from Allah, hoping for Allah’s mercy; and refraining from disobedience to Allah, guided by a light from Allah, fearing Allah’s punishment.”

Every servant must repent and seek forgiveness according to his condition. When Allah blesses a servant with the affirmation of His oneness, and he sincerely testifies from his heart that none is worthy of worship but Allah—the One worshipped who deserves the utmost love and servitude, with reverence, honour, fear and hope, so that the heart becomes absorbed in loving Allah Most High to the exclusion of loving anything besides Him, in supplicating Him, relying upon Him and asking of Him to the exclusion of all others, and in obeying Him to the exclusion of obeying all others—Allah adorns him with security, happiness, joy, compassion for creation and striving in Allah’s cause. Thus, he both strives and shows compassion.

He possesses patience and compassion. Allah Most High says:

“And urge one another to patience and urge one another to compassion.”

The stronger the affirmation of Allah’s oneness becomes in a servant’s heart, the stronger his faith, tranquillity, reliance upon Allah and certainty become.

The fear that arises in people’s hearts is due to the association of partners with Allah within their hearts. Allah Most High says:

“We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they have associated partners with Allah.”

Likewise, Allah, exalted is His majesty, says in the account of His intimate friend, peace be upon him, “Do you dispute with me about Allah, when He has guided me?”—up to His words:

“Those who believe and do not mix their faith with wrongdoing—it is they who will have security, and they are rightly guided.”

An authentic hadith states:

“May the slave of the dinar perish! May the slave of the dirham perish! May the slave of the cloak perish! May the slave of the plush garment perish!