, and likewise the love used as the standard of comparison is theirs, since the context indicates this.

If someone says, “He loves Zayd as he loves ‘Amr,” or “He loves ‘Alī as he loves Abū Bakr,” or “He loves righteous people outside his family as he loves the righteous among his family,” or if it is said, “He loves falsehood as he loves truth,” or “He loves listening to whistling and clapping as he loves listening to the Quran,” and similar expressions, the only meaning understood is that the same person loves both objects of comparison: he loves this just as he loves that. It is not understood to mean that he loves this as someone else loves that, for nothing in the wording indicates anyone else’s love at all.

The point is that love may be directed towards something taken as a god besides Allah. Allah Most High says:

“Have you seen the one who takes his own desires as his god and whom Allah has knowingly led astray?”

Whoever worships what he desires has taken his desires as his god: whatever he desires becomes his god. He does not worship the One who deserves worship, but rather worships whatever he desires. This person who takes his desires as his god has a love like that of the polytheists for their gods, or that of the calf-worshippers for the calf. This is love alongside Allah, not love devoted to Allah. It is the love of those who associate partners with Him.

Souls may claim to love Allah, while in reality their love involves associating partners with Him: they love what they desire and have made it a partner with Allah in their love. Desire may remain hidden from the soul, for your love of something makes you blind and deaf. The same applies to deeds that a person thinks he performs for Allah, while within his soul there is an association of partners with Allah that has remained hidden