fantasies that there is no room to recount here. One of them may even imagine that he is no longer bound by divine commands, that forbidden things have become lawful for him, and other notions contrary to the Messenger’s law and Sunnah and to obedience to him. Yet Allah has made jihad in His cause an expression of love for Him and His Messenger. “Jihad” entails complete love for what Allah has commanded and complete hatred of what He has forbidden. Thus, describing those whom He loves and who love Him, He says:

“Humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving in Allah’s cause.”

For this reason, this community’s love for Allah is more complete than that of earlier communities, and their servitude to Allah is more complete than that of their predecessors. The most perfect members of this community in this respect are the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. The more closely someone resembles them, the more complete these qualities are in him. How far removed this is from people who merely profess love!

Among the sayings of certain spiritual masters is:

“Love is a fire that burns away from the heart everything other than what the Beloved wills.”

They meant that Allah has willed the existence of the entire universe, and so they supposed that perfect love requires the servant to love everything—even disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience. Yet no one can love everything that exists. Rather, a person loves what suits and benefits him, and hates what is incompatible with him and harms him. Through this error, however, they found a means of following their own desires. They love whatever they desire, such as physical forms, leadership, surplus wealth, and misleading innovations, claiming that this is part of loving Allah. Yet loving Allah includes hating what Allah and His Messenger hate, and waging jihad against those who engage in it with one’s life and wealth.