their love for Allah, their servitude to Him, and their sincere religious devotion to Him alone. As Shaddād ibn Aws said:

“O remnant of the Arabs, what I fear most for you is showing off and hidden desire.”

Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī was asked, “What is hidden desire?” He replied, “Love of leadership.”

Kaʿb ibn Mālik reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Two hungry wolves let loose in a sheepfold are no more destructive to it than a person’s eagerness for wealth and prestige is to his religion.”

Al-Tirmidhī said, “A good and authentic hadith.”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus explained that eagerness for wealth and prestige is no less destructive to religion than two hungry wolves are to a sheepfold. This is clear, for sound religious devotion does not harbour such eagerness. Once the heart tastes the sweetness of servitude to Allah and love for Him, nothing becomes dearer to it such that it would give it precedence over that. Through this, evil and indecency are turned away from those sincerely devoted to Allah, as the Most High said:

“Thus it was, so that We might turn evil and indecency away from him. Indeed, he was one of Our chosen servants.”

One who is sincerely devoted to Allah has tasted a sweetness in serving Him that prevents him from serving anyone else, and a sweetness in loving Him that prevents him from loving anyone else. For the heart finds nothing sweeter, more delightful, more pleasant, gentler or more blissful than the sweetness of faith, which encompasses servitude to Allah, love for Him, and sincere religious devotion to Him alone. This draws the heart towards Allah, so that it turns to Him in repentance, fearing Him, filled with longing and awe. As the Most High said:

“One who feared the Most Merciful without seeing Him and came with a heart ever turning to Him.”

For one who loves fears losing what he seeks and the occurrence of