory duties, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in the authentic hadith he related from Allah Most High:

“My servant draws near to Me through nothing comparable to fulfilling what I have made obligatory upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts of worship until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks. Through Me he hears, through Me he sees, through Me he grasps, and through Me he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give him; if he seeks My protection, I will surely protect him. I have never hesitated over anything I do as I hesitate over taking the soul of My believing servant: he dislikes death, and I dislike causing him distress, yet he must undergo it.”

There is no disagreement among Muslims that, as a group, devout ascetics living in towns are superior to those living in deserts and mountains, just as a settled villager is superior to a nomad, and an emigrant to a Bedouin. Allah Most High says:

“The Bedouins are stronger in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely not to know the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Messenger.”

And the hadith states:

“Among the major sins is for a man to return to Bedouin life after emigrating.”

This concerns someone living in the desert among a community. What, then, of someone who lives permanently alone on a mountain or in a desert? Such a person misses out on religious benefits just as he misses out on worldly benefits, or nearly so. For Allah’s Hand is over the community, and Satan is with the person who is alone, but farther from two.