Chapter on What Is Permissible Regarding the Servant's Love for Others' Love of Him

Chapter on What is Permissible for the Servant from His Love of Being Loved by People

I said: Is it permissible for him to love that people love him?

He said: As for what you perceive of your soul finding delight in that, there is no harm in it, so long as you do not seek the praise of other than Him (for its own sake).

As for loving that they love you for other than an act of obedience that is praiseworthy in their sight, but rather that they love you for concealment, and they extol you for other than an act of obedience for which they extol you — there is no harm in that, because they do not love you for the act of obedience except so that they may recognize your merit, and then they extol you with their hearts, and love you, and esteem you, and revere you. So it is not permissible for you to seek that from them through obedience to God, Exalted and Glorious.

I said: What then of the Prophet's saying, when a man said to him: "Guide me to that for which God will love me, and for which people will love me" — or [he said]: "cast this reproach upon them" — he said:

"Renounce the world and God will love you, and renounce what people possess and they will love you."

And the Prophet said:

"If you renounce the world, God, Exalted and Glorious, will love you, and people will love you."

He said: This is true, because when one abandons what God, Exalted and Glorious, detests — which is the love of the world — and prefers God, Exalted and Glorious, over its appetites — which is what He loves — then whoever forsakes his appetites for the sake of his Lord, Exalted and Glorious, God, Exalted and Glorious, will love him. And it is not impossible that creation should love one who preferred them over himself, so how much more with the Most Generous of the most generous?

And whoever renounces the world, there is no harm or burden upon anyone from him, and people love one who is like that. And God, Exalted and Glorious, may cast love into their hearts for the one He loves.

And he did not say to him: "Guide me to a matter by which the effort of the creature is sought alone, of God, Exalted and Glorious," nor did he say: "Renounce the world, and with your renunciation God and His creation will be pleased." Rather, he commanded him to practice renunciation (zuhd) for the sake of God, Exalted and Glorious, and [told him] that from His love —