what is unlawful. Otherwise, when desire is inflamed and gains mastery, it may be stronger than anger. Allah Most High has said:

“And mankind was created weak.”

That is, weak in relation to women, unable to bear being without them. In explaining His words:

“Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear,”

passionate love has been mentioned as one such burden. Passionate love leads those afflicted by it to illness and destruction, although anger can also reach that point.

In many places, the Quran indicates that strength and honour belong to those who obey Allah and repent to Him, as in His words in Surah Hūd:

“O my people, seek your Lord’s forgiveness, then repent to Him. He will send abundant rain upon you and add strength to your strength.”

And His words:

“Honour belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.”

“Do not weaken or grieve, for you will have the upper hand if you are believers.”

If Allah grants light, knowledge, strength, honour, and love for Allah and His Messenger to someone who abandons sins—lowering his gaze, guarding his chastity, and refraining from other things Allah has forbidden—then what do you think of someone who has never even approached sins, never cast a glance at them, and never entertained the thought of committing them, but instead strives in Allah’s cause against those who commit them so that they may abandon them? Are these two alike? Rather, the latter has many times more light, faith, honour, strength, love, authority, and deliverance in this world and the Hereafter than the former. His station is greater and higher, and his light more complete and stronger.

Souls crave sins, and Satan makes them attractive, so that doubts and desires come together in them. Thus, if Allah has made faith beloved to the believer, adorned it in his heart, and made hateful