as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ ۚ كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾[1]; “And indeed, their Prophets brought them clear signs, but they could not believe in what they had denied beforehand! This is how Allah seals the hearts of disbelievers.”

[The Necessity of Submitting to Allah’s Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction]

There is no doubt that the requirement of being a Muslim is to abandon one’s own satisfaction and dissatisfaction and to submit to Allah’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿فَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا﴾[2]; “So your God is One God. Then submit to Him,” and: ﴿وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾[3]; “And you do not will unless Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills”; because rational satisfaction and dissatisfaction revolve around the goodness and badness of things, and, as has been made clear, the goodness and badness of things are subject to Allah, and whoever prioritizes his own satisfaction and dissatisfaction over Allah’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction is not a believer; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾[4]; “But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you the judge in what arises between them and then find within themselves no anxiety about what you have judged and submit completely,” and: ﴿ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ﴾[5]; “That was because they disliked what Allah revealed, so He made their deeds come to nothing,” and: ﴿ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا مَا أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا رِضْوَانَهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ﴾[6]; “That was because they followed that which angered Allah and disliked His satisfaction, so He made their deeds come to nothing.”

[The Consequences of Following Desires of the Self]

Therefore, abandoning prejudgments, preconceptions, and presumptions arising from illusions, emotions, and tastes is considered a prerequisite for knowing and is essential for its realization.