Yet there be people who take to themselves peers besides God loving them as God is loved These are people whom the Real سبحانه did not appoint as the people of love ahl al-maḥabba. He kept them occupied with the love of other things so that they were satisfied with loving everything that their lower selves desired. They were satisfied with worshiping something that was made for them and satisfied with loving something crafted for them that is other than Him but those who believe love God more ardently; If he were to see those who did evil when they see the chastisement that the might altogether belongs to God and that God is terrible in chastisement. What is intended here is not to recall the idol worshipers' love for other things but rather to praise the believers for their love. It is not necessary for you to increase your love so as to surpass the love of disbelievers for their idols; rather the lover wants to remember his beloved as much as he can and finds everything that comes from the beloved beautiful. It is said that the reason for the superiority of the love of believers for God over the love of the disbelievers for their idols is that the love of the latter is from like to like and it is expected that like will incline to like. But [the love of believers for God] is a love for One who is not like them and that is more precious and more worthy. It is said that [the disbelievers] love what they can see and there is noth- ing amazing about loving that which has been seen with one's own eyes. But the believers love the One who has come in between them and their seeing a cloak of grandeur on their faces. It is said that those who believe love God more ardently because they do not dissociate themselves from God even if He punishes them. The disbeliever dissociates himself from the idol and the idol from the disbe- liever just as God most high said “When those who were followed disown their followers” [2:166]. It is said that the love maḥabba of the believers comes from God's love for them for that is more perfect. God most high said whom He loves and who love Him [5:54] while their love for idols is a matter of whim hawā.
