its counterpart, and favor whom you wish, you will be their master, and need whom you wish, you will be their captive. similarly, the servant's desire for his Lord and his hope in Him necessitates his servitude to Him, and the turning away of his heart from seeking from Allāh and hoping in Him necessitates the turning away of his heart from servitude to Allāh, especially for one who hopes in creation and not in the Creator. so that his heart relies either on his leadership, his soldiers, his followers, and his servants, or on his family and friends, or on his wealth and treasures, or on his masters and superiors like his owner, his king, his shaykh, his employer, and others who have died or will die. Allāh, the Exalted, said (al-Furqān, 58): "And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and exalt [Him] with His praise. And sufficient is He to be, with the sins of His servants, Acquainted." and whoever attaches his heart to creation to support him, provide for him, or guide him, his heart submits to them and he becomes enslaved to them to the extent of that attachment, even if outwardly he is their leader, managing their affairs and directing them. the wise person looks at realities, not appearances, so when a man attaches his heart to a woman, even if she is lawful for him, his heart remains captive to her, she controls him and acts as she wishes, while outwardly he is her master because he is her husband or owner, but in reality, he is her captive and her possession. especially if she knows of his need for her and his love for her, and that he cannot replace her with another, then she controls him like a tyrannical master over a subdued servant who cannot escape from him, but even greater. for the captivity of the heart is greater than the captivity of the body, and the enslavement of the heart is greater than the enslavement of the body, for one whose body is enslaved and captured does not mind if his heart is..