Such a person is like someone who has wealth to give away but has no particular intention governing his giving—neither an intention prescribed by religious law nor a blameworthy one. Rather, he gives to everyone. Assuming that he has fulfilled his obligations to the best of his ability, but Allah’s prescriptive will concerning the details of his actions remains unclear to him, he is not blamed for what he does, nor is he praised without qualification. Rather, he is praised for being free of personal desire. Had he known the details of what he was commanded to do and intended to act accordingly, his state would have been more perfect. Indeed, when one is able, doing so is either obligatory or recommended.

His state is better than that of someone whose choices are governed by his own desires and inclinations, even when those choices are permissible. Yet he falls short of someone whose choices are governed by his Lord’s command, rather than by personal desire or divine decree alone.

In sum, with regard to permissible matters such as authority, wealth, and the like, people fall into “three categories”:

Some act in these matters only according to the commands of religious law. This is the state of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: the state of the servant-messenger and those who follow him in this respect.

Others act in these matters according to their own wishes and desires that are not forbidden. This is the state of the prophet-king, and the state of the righteous, the people of the right.

Still others act according to neither of these. As for “the former,” this is due to their lack of