Shaykh Sālih bin Fawzān Al Fawzān – Hafidhahullah – stated in his explanation of the Treatise of Servitude:

[1] Man, if he is amazed by a woman and he is infatuated with her, he becomes a slave to her. He is overpowered by her speech, and he executes her demands, he becomes a servant to his Hawa (vain lusts and desires). For this reason The Lofty and Exalted said,

“Have you seen he who takes his Hawa as a god” [Surah Al-Jāthiyāh: 23].

Whatever his Hawa dictates he does even if it is impermissible, this is the one that takes his desires as an object of worship.

[2] He is attracted by love for praise and position, so he seeks them out at any cost, even if it is at the expense of his religion.

[3] From the dangers of yearning for honour and praise, is that a person is amazed by himself if somebody praises him with that which is false and he is angry with the one who disparages him, even if it is with the truth. This is because he wants honour and position. He likes to be praised falsely while disparagement grieves him, even if it is true.

This is evidence that he wants honour and position at any cost!

As for the one who does not seek honour and position he dislikes praise, because of the prophet’s -SalAllahu alayhi wa’sallam – statement, “If you see those who praise people (to their faces), then throw dirt in their faces”. So he does not accept praise to his face; because praise makes him oppressive and it causes him to be deluded by himself.

As for the one who wants the truth, he is pleased with advice and he is happy with his mistakes being pointed out (to him). For this reason Umar bin al-Khatāb said, “May Allah have mercy upon the person who gifts Umar his mistakes”. So he likened one who clarifies to him his errors to a person who gives him a gift…

(Shaykh Sālih bin Fawzān Al-Fawzān then mentions):

 “And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah?” [Al-Qasas: 50].

Whosoever is not a servant to Allah, becomes a servant and slave of his Hawa (lusts and desires), shaytān and his doubts.

Mankind will either be a servant to Allah or a servant to other than Allah. It is not possible for man to be other than a servant (i.e. his nature has been created this way).

So whoever abandons servitude to Allah, Allah afflicts him with bondage to other than Him.

And we seek refuge in Allah!

For this reason when the polytheists left off the worship of Allah, Allah put them to trial with the worship of idols, trees, stones and inanimate objects.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said,

“They (the polytheists) fled from Ar-Riqq of Him whom they were created for (i.e. Allah created them to worship Him),

 So they were put in Ar-Riqq to themselves and the Shaytān (their enemy).”

 Ar-Riqq is Servitude. You were created to be a servant of Allah, if you leave off this servitude you will become one who worships other than Allah. No doubt you are a servant (of something) no matter how free you say you are. You are a servant, subjugated to Allah or to other than Him.

Servitude of Allah is nobility for mankind and it is real liberation! As for mankind’s servitude of other than Allah then it is humiliating and degrading (carries no respect). Servitude to other than Allah does not free the slave from the entrapment of desires or lusts. This form of servitude is worship of other than Allah (i.e. Shirk – polytheism).

Nothing frees from the humiliating bonds of servitude to the creation except being a servant to Allah (a servant of The Creator and One truly worthy of being worshipped) – Sub’hanahu wa ta’ālah -.

The heart will not be sincere unless it accepts Allah and rejects or is distant from other than him:

The heart that is upright (upon true monotheism) is attached to Allah, and it opposes anything (in worship) other than him.

The Most high said: “Verily, Ibrahim (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities), obedient to Allah, Hanīfah (i.e. to worship none but Allah)” [al-Nahl :120].

So Ibrahīm – Alayhis salām – was completely attached to Allah with his heart, actions and direction and he opposed anything other than Allah (in his worship]). And the true monotheistic religion of Ibrahīm – Alayhis Salām – is: the acceptance of Allah and opposition of that which is worshipped besides Him.

If one is not attached to Allah, opposed to other than Him, he will certainly fall into Shirk (polytheism), because he is (in reality) a servant without a doubt. So he will either be a servant of Allah or he will be in bondage to other than Him.

And there is not a human-being except he is a servant, in fact, everything that is in the sky and on earth is in bondage (to Allah).

[Sharh Ar-Risālatu Ubūdiyah, pages 252-254]