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There are two groups: those who journey towards Allah solely through aspiration, love, and drawing ever nearer to Him, without regard for the commands and prohibitions revealed by Allah. Their path culminates in self-effacement in recognizing Allah’s oneness in lordship. They speak of undifferentiated awareness and total self-effacement in recognizing His oneness in lordship, but do not reach the “second distinction.” They say that someone in this state of self-effacement neither regards a good deed as good nor an evil deed as evil, and they make this the ultimate goal of the spiritual path.

The other group distinguishes between what they approve and disapprove of, what they love and hate, and what they command and forbid—but according to their own wishes, loves, and desires, not according to the Book revealed by Allah.

Both groups follow their own desires without guidance from Allah. Neither group has truly fulfilled the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. For truly fulfilling the testimony to Allah’s oneness requires that one love only for Allah’s sake, hate only for Allah’s sake, give allegiance only for Allah’s sake, and oppose others only for Allah’s sake; that one love what Allah loves, hate what He hates, command what Allah has commanded, and forbid what Allah has forbidden; and that you place your hope in Allah alone, fear Allah alone, and ask of Allah alone. This is the religion of Abraham, and this is the Islam with which Allah sent all the messengers.