His bounty, and so will His Messenger. Indeed, to Allah alone we turn in hope.’” Allah Most High also said:

“So when you have finished, strive diligently.”

“And to your Lord alone turn your hopes.”

Thus, He made Allah alone the One to be regarded as sufficient and the One to whom hopes are directed. These matters are discussed at length elsewhere.

(The point) here is that saying, “There is no deity but You,” affirms that divinity belongs to Allah alone. This entails affirming Allah’s truthfulness in both word and deed. The polytheists acknowledged that Allah is the Lord of everything, yet they set up other gods alongside Him and did not acknowledge divinity as His alone.

Affirming that divinity belongs to Him alone requires that none but Him be worshipped and that supplication be addressed to none but Him, as in His words:

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

A person may intend to ask Allah alone and rely upon Him, but in matters that Allah does not love—indeed, that He dislikes and forbids. Although such a person directs his requests and reliance exclusively to Allah, he is not sincere in worshipping and obeying Him. This is the condition of many people with corrupt spiritual orientations who experience unveilings and exercise powers contrary to the command of Allah and His Messenger: they are given assistance in these matters.

Many of them seek Allah’s help in these pursuits. Yet because these pursuits do not accord with the command of Allah and His Messenger, they receive a share of worldly gains, but their ultimate outcome is evil. Allah Most High said:

“When distress befalls you at sea, all those you invoke are forgotten except Him. But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away. Man is ever ungrateful.”

Allah Most High also said: “And when a person is touched by