or need. As for someone who knows that a thing is evil and forbidden, how could he do it? Those who engage in all these practices may be ignorant of the harm they involve, or they may feel a need for them, such as a craving for them. The harm they entail may outweigh their pleasure, yet people fail to realize this because of their ignorance, or their desires overpower them until they commit these acts. Desire often makes a person behave as though he knows nothing of the truth, for your love of something blinds and deafens you.

This is why the person of knowledge fears Allah. Abū al-Āliyah said: “I asked the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, about the verse in which Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

‘Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then repent soon afterwards.’

They replied: ‘Everyone who disobeys Allah is ignorant, and everyone who repents before death has repented soon afterwards.’”

This is not the place to explain at length the predominant harms in what is forbidden and the predominant benefits in what is commanded. Rather, it is enough for the believer to know that whatever Allah commands is purely or predominantly beneficial, and whatever He forbids is purely or predominantly harmful. Allah has not commanded His servants to do what He commands because He needs them, nor has He forbidden them what He forbids in order to deceive them. Rather, He commands them to do what brings them well-being and forbids them from what brings them harm. Hence He described His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as one who

“enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong, makes lawful for them what is wholesome and forbids them what is foul.”

As for rubbing oneself against a grave—whatever grave it may be—kissing it, and rubbing one’s cheek upon it