from him, while he performs them out of love of leadership, love of wealth, or attraction to a person’s appearance. Thus, they asked:

“O Messenger of Allah, a man fights out of bravery, partisan zeal, or a desire to show off. Which of these is in Allah’s cause?”

He replied: “Whoever fights so that Allah’s word is supreme is fighting in Allah’s cause.”

When many of the later Sufi ascetics began claiming love without weighing it against the standard of knowledge, the Book, and the Sunnah, an element of associating partners with Allah and following desires entered into it. Allah Most High has made love for Him entail following His Messenger. He says:

“Say, ‘If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you.’”

This is because the Messenger calls to what Allah loves. There is nothing Allah loves that the Messenger does not call to, and nothing the Messenger calls to that Allah does not love. Thus, what the Lord loves and what the Messenger calls to are inseparable; indeed, they are identical in essence, though described in different ways.

Anyone who claims to love Allah but does not follow the Messenger has made a false claim. His love is not for Allah alone. Rather, if he does love Him, it is a love tainted by associating partners with Him, for he merely follows his own desires. Such is the claim of the Jews and Christians to love Allah: had they devoted their love sincerely to Him, they would have loved only what He loves and would therefore have followed the Messenger. Since they loved what Allah hates while claiming to love Him, their love was of the same kind as that of the polytheists.

The same applies to the people of religious innovation. Whoever says that he is among those who seek Allah and love Him, yet has no intention of