a man loved another. The beloved threw himself into the water, and the lover threw himself in after him. The beloved said:

“I fell in, but why did you fall in?”

He replied:

“I became so absorbed in you that I lost awareness of myself and thought that you were me.”

This is the state of someone who cannot perceive any created thing when his heart perceives the existence of the Creator. It is something that befalls a group of spiritual wayfarers. Some regard it as part of the spiritual path, while others regard it as its ultimate goal. They thus make annihilation in the recognition of Allah’s sole lordship the ultimate goal, no longer distinguishing between what is commanded and what is forbidden, or between what is loved and what is disliked.

This is a grave error. Their awareness of divine decree and the workings of divine lordship has diverted them from awareness of the revealed Law, its commands and prohibitions, worshipping Allah alone, and obeying His Messenger. Whoever seeks the removal of his selfhood in this sense is not to be praised for it, though he may be excused.

As for the third form—the abandonment of worship of all other than Allah—this is the state of the prophets and their followers. It means abandoning the worship of all others by worshipping Allah, love for all others by loving Him, fear of all others by fearing Him, obedience to all others by obeying Him, and reliance upon all others by relying upon Him. This is the realization of worshipping Allah alone, without any partner. It is pure monotheism, the religion of Abraham.

This includes abandoning the pursuit of one’s own desires by obeying Allah, so that one loves only for Allah’s sake, hates only for Allah’s sake, gives only for Allah’s sake, and withholds only for Allah’s sake. This is the religiously prescribed form of fanā’ (annihilation) with which Allah sent His messengers and revealed His scriptures.