seek to use him to achieve their own ends. Unless a person worships Allah, relies upon Him, is loyal to Him, and forms alliances and enmities for His sake, both groups will devour him, bringing about his ruin in this world and the Hereafter.

This is the familiar pattern of human conduct, with the warfare, disputes, disagreements and strife that arise among people. Some support Zayd and oppose Amr, while others do the reverse, all to serve their own ends. Once they have obtained what they want from the one they support—what they seek from Zayd—they turn to Amr. Amr’s supporters do likewise, as happens among all kinds of people.

Likewise, the “leader” on either side inclines towards those who support him. Yet unless their allegiance is for Allah’s sake, they are more harmful to him than his opponents. His opponents seek only to ruin his worldly life, whether by killing him, taking his wealth or removing him from office. All this is worldly harm, of no consequence so long as the servant’s religion remains intact. This is the opposite of the attitude of worldly people and those who love this world: they attach no importance to the corruption of their religion so long as their worldly affairs remain intact. They are unconcerned about it. As for “the servant’s religion,” which is between him and Allah, his opponents have no power over it.

His allies, however, whose allegiance serves their own ends, seek from him only what corrupts his religion, through his helping them achieve their aims and in other ways. If he does not comply, they turn into enemies. Thus harm comes upon him from “two directions”: