The Principle Of Love & Desire

The Principle of Love and Desire is one of Ibn Taymiyyah's many important works on 'aqīdah. In it, he explains how love is the basis of every movement that occurs in the universe and every action of Bani Ādam. He explains that love necessitates hate for the things that oppose what one loves, and that this love and hate is the foundation of Islām, tawḥīd, and īmān. He also discusses the many sects that strayed from Allāh's straight path due to their misunderstanding of this fundamental principle. The following are excerpts from the text: "The basis of īmān (faith) is loving for Allāh's sake and hating for Allāh's sake, so the one who loves for Allāh, hates for Allāh, gives for Allāh, and withholds for Allāh, has completed his īmān."