to the One who managed it at the outset, so that He may manage it in the end, just as it was entrusted to Him when you were hidden in the womb and when you were a nursing infant in your cradle.”

I say:

This is because the soul desires to obtain what it loves and what benefits it, and to ward off what it hates and what harms it. When, through obedience to the command, a person becomes detached from those concerns, he does what Allah loves and abandons what Allah hates. He thus substitutes doing what Allah loves for pursuing what he himself loves, and abandoning what Allah hates for avoiding what he himself hates. Yet the soul still needs to secure benefit and ward off harm, so in this he relies upon Allah.

The Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—mentioned reliance upon Allah here, rather than obedience, because the soul must secure benefit and ward off harm. Unless it relies upon Allah in this and trusts Him, it cannot set those concerns aside and comply with the command unconditionally. Rather, it will inevitably disobey the command in seeking benefit and warding off harm. Thus, worship of Allah and obedience to His command cannot be sound without reliance upon Him, just as reliance upon Him cannot be sound without worshipping and obeying Him.

Allah Most High says:

“So worship Him and rely upon Him.”

And He says:

“Whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him,”

“and provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah, He is sufficient for him.”

And He says:

“Remember the name of your Lord, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to Him.”

“Lord of the East and the West—there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, so take Him as your Trustee.”

And (the point) is that unconditional compliance with the command cannot be sound without