—glorified is He—which entails loving Him. For Allah created humankind only to worship Him, and He created desires within them so that by means of those desires they might obtain what they can use (1) to aid them in worshipping Him. Whoever does not worship Allah is corrupt and doomed. Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, whereby another is worshipped alongside Him; so what, then, of one who abandons His worship and does not worship Him at all, like Pharaoh and others of his kind?

Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whomever He wills.”

[Surah al-Nisāʾ: 48]

[Abandoning His worship is no less grave than associating partners with Him; rather, it is graver. Those who are too arrogant to worship Him commit a greater offense than those who worship Him while also worshipping others alongside Him. Since He does not forgive the latter, the former are all the more deserving of this (2). Moreover, there is no believer whose heart is devoid of love for Allah] (3), even if he denies it with his tongue.

Those speculative theologians who deny loving Him—though they are believers—would find within their hearts a love for Him whose measure cannot be expressed, if only they returned to the natural disposition upon which they were created and considered the state of their hearts while worshipping Him. They are among the people most deeply engaged in acquiring knowledge of Him and His attributes and in remembering Him, and all of this stems from their love for Him (4). Otherwise, souls do not eagerly remember what they do not love, except when their need is bound up with it. Hence it is said:

“Whoever loves something mentions it often.”

The believer finds himself in need of Allah to attain what he seeks, yet he also finds in his heart a love for Allah distinct from that need. Thus, he needs Allah inasmuch as He is his Lord, and inasmuch as