What a wretched lodging place it is—may Allah protect us! They are carried straight from this world to Hell; we ask Allah for safety. It is a blazing fire that penetrates to the very hearts, shut in upon them, its doors locked fast, with towering pillars stretched out over them.

“They swear to you so that you may be pleased with them” (Repentance 9:96), because you know nothing of their hidden realities and can judge only by outward appearances. “But even if you are pleased with them, Allah will never be pleased with the defiantly disobedient people” (Repentance 9:96). Even if every human being were pleased with you while Allah was not, their approval would avail you nothing; only Allah’s good pleasure benefits. When Allah is pleased with you, He makes the people pleased with you and inclines their hearts toward you, just as it is reported in the ḥadith: “When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says, ‘I love so-and-so, so love him.’ Gabriel then loves that person and announces in heaven, ‘Allah loves so-and-so, so love him,’ and the inhabitants of heaven love him; thereafter acceptance is set for him on earth.” Thus he becomes welcome among the people of the earth.

As Allah, exalted is He, says: “Indeed, those who believe and perform righteous deeds—the All-Merciful will appoint love for them” (Maryam 19:96).

But if someone seeks people’s approval at the price of Allah’s anger, the opposite occurs: Allah becomes angry with him, and the people become angry with him as well.

For this reason, when Muʿāwiyah—may Allah be pleased with him—assumed the caliphate, ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—wrote to him, saying: “I heard the Prophet ﷺ say, ‘Whoever seeks Allah’s pleasure while incurring people’s displeasure, Allah will spare him the burden of the people; and whoever seeks people’s pleasure while angering Allah, Allah will leave him…’”