56 M. Sait Özervarli
contain these two principles: confirmation of the Truth [God] and love
of Him. The first principle is verbal, and the other is practical. There-
fore, complete love accompanied with strength requires the movement
of the body along with verbal expression. [In addition] outward practice
is necessary. As for the ones who consider knowledge and confirmation
a requirement for what comes under the title of faith and what is called
faith, they are mistaken. On the contrary, it [faith] requires knowledge
and love. Knowledge is a prerequisite for loving the beloved, just as life
is prerequisite for knowledge. [...] But in reality, God deserves by His
essence to be loved and worshipped and to love His messenger for His
sake. The hearts contain in them a faculty that needs to love and worship
Him, just as they contain in them a faculty that requires knowledge and
confirmation of Him. Whoever confirms Him and His messenger, but is
not a lover of Him and His messenger, is not a believer until it [love of
Him and His messenger] exists.^64The main element behind a sincere trust in God, Ibn Taymiyya states, is
the need of all existence for Him and His protection. The fact of being
in need (iftiqār) of God is obvious in every thing that exists. For this
reason, he says, the Koran highlights the surrendering affinity of exist-
ing beings to God, their spiritual testimonies of Him, and special adora-
tions and exaltations by each of them in their own way of expressing.
For instance, the breaking forth of springs from the earth, the branch-
ing of trees, and the ripening of fruits are examples of such adoration
and obedience from various beings. These devotional acts and orderly
performances are observed in all species individually and therefore are
stronger evidence than theoretical arguments that are proposed by phi-
losophers and theologians for the existence of God.^65
According to Ibn Taymiyya, by imagining that the divine Being
cannot love and be loved due to His transcendence, theologians
underestimate the importance of this issue for believers. In counter-
point, Ibn Taymiyya claims that love of God and trust in Him exist
in all beings, even in the hearts of unbelievers whose love and trust
mostly surfaces in desperate situations; indeed, people sometimes
unintentionally find themselves turning toward God or praying to
Him. Moreover, one cannot truly worship someone toward whom
one does not feel love and respect; therefore, in Ibn Taymiyya’s view,
denying love of Him would almost be the same as denying Himself.
64 Ibn Taymiyya, Majmūʿ Fatāwā, vol. 7, p. 541.
65 Ibn Taymiyya, Majmūʿ Fatāwā, vol. 1, pp. 46–47, Ibn Taymiyya, Darʾ taʿāruḍ
al-ʿaql wal-naql, vol. 3, pp. 265–266.
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