The second is to lose awareness of everything other than Allah. This is what many Sufis call the state of overwhelming absorption, self-effacement, unified awareness, and the like.

This has merit insofar as the heart turns towards Allah, but it is deficient insofar as the person does not perceive things as they truly are. For if he perceives that Allah is the Lord, Sovereign, and Creator of everything; that He alone is worthy of worship, with no deity worthy of worship except Him; and that He sent the messengers, revealed the Books, commanded obedience to Himself and His messengers, and forbade disobedience to Himself and His messengers—thus perceiving the realities of His names, attributes, and decrees concerning creation and command—then his knowledge, perception, faith, and realization are more complete than if his perception of one meaning absorbs him so entirely that he loses awareness of another. And perceiving distinctions within unified awareness, and multiplicity within unity, is the sound perception that accords with reality. Yet if a person is overcome by a state that leaves him unable to perceive both, he is excused for his incapacity, not praised for his deficiency and ignorance.

The third is the effacement of the existence of anything other than Allah. This is the doctrine of the heretical proponents of the unity of existence, such as the author of al-Fusūs and his followers, who say:

“The existence of the Creator is the very existence of the created, and in reality there is nothing else whatsoever.”

Their doctrine constitutes greater disbelief than the doctrines of the Jews, Christians, and idol-worshippers.

Furthermore, friendship with Allah consists in being in accord with Him: loving what He loves, hating what He hates, being pleased with what pleases Him, being displeased with what displeases Him, commanding what He commands, forbidding what He forbids, befriending His friends, and opposing His enemies, as related in Sahīh al-Bukhārī