and the particular effects and causes associated with them—for example, the object of love or hatred—are one and the same, as with the Messenger whom all believers love. They are united in loving him in the sense that the one they love is the same, and one person’s love is of the same kind as another’s—not that they are the very same love. This concerns people’s union with one another: the brotherhood and intimate friendship of faith concerning which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like a single body: when one limb suffers, the rest of the body responds with fever and sleeplessness.”

This is recorded in both Sahīh collections. Thus, one believer’s relationship to another is likened to that of one limb to another, both joined by a single soul.

For this reason, Allah refers to a fellow believer as one’s own self in several places in the Book and the Sunnah. He, Most High, said:

“So do not claim purity for yourselves.”

And He said:

“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves.”

And He said:

“Allah has certainly bestowed His favour upon the believers by sending among them a Messenger from among themselves.”

And He said:

“So greet yourselves.”

And He said:

“So kill yourselves.”

When a believing servant turns to his Lord, worships Him, and acts in accord with Him, until he loves what his Lord loves, hates what his Lord hates, commands what his Lord commands, forbids what his Lord forbids, is pleased with what pleases his Lord, is angered by what angers his Lord, gives to those to whom his Lord gives, and withholds from those from whom his Lord withholds, he is the servant concerning whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, as reported by Abū Dāwūd through al-Qāsim from Abū Umāmah:

“Whoever loves for Allah’s sake and hates