Once this relationship between “intention and action” is clear, the heart’s affirmation and knowledge entail action of the heart, just as sensory perception entails voluntary movement. For the soul has two faculties: the faculty of perceiving what is congenial or adverse, sensing it, acting upon it, and affirming it; and the faculty of loving what is congenial, hating what is adverse, and responding to perception through fear, hope, allegiance, and enmity. Perceiving what is congenial brings pleasure, joy, and happiness, while perceiving what is adverse brings pain and sorrow. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Every child is born upon the natural disposition. Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian, just as an animal gives birth to an intact offspring. Do you see any among them that is mutilated?”
Hearts are thus naturally disposed to acknowledge Allah, believing in Him and submitting to Him. Yet things arise that corrupt them. Knowing the truth entails loving it, and knowing falsehood entails hating it, because the natural disposition includes love of truth and hatred of falsehood. Yet things may arise that corrupt it: either doubts that prevent it from affirming the truth, or desires that prevent it from following it. Hence Allah has commanded us to say in prayer:
“Guide us to the straight path.”
“The path of those You have blessed—not those who have incurred Your anger, nor those who have gone astray.”
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“The Jews have incurred Allah’s anger, and the Christians have gone astray.”
This is because the Jews recognize the truth as they recognize their own sons, yet do not follow it because of their arrogance and envy, which give rise to hatred of the truth and hostility towards it. The Christians practise worship, and in their hearts are compassion and mercy; they also invented monasticism. Yet this is without knowledge, so they are astray. The former have knowledge without a sound intention, while the latter