taking the means that constitute prescribed acts of worship and obedience. If this person errs by abandoning the prescribed means included in Allah’s words,

“So worship Him and put your trust in Him,”

his error resembles that of the former person in abandoning the prescribed trust in Allah included in His words,

“So worship Him and put your trust in Him.”

However, it should be said: whoever trusts in Allah and supplicates to Him to obtain permissible things is among ordinary people; if he does so to accomplish recommended and obligatory deeds, he is among the elect. Likewise, whoever supplicates to Him and trusts in Him to obtain forbidden things wrongs himself. Whoever turns away from trusting in Allah disobeys Allah and His Messenger; indeed, he falls outside the reality of faith. How, then, can this station belong to the elect? Allah Most High says:

“Moses said, ‘O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him, if you are Muslims.’”

He Most High also says:

“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; but if He forsakes you, who can help you after Him?”

And He Most High says:

“And in Allah let the believers put their trust.”

He Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Have you considered those you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended harm for me, could they remove His harm?’”

Further on, He says:

“Say, ‘Allah is sufficient for me. In Him those who trust should put their trust.’”

Allah has mentioned these words, “Allah is sufficient for me,” sometimes in connection with obtaining benefit and at other times with averting harm. The first occurs in His words:

“If only they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger gave them and had said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will give us from His bounty, and so will His Messenger,’”

to the end of the verse.

The second occurs in His words:

“Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you