and for this reason, among the later generations, there are those who became excessive in their claim of love to the extent that it led them to a kind of foolishness and claims that contradict servitude and bring a person into a type of lordship that is only fitting for Allāh. Thus, one of them might make claims that exceed the boundaries of the prophets and messengers or ask from Allāh what is not appropriate in any way except for Allāh, and not fitting for the prophets or the messengers. This is an issue that many of the shaykhs have fallen into, and its cause is the weakness in realizing the servitude that the messengers clarified and which was defined by the commands and prohibitions they brought, as well as the weakness of the intellect through which a person understands his reality. When the intellect is weak and knowledge of the religion diminishes, and there is an ignorant, reckless love within the self, the self expands foolishly in this, just as a person expands in love for another person with foolishness and ignorance. And he says: "I am a lover, so I am not held accountable for what I do of actions that involve aggression and ignorance." This is the essence of misguidance and is similar to the saying of the Jews and Christians (al-Māʾidah, 18): "We are the children of Allāh and His beloved." Allāh, the Exalted, said: "Say, 'Why then does He punish you for your sins? Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills.'" For His punishing them for their sins implies that they are neither beloved nor related to Him by the bond of sonship, but rather it implies that they are created beings. So whoever Allāh loves, He employs him in what He loves, and His beloved does not do what the truth despises and is displeased with, such as disbelief, immorality, and disobedience