And if a needy man comes to him on a day of famine,
he says, “My wealth is neither absent nor withheld.” (1)

The correct view, however, is that it (2) derives from the former, which necessarily entails the latter. For the perfection] (3) of his love for Allah is a love of servitude and need; it is unlike the Lord’s love for His servant, which is a love arising from self-sufficiency and beneficence.

For this reason, the Exalted said:

“And say, ‘All praise is for Allah, Who has never had offspring, Who has no partner in His dominion, and Who needs no protector out of weakness. And proclaim His greatness immensely.’”

[Surah al-Isra': 111].

The Lord does not take His servant as an ally because of weakness (4), as one created being takes another as an ally. Rather, He takes him as an ally out of beneficence toward him. The term walī (ally) comes from walāya (alliance), and alliance is the opposite of enmity. The foundation of alliance is love, while the foundation of enmity is hatred.

If it is said that the term derives from a word meaning proximity, this is only part of its meaning (5), for an ally draws near to (6) his ally, whereas an enemy remains distant from his enemy. Since intimate friendship necessarily entails perfect love and encompasses the entire heart, it was not fitting for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to take any created being as an intimate friend (7). Rather, he said:

“If I were to take an intimate friend from among the people of the earth, I would take Abū Bakr as an intimate friend. But your companion is the intimate friend of Allah.” (8).