“This is what you were promised—for everyone who turns to Allah and keeps His commands,

who fears the Most Merciful without seeing Him and comes with a repentant heart.

Enter it in peace; this is the Day of Eternity.”

The scholars who wrote on the Sunnah used to include in their statements of belief the need to avoid those who frequently profess love for Allah and discourse upon it without reverent fear, because of the corruption into which some Sufi groups had fallen through this. The corruption in their beliefs and deeds led other groups to reject the Sufi path altogether. Those who went astray thus fell into two groups: one accepted both its truth and its falsehood, while the other rejected both its truth and its falsehood, as did various groups of speculative theologians and jurists. The correct approach is to affirm whatever accords with the Book and the Sunnah, whether in this path or elsewhere, and to reject whatever contradicts the Book and the Sunnah, whether in this path or elsewhere.

Allah Most High says:

“Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.’”

Following the Sunnah of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his revealed Law, inwardly and outwardly, brings about Allah’s love. Likewise, striving in His cause, allegiance to His allies, and enmity toward His enemies constitute the very essence of love for Him, as stated in the hadith:

“The firmest bonds of faith are love for Allah’s sake and hatred for Allah’s sake.”