His words, Exalted is He:

O you who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends…

He said:

God, Exalted is He, has warned the believers not to take as friends other than those whom God and His Messenger have befriended. Indeed, God, Exalted is He, is not [even] pleased ⸢when one who is His friend⸣^{1All MSS (Z515, f. 115a, F638, f. 54b and F3488, f. 294b) have the addition of man wāliya’Llāh.} depends upon [another who is] His friend, so how will it be when he depends on [one who is] His enemy? Furthermore, a person who engages his heart in that which does not concern him relating to his Hereafter gains an enemy, so how will it be concerning some other [affair that does not concern him]?

And a person who covets (ṭamaʿa) the Hereafter along with a desire for something lawful (ḥalāl) of this world is deluded (makhdūʿ), so how will it be for someone who desires something unlawful (ḥarām)?

Anyone’s act that is not done in opposition (mukhālafa),^{2Opposition here has the positive meaning of opposing the lower self (nafs) as will be seen in Tustarī’s explanation below. It will be recalled that in some contexts mukhālafa was used with a negative meaning, often when placed in contradistinction to conformity (muwāfaqa). See, for example, the commentary on 28:24.} or with endurance (mukābada), or out of preferring others over oneself (īthār), will be an act of ostentation (riyāʾ).

He was asked the meaning of this. He replied:

Opposition is the abandonment of what is forbidden, and for sure, abandoning a particle of what God has forbidden is more meritorious than worshipping God, Exalted is He, for your whole life. To show endurance is to fulfil God’s commandments, while to prefer others over oneself is to prefer God above all that is other than Him.

Furthermore, through opposition they were dispossessed of their selves, but through endurance they were dispossessed of their desires, so that their passions (shahawāt) were expressed through acts of obedience (ṭāʿāt); and by giving preference to others over themselves (īthār), they attained His love and good pleasure.

His words, Exalted is He:

…and God is Forgiving, Merciful.

He said:

He is Forgiving of your past sins through [accepting your] repentance (tawba), and Merciful, because He protects you from falling into the same kind of transgression during what remains of your life.

His words, Exalted is He:

…And do not hold on to the [conjugal] ties of disbelieving women…

He said:

Do not agree with the people of innovations concerning anything which issues from their whims (ahwāʾ) or opinions (ārāʾ).^{1Note the association which Tustarī has made between innovation (bidʿa) and people’s whims or desires (ahwāʾ). This is also emphasised elsewhere in Tustarī’s Tafsīr, for example in his commentary on 4:171 and 6:159.}