unlike someone whose pain does not encompass all his senses but is confined to particular parts of his body. The Most High said:

“So taste the painful punishment.”

The Most High also said:

“Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble!”

And He said:

“Taste the touch of Hellfire.”

And He said:

“They will not taste death therein.”

The Most High also said:

“There they will taste neither coolness nor drink, except scalding water and foul discharge.”

And He said:

“We will surely make them taste the lesser punishment before the greater punishment.”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet.”

Thus, the word “taste” is frequently used for perceiving both what is agreeable and what is disagreeable. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said:

“There are three qualities which, if present in a person, enable him to experience the sweetness of faith.”

This hadith has already been mentioned. A believer’s experience of the sweetness of faith in his heart, and his tasting of faith, are known to those who have had this experience. Those who taste it do so in varying degrees.

Thus, what the people of faith experience when they devote their hearts exclusively to Allah and turn to Him rather than anything besides Him—as pure monotheists, sincerely devoting their religion to Him, loving nothing except for His sake, relying on none but Him, forming allegiances only for His sake, bearing enmity only for His sake, asking none but Him, hoping in none but Him, and fearing none but Him; worshipping Him and seeking His help for His sake, so that they are with the True One without distraction by creation, and with creation without being driven by personal desire; their desire for anything besides Him having faded away through their desire for Him, their love of anything besides Him through their love of Him, and their fear of